I tried it and after one application the gnat population dropped dramatically. A week later I did it again and the population has dropped down to under 5%. No exaggeration. Best thing I've ever tried, hands down. Thanks 👍
Dude.. THIS is like a salvation. Some people are pushing nematodes as a solution, but they can bore into the plant and live there doing damage to flowers and other plants
Can can you tell me which brand this is? I have looked on Amazon and there are so many that I am overwhelmed. Many of them specify ‘outdoor’ use, but I want to make sure I get one that is OK to use indoors. Thank you.
I had a huge "cake party". Every gnat family was invited. Even with such a successful event I haven't heard much from my guests since. You saved my young plants. Thank you.
@@TheIntegratedGarden It really did. Gnats had nearly destroyed all my tiny bamboo and papaya seedlings, and nothing helped. Now I don't even worry. You literally saved my garden. Recently I had brought in some new soil mix for my avocado seedlings, which maybe came with gnats. As soon as I saw them, I made my potion. In less than a week they were all gone.
Dried neem leaves also work VERY well against yeast in a dog. I had a dog who had severe yeast issues. She had itchy skin, crusty ears, and it got to the point where she also didn't absorb the nutrients in her food as well. (Her colon made a biofilm to protect itself against the yeast which blocked a lot of the nutrients from going through.) I tried so many things, none of which worked. Then I finally tried dried neem leaves added to her food. Within a week I noticed a big difference, and in two weeks the difference was like night and day. She felt so much better! After about three weeks her ears stopped being crusty, her coat became shiny and full again, and I actually had to cut down on her food because she was absorbing the nutrients so well again that she was gaining too much weight. Neem is absolutely amazing! It is very bitter, but I think dogs don't taste bitter because I give all of them neem now (can't hurt, I'm sure) and they all eat the food right up.
@@Jane-ez7yl I bought them on Amazon. I like to get the cut and sifted rather than the powder form because they retain their potency better as cut and sifted being there is less oxidation.
I just cant thank you enough! I was just at the breaking point when I found your video and decided, well I will try one more thing before I just give up. I cant believe it! One watering and they are gone! I am carefully patrolling the area lol, but I am just so happy it worked!! Thank you! You saved my beautiful plants!
I followed his instructions and had a pretty severe infestation a few weeks ago after five days with a couple of soil drenches.. it all cleared up.. fantastic
It also throws off the natural biome of the soil and kills off good bacteria, as well as bad bacteria. You might want to give your plants an endo mychorzial fungi sprinkling to re-introduce the good bacteria into your soil. Without it, plants have trouble fighting off problems like root rot, pests, and dry mildew.
Thank you so much I feel my house is being taken over by these stupid things, like as if I am living in the days of Egypt with the plague of the flies! I have tried Vinegar & the sticky traps....I can't tell u how much I needed this, thank u, thank u, thank u!
Thanks so much. Here in Arizona gnats are everywhere and everyone is having trouble. I received my bag of Neem cake from Florida Garden revival in 3 days. On Saturday I watered everything houseplants and vegetables. Today is day 4 and there aren't many left except of course the smell. I'm looking forward to a gnat free life.
I'm in AZ also but my gnat problem is inside my home. They must have been brought in on some fruit or vegetables from the grocery store. I can't get rid of them. 😥
In India everyone who has any plans uses this, and is available freely They mostly use it as a mild organic fertilizer. It’s called “Neem Khali”and is available as cake not pellets
I've been battling gnats for what felt like forever, and nothing seemed to help. Then I tried your suggestion, and bam, three weeks later, they're all gone. Vanished for good. Thanks brother!
I've been fighting gnats for awhile. Definitely will try this. 3 heaping tablespoons per gallon of water. Let steep for a few hours until the water is brown. Use for watering and flood the surface of the soil. THANKS
Thank you. I loose all my house plants. i had them in my closet my bed. my draw they eat and drink with me, they live with me for about five years. i use every thing they say will help. but they are the strongest i have ever seen. so this summer i spray the house and every other day i might see one. for the last time i will buy the neem cake. thanks
Zevo Insect Trap that plugs into an electrical outlet is the bomb. The blue light attracts bug, then get stuck on the sticky back. Plus you don't have to look at the trapped insects.
Thank you so much for this!!!! My plants were getting taken over by the fungus gnats and were looking sickly and yellow, within 2 days of treating them with the neem cake they are literally on a second life. They’re green, full, healthy, growing and most importantly, I’ve seen very very few gnats in the past couple days! Thank you so much this really helped saved my plants lives
@@COVID-19_Crab at first I thought I was over watering them, the neem cake turned them from yellow and sickly looking to growing green leaves in a day or 2. It was more gradual of a growth then instant but I did start to see immediate signs that it was working well. I continued to use it through the growth stage of the plants and months later, they’re between 3 and 4 feet tall now so it really works
Could you please send me a link to what you bought? I am infested with fungus gnats… been using Mosquito bits and they are not working! Thank you in advance!
Hi Samantha...thank you for your confirmation...my only question is, for 'indoor houseplants', once the gnats are gone, do I 'continue' watering w/this 'neem meal' or can I/should I go back to regular water? Also, is it ok to use a 'plastic' gallon jug? Thanks for any help.
@@llnmrgn I put all my plants in the same room, and then when they needed to be watered, treated them with the neem cake water and moved them to a different room. After I had treated all my plants once, I continued using the neem cake water for about 6-8 weeks before switching to regular water. I used a glass jug with a filter bag for the neem cake, so I could dissolve it and remove it easily and keep the water.
@@novicestarrstacker2549 The neem tea really doesn't do that. It is the neem oil that does. The neem tea, as described in the video is gentle. I am all about living soil and microbes myself, so I understand your concerns. Sorry so late of a response, but hope that helps.
You made me laught the NAT HUNTER,s that is so cute im 76 young +im always looking for new things .honey it sounded so cute i can hear and see both runing +looking they are saying mommy daddy there over here the othe one is saying NO !OVER HERE GETUMmmm mommy fast .so cute thank you for making a old lady feel 😊 happy😂😅😘😃
Never heard of the neem cake. Def worth a try. I have had 100% success with nematodes mixed in the water. They're little beneficial bugs that eat all the gnat eggs and larvae. Thanks for the video 😊
I can't thank you enough. I have used this method over the last two years and it is legit. I still have not used up the whole bag yet. I only use it every other watering and I keep using it even after it rots, because the smell in the greenhouse goes away quickly and it still seems to work. I use fish fertilizer so I am used to awful smells in the greenhouse anyway. 😛
i tried all the things he listed and had similar results. this actually works and the plants seem to love it. i top the soil with the neem pellets and water with the tea. i love the smell, like fertile earth after rain. first time gnat free and loving it, thank you sir!
i don't know how this is obscure, why is the stuff that doesn't work so well known. oh well, hurdy gurdy metal is obscure too ua-cam.com/video/MtvpXr9O0J4/v-deo.html
live in Bedford, TX. and my houseplants were terribly infected - used top gravel, Mosquito bites (works pretty good), sticky yellow things, and an electric Zevo light - grr, STILL have them, fewer, bit STILL - DEFINATELY trying this!! THANK 😊 YOU;)
Did you make the tea with Mosquito Bits? I sprinkled on soil and in drain trays and watered. They scattered. Five hours later I could only find 1 when it would normally have been several. I didn’t want to mess with teas.
100% concur, neem cake works miracles ! I mix it sparingly with my plant starter mix. The mix gets moistened and potted up, so the neem cake breaks down over time.
I would personally like to thank you. I have been having a big gnat problem in my office. It looked like they were continuously flying past my face as if they were mocking me. I used sprays, bug bombs and everything I could think of to get rid of them with no success. I could not find the source of it anywhere. I finally came across your video and immediately realized what the problem was. I bought a big bag of potting soil a few months ago. It had a tear in the bag but I figured I was going to be using it soon so what's the difference. I wound up not using but instead, I put it in my storage room. As soon as I saw your video, I immediately ran back to the bag. I saw the gnats hanging out by that opening. I threw it out and set up bug bombs shortly after. This is the first day I was gnat free in months. Again...thank you!
I'm SUPER excited to try this! We have a significant gnat problem at our new home and summer is looming. I'm also putting in a large garden so my fears are deer, rabbits, armadillos and GNATS. I've got the bigger critters beat but this should give me the edge I need to have a successful garden. Thank you!
(Read Updates: I now found that this is not as effective as I hoped, but I did clear up my gnats.) So i bought a peace lily off of craigslist (someone was selling their plant collection cause they were moving) and this thing brought fungus gnats home that ive been warring with for like 6 months now. Ive tried everything. Sticky traps, neem oil, repotting everything, forced drought, literally raid insecticide, topsoil covering, i just wanted these things gone. Heres what finally worked, a fan, sticky traps, AND THIS. THE NEEM MEAL IS THE SECRET SAUCE. I havent seen a gnat in a week and will update if the infestations gone gone in a few weeks. The fan i have blowing on all of my small plants i can move so any straggler adults cant fly to them, and i have sticky traps in the soil of my big/sensative plants. The neem meal watering seems to be working super well and any adults that make their way to the plants that dont have fan protection get caught in the sticky traps. Took a week to see a substantial difference but im two weeks in now and can see zero activity in my plants soil. Going to give it a few more weeks before the final all clear incase any larvae are hiding anywhere, but if youve been struggling the way i have with gnats, please give the neem meal a try its magical
@@lai6361 yeah i gotchu. so from the way it timed out, I think that this stuff fails to kill the eggs. I had about 3 1/2 weeks of an all clear, and then they started coming around again. I kept up with the neem tea waterings hoping that the comment about messing with their ability to reproduce was true, but after two weeks the amount of gnats was around pre-neem tea numbers. I went to a solution i KNOW works i just really hate the look of which is soil dressing with about an inch of course sand on top of the soil. This way the adults cant reach the soil and the larvae cant escape. This is doable for me because i only have around 30 plants, but i get for people that have a huge collection this might be a huge pain. I'm seeing a sharp decrease in their numbers again but like i said in the earlier comment ive tried A LOT and this is effective, its just not a cute look. Hoping by the end of the month ill be at zero gnats again and STAY THERE. ill report back if this is a success
@@prisimyo507 ahhh dude this sounds horrid! I've currently using neem oil and the soil covering but it's not sufficient for fighting with these flippin' gnats. I was watching this because I'm debating getting nematodes and this popped up in the meantime - I'd never heard of neem cake/meal, but maybe this is a sign to get some nematodes! Have you seen/tried those?
@@lezmondo22oohhh i havent!! Ive heard about them in passing but didnt give them too much thought since the idea of adding more organisms to the soil didnt seem like a good idea at the time lol (this was early into my research for solutions). If you go the nematode route please update on if they worked!! Every video on yt is someone saying "THIS WAS THE ONLY THING THAT WORKED FOR REMOVING FUNGAS GNATS" and its a different solution/product everytime, so real feedback from people currently in the trenches is honestly the most helpful thing ive found 😅
A good Homemade sprinkler for solutions like this is a Gatorade style bottle with small nail holes punched in the lid. It saves me from rinsing my regular watering can, and I can reuse it as many times as I need or throw it away, for that single solution.
Thank you soo much and also to all the folks in the comment section that also have tried it and posted. I've tried almost everything also, including the Neem oil. I'm off to find the Need cake.😉Wow, that was easy to find. Thanks again!
Good info, thanks. Also want to share what works for me 100% of the time. Start with sterile potting mix. Can also sterilize soil mix with 2-3 min in microwave. I have a silicone pan dedicated for this purpose. Great to prevent damping off disease in seedlings too.
Microwave also kills off beneficial microbes in the soil, basically killing the soil. Which is fine if you're adding nutrients and microbes back in the soil.
I use an inch or two of sand on top of the soil, never have gnats or spider mites. Also, a small USB fan blowing across the soil level of my set up. If I am bringing plants in for the winter, they get soaked three times with insect soap.The stems and leaves get wiped down, hit with some neem oil, and I'm pretty much done. Then sand on top. I bottom water most of my stuff.
This stuff actually did work for me after 2 treatments. Didn’t seem as though it would for some time, but no gnats for months now. I also used a potting soil from Miracle Grow that’s designed to discourage gnats. Thanks so much Luke
Word! Been using neem cake for soil amendments and have noticed a lot less bugs in addition to fungus gnats. Using neem cake to make a tea and soil drench sounds even better. Thanks for sharing! :D
I just had a major houseplant shopping spree and unfortunately reintroduced fungus gnats into my home. I got rid of them in the past by using 1 part hydrogen peroxide 3% to 4 parts water. I had to water my plants religiously with this for a few months. One thing I noticed was as I was preparing some yogurt to eat during the past infestation of gnats, 3 gnats immediately landed on my yogurt...yuck. They must be drawn to the microbes in the yogurt. Anyway thank you for sharing this. I would much rather use this method to get rid of them because buying countless bottles of peroxide is a pain and this method is very appealing and may not take as long to get results
I have gnats but the ones I have bite do the gnats are the ones that produce the midges and the no see themcause I'm going thru hell and have no help from the landlord upstairs cause he's to cheap to fumigation I have fallen 23 times from my floors having oil from the gnat spray I constantly buy my little savings are gone I'm so traumatized between the gnats midges and falls don't know what to do and my contract expired on October 1 of this year please somebody replied to me help
Same here I’ve been using H2O2 for years and tired of buying gallons of it. It fixes the problem but they always seem to come back again with a new plant or new soil
After finding this video, I realized what was floating in hundreds were gnats. I've been having scooping these up for a few weeks now and wondered where they came from. I'm hoping by spraying this neem cake mix all over the backyard garden that it will help get rid of these tiny pest, bc it's driving me up the wall cleaning them out from my pool every day. Thank you for sharing this valuable tip!!
Wow just wow, I’m sitting here with these little buggers buzzing me. I’m so glad I came across your channel. I surly hope this is the remedy. Thank you 😊
Excited to hear another option I just bought nematodes and if they do not work, I will be buying neem cake. The smell is bad. I will also buy a nice candle.
Well folks, I have a unique problem with these fungus gnats. I have a GREENSTALK 6 tier plant tower (which is great!!) that is planted with herbs, veggies and seeds. Seems one of my bags of dirt must have had these stinkers in it. I've aerated the soil a bit. Problem is that it's hard for this to really dry out as the air can't get to the middle area of each section where the water tray sits. Hmmm .... I may try to separate them for a day to aid in that process. I have my NEEMORGANICS Orgo Neem Cake all mixed up in 2 - 2 quart glass jars and will let it set for a while and water the tower tomorrow or the next day. I'll keep you posted. Wish me luck!!
It worked by greatly reducing the number of them but I needed to keep at it throughout the summer. I replaced the top 3 inches of soil of some of the sections that were infected the worst with fresh dirt. It was a battle all summer. Next time I buy potting soil, I’ll spread it all out to fully dry and may even oven bake it before I use it - the struggle is frustrating. I always use an organic soil so I don’t know if that’s a separate issue. But hey, if the bugs (pests!!) thrive in it, it’s probably really good dirt! FYI 1. I don’t think the smell is that bad! 2. If I remember right, I found a one pound bag. Best of luck!
7 years fighting with those nasty gnats, lost my gardenia, list over 40 figs, and after i saw this video i decided this is my last battle, thanks for sharing the video and thanks to the one who referred us to the one who sells them neems in Ontario. Best wishes for all.
@@mathieurollet8318 after few generous watering over 2 months, the gnats are still here , they live figs cuttings and mulberry cuttings, i noticed they are attractive to cuttings not the seedlings! My figs cutting roots all eaten except one, im trying to get rid of them with the yellow sticky tape. Looks like there is no solution, but ill keep trying the neem cake since i bought two bags of it : /
@@mathieurollet8318 we crushed mosquito dunks and made it powder, and we apply it every time we water the plants with neem, nothing is working, wish we had access to some chemicals grrrrr
Last autumn I brought my family of kalenchoe's indoors to save them from the expected freeze. Yes, the plants were saved but not long aferwards I discovered the little gnats were also enjoying my indoor shelter. Thankfully, your video has given me a good tip which I shall try and hopefully get rid of the little blighters in the not too distant. Thank you for this advice.
ive tried alot, on some bad numbers of gnats, this worked pretty well, quality of neem plays a big part so watch for that. the only other thing to eradicate them are predatory nematodes.thanks for the vid
Thank you so much for this. First winter with my houseplants being infested as bad as ever. About to use mosquito dunks but will order the neem cake instead. Thank you
This couldn’t have come at a better time… literally trying peroxide/water for eggs and vinegar/water for gnats. If this works (Neem cake) it will be a great help. Thank you, 😊
@@pratyushbehere3580 tried that with the sand, and unfortunately it didn't work for me, even though it looked and seemed so promising. Glad if it helps for you though. Thanks for sharing!
Never heard of neem cakes. Very interesting. I have complete success with 3% peroxide though. I spray it or drench infected soil straight up and they are gone in 48 hours. The plants seem to love it too. It's usually easy to buy and super cheap. Except during covid. I couldn't find it for months and the gnats were taking over. Could have used this info back then.
What brand did you use and after making the tea do you strain out the left over cake pieces? Been fighting a fungus gnat war here for 5 months desperate for help
I used NEEMCAKE by Yield Titan. Got a 6lb bag from Amazon. Bag is clear, with green graphics. The pellets look identical to the ones by the OP in the video. Being a natural fertilizer, I mixed like the OP said, let sit for a few hours, shook vigorously, than poured it in a way to cover all the soil. No straining. Zero fungus gnats after two waterings, about 12 days.
Many thanks. I'd live in that greenhouse happily, wow! Being in a bachelor pad, 40 plants and counting... well, it's trippy. No, there are no plants near the stove, though I've propogated some dischidiae in the drying area for dishes. Hmm. You must be thrilled with that fabulous garden!💐
I will give this a try asap, thank you! 🤞 Even just watching these videos and reading the comments is sort of therapeutic for me 😅I feel less alone in what feels like a neverending battle (with a couple truces here and there) 😱😭🤯
I had a lot of these fungus gnats, and tried a few things that didn’t really work. I did the mosquito pellet tea, and it didn’t seem to do much at first. I then figured I needed to trap adults, so I put out a bowl with a dab of maple syrup, dawn dish soap and water, and it attracted the little buggers like crazy. I think the maple syrup did the trick there (it was 100% maple); sugar didn’t attract them as much in my experience. I’d put out a bowl in the middle of my plants, and overnight there’d be a dozen or so. After a few days, there were scads, and I only had 7 plants at that point. But though using the “tea” along side the syrup mix seemed to be controlling them,after some time (months) it wasn’t lessoning the fact that gnats were still around. Then we went on a two week vacation. My plants (even the peace plant) survived as they were mostly succulents. But what didn’t survive the drought were the fungus gnats! I think the triple threat finally did them in. I haven’t seen one since. I have to repot a few of my younger plants, and I’m worried I’ll get gnat hitchhikers in the new soil, so I’ll be checking out how to sterilize soil BEFORE it becomes an issue lol. (ETA: I’ll definitely try the neem pellets if I get gnats again, as the mosquito tea controlled the amount of gnats but didn’t kill them off. I want total destruction of my gnat colony!)
I just used the Mosquito Bits today, but I didn’t want to fuss making a tea so I sprinkled all seedling flats and any other houseplants and watered everything. That was about 5 hours ago and I just checked and moved some plants around and I seen only one where there would normally be at least 5+. I’ve read others mix the bits right in the soil. You are correct on sterilizing soil. I was being frugal and used an open bag I had outside-never again! It’s getting baked in the grill outside before it goes inside. Ugh, never had so many problems. I’m leaving the fan on the plants all night as some didn’t need watering, but I wanted all the plants to be treated at the same time to knock them out. So far adding a few bits on top of soil and watering has worked.
@@dustyflats3832....hello, could you please tell me how you sterilize your soil? I would like to try doing this also to sort of nip the problem in the bud right away! Thanks!
The saying goes, "You can catch more flies (gnats) with honey (maple syrup) than with vinegar." Oh my! I tried the ACV method in 6 bowls throughout my home. It only caught 1 or 2 gnats in three bowls. The BIGGEST issue was the awful smell. I hate that smell! When I read this post, the next day, I tried the maple syrup method. Within moments, I had many, many gnats in each bowl. I also poured the solution in 3oz plastic cups, and placed them directly on top of the soil of many plants. This caught a lot of gnats also. Thank you for posting this comment, ICMongeese. The maple syrup method works like a charm!
You have to target the adult gnats too. The neem tea and mosquito bits help to eliminate the larvae. You use fly traps in conjunction with the neem tea/ mosquito bits. I use a small plug in (almost like a febreze plug in) with a purple light that has a sticky trap attached. This has dramatically reduced the infestation along with my tea soaks
Neem Cakes are very common and ridiculously cheap (like $2-4 for a big 5Kg pack) here in India. We usually get them in grounds which I directly add into my potting mix but I'll try this tea method as well. Thanks
lool I can tell from the commment at the end that you've been through trial and tribulation with the winged nightmare that is the fungus gnat. Will definitely give this a try myself, thanks mate!
Thank you. This is the first year my DIY Neem oil solution, hydrogen peroxide, cinnamon and other remedies are not working. These are stubborn Fungus gnats I got from a plant I bought. I did quarantine this plant along with 7 plants. It took one plant to be invested with these huge gnats. I replanted 5 of them with new soil. Turns out made it worse the soil from Lowes had gnats too. I feel like I can't win. Four of my plants have died in one week. I always bottom feed so its not over watering issue. So leading up to your tutorial I just got my amazon package with my Neem Cake from "Neem Organics." I'm using an old gallon pickle jar with your recommendations of 3 Tablespoons of Neem Cake. Waiting until 6 hours letting it sit outside in the sun to get dark. I hope this works.
Bottom watering all the time isn't that good for them because they don't get to flush out all of the salts and crap that accumulates in the soil, its healthy to top water every now and then
@@shawn1869 Hi Shawn, sorry I've been so busy to reply. The Neem Cake solution I made with my handy dandy "Pickle Jar" I applied it to my plants throughout the house and my plant room. I did loose some of my oldest plants after the one application of this solution. Some ended up with root rot. RIP my sweet green babes. I've used 3 Neem Cake applications. Forward to now I've seen few gnats. The sticky trap have taken care of it. Overall I know this has helped. My house was infested. Have you tried Neem Cake? If so, how were your results?
I don't have a gnat problem but I do have a pill bug (roly-poly) infestation in the garden. Every new flower or veg seedling transplant is destroyed by next morning from these little lobsters! Like you, I have tried everything. Now I will try this neem cake cuz you gotta try something once! Thanks for this info and hope it works.
Totally! I never knew they could go after my seedlings until I had the same problem. Please do feel free to share whether it helps or not. The verdict is out on it, because pill bugs are not technically insects.
Thank you for this info. I had gnats in my kitchen in NE Florida last week because of an infestation in a kale plant I recently bought and didn’t replant right away.
I use cold press neem oil and make a tea from that and drench the soil and that has always worked. Though I will grab a bag of the cake and make tea next time I see them and see how it works(I can imagine it works really well).
Will add this to the arsenal. I had a bad infestation in my atrium earlier this year, and I wiped them out over a few days with no ill effects. Method? 1. Cut some thick plastic sheet to go around the circumference of the pots to be treated. Maybe a 2+ foot wide strip. 2. Tape to pot (I used cutout tape since it leaves no marks). The goal is a skirt that rises ABOVE the lip of the pot as tall as possible. I tape the lower edge... imagine you're trying to fill the pot above the lip by 1-2 feet. 3. Go to grocery store and buy dry ice. A decent amount (a few pounds?) 4. Put some bowls/pitchers/whatever in the planter where they fit with hot/warm water. 5. Add dry ice to bowls. Skirt will fill with the CO2 mist. You'll need to periodically change the water to keep the gas attack going. I tried to keep them in a CO2 rich environment for about an hour. I tested with candles, they'd extinguish quickly within the inverted skirt. Bugs? Yeah, they need oxygen, so this kills all of them. Plants? They love CO2, so yay. I did this waited a few days, did it again, then waited a week or two, then did it one more time. Have seen zero flies since then. Put some of those yellow sticky traps out before and after. before they were black in a day, after I threw them out clean. The method in this video would probably be awesome combined with the CO2 attack.
This sounds like a great method (and science experiment for the kids), but like you said, I would definitely combine the two methods to eradicate those eggs as well. Thanks for sharing.
umm okay, first of all: Insta sub!, 2nd: wow amazing fig growth love it and I'm inspired to grow one in my living room with my scary-strong LED light: 3rd: love LOOVE that you kept in mind the ecosystem of the soil, that's what I was worried about. 4th: that evil smile you gave at 5:17 was priceless. and 5th: omg please come to Austin and help me with my little indoor grow set up! haha
I live in Bedford, TX. and my houseplants were terribly infected - used top gravel, Mosquito bites (works pretty good), sticky yellow things, and an electric Zevo light - grr, STILL have them, fewer, bit STILL - DEFINATELY trying this!!
Hi, Tried the neem cake and it seems to be cutting the number drastically in just a couple of weeks, wondering if you have any idea if it would get rid of spider Mites as well. These seem to be the main pests I suffer from almost every year and the spider Mites are an absolute pain to try and eradicate.
Glad to hear it's working on the gnats. I'm not sure about the mites, simply because they are arachnids and not insects. Somehow I would not be surprised if it did work for them as well though. Perhaps try it as a thorough leaf spray? If you do, I would love to know if it works! Thanks for reaching out.
Spider mites are the easiest of bugs to get rid of. No poisons needed. Water alone literally kills them. If you have problems with them, it means you don't rinse your plant leaves like you should, and/or you're in too low humidity for that plant. Watering the soil only does not work for most plants! You need to rinse leaves. Best houseplants have thick leathery leaves which are resistant to mites and low air humidity conditions. Plants that are sometimes referred to as "greenhouse only" can sometimes be grown in a house with lower humidity if you just frequently take the the plant to the sink and rinse all the leaves with very warm water (as hot as you can take it on your skin). Some plants like a rare velvet leaved anthurium I might rinse every 1-2 weeks (incl under the leaves), But a leathery-leaf glossy plant like a Monstera maybe only once a season.
@@TheIntegratedGarden i use a bar of ivey spring soap i ,,i take a razor and shave off a few pieces of soap put it on top of all my plants i never have a problem with any kind of bug or rottens it smells good too it really works ,its good for fruit plants anykind of plants. I. Do get spider but not in my plants im going to try it in my rainspout thats where i get spiders. I need something for moqszos..i live need a river it can get ugly help me please THANK YOU ALL.//mosquitoes //sorry ab it.
I make a tobacco tea. I break open two cigarettes and put the tobacco in hot water. Let it cool and sit for a few hours. Put it in a sprinkler can and make sure all the soil surface is covered. This is enough for my ficus tree, in a large pot.
Thanks you for the video! Just did my first watering with neem tea solution. Two questions: 1) besides smell, is there any detrimental downside to letting neem cake soak for longer, even as long as 24 hours? I was considering letting it soak that long and then diluting it prior to watering. 2) do you reuse neem cake pellets for another soak, or is there any additional use we can get from used neem cake?
Maybe go for it (24 hours). It just smells really nasty if it starts fermenting. You might be fine though. You can use them for another soak, but just know that it will be significantly less strong.
i gotta wonder, would treating your soil with a bath of this brew in advance of planting help eliminate the cycle altogether. new potting and repotting seemingly are the biggest point of entry as you're introducing new soil potentially filled with dormant eggs, so just wiping those eggs out before they have a chance to spread into your gardens again.. combined with a standard upkeep should completely clear them.
I’ve just received my Neem Cake in the mail and definitely will let you know how it goes 🙂 I’ve tried everything and was going to transplant my indoor plants to Leca balls until I watched this video. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
@@kyliewescombe8543 Which plants are you growing in water? I'm going to do the same now too. I'm thinking of doing Monstera Deliciousa, Syngonium Albo, Golden Pothos and snake plants. There's not a lot of information on which house plants you can get to grow in water so I'm really curious what you chose.
I put neem seed meal in all my soil mix. 1/2 cup per 5 gallons of mix. The neem tea works well for existing plants. I had gnats in my worm bin, so mixed in a couple cups of neem meal. The worms seem to like it and the gnats are gone.
Thank you! These things killed off all that was starting & growing in my little greenhouse 3y ago which really put a damper on my growing. We grow in containers on our deck. Last year I didn't have them. This year they are full blown infestation! Putting an order in for mosquito bites & some other natural things to help eradicate them.
@@rainedyani8505 Yes, same here. I actually opened up a bag in the house and had gnats fly out of the bag. I was not happy. Never going to that again without sterilizing the soil with boiling water in the basement. I've probably used dozens of bags of potting soil over the years and last year was the first time this happened.
@@dustyflats3832 I used MB religiously for 5-6 weeks and it didn’t eradicate them. I’m trying Neem Cake next. 😞 I never put the bits directly on the soil though bc 1) it would’ve interfered with my daily ritual of going thru the soil in each of the pots with my fingers or skewer to force the adults out, and 2) I had read too many ppl getting mold from doing that. 😬
Ohhh MYY gosh!!! I cannot believe u just popped up n my feed bc last spring up until it got really cold here in Vegas I’ve had problems! I mean so bad that I had to throw my plants and the soil away 3 times last year ! And just the other day I started seeing some adults All over again ! And I did all those things you talked about and my own. Im going to purchase asap ! I also had an issue with idk if it was a worm or what but it was so tiny and it would make the stems LOOKY scaly and then started eating the inside of my plants ! Oh my gosh I don’t want them back ! I grew up on a farm in Oregon and we never had these particular problems! And made the stems like all skinny , dried out looking but the higher the stems went they were ( actually are bc I have tomato plants still growing and producing tomatoes ! I DIYd my own lil greenhouse on my condos porch !! ) so ya my tomato plants ( some) are skinny and dry looking at the bottom towards the root like a foot upward and then it looks normal . I think that’s bc the bugs didn’t get that far . But now I’m wondering if I should pull them before I plant again even tho tomatoes are growing bc maybe they hibernated and when it warms up they will b back . Idk bc idk what kind of bug I’m dealing with ! And yes! The oil form stinks sooo badly I can’t stand it!
Thanks for sharing. :) This should definitely help you. I also shared another video on my pinned/top comment that goes over how to use this for other things, including a foliage spray that you might want to check out, because it sounds like you would benefit from a drench AND spray. Hope that helps!
I was going to opt for BTI over Neem purely bc of the vile smell which I could not handle in my tiny apartment. Would you say the smell of the cake/pellets is much less potent than the oil? And does the smell dissipate fairly quickly? Also, all my plants are watered at different times. How long is the tea solution good for? (sans the neem bits)
New sub here with a few questions please. 1) So it does not need to be ground up from pellets to powder, right? 2) I see you are growing figs. Have you used this on rooting fig cuttings? Any issues of root damage? Did you use the same strength? How often did you apply? 3) How long can you store any excess? Thank you so very much!
1) you do not have to grind up the pellets. They steep nicely in water. 2) actually yes I have used this in my rooting cuttings. No negative effects to report at all, from my experience. I probably water it down slightly more though. It can get kind of "rotten" if it sits too long in a reservoir, if that makes sense. Probably applied only once or twice with the cuttings. Or maybe 3 times max, but intermittent with regular water. Excess can be stored for probably a week or so in the fridge. Definitely in the fridge though. Otherwise it gets really horrible smelling within a few days. Hope that helps.
i used a fine layer of play sand across the top to stop the fungus gnats in soggy plants like caladiums they can't get through the sand and it looks really nice. just redress the sand if watering messes it up.
Good question! I don't have the answer, but it's cheap and easy to determine using paper test roll for human urine/saliva. I recommend Hydrion brand. For accurate results, make sure to make your brew with distilled water.
I gave up on plants and became a full time gnats farmer
Hahahahaha lol... you made my day! : )
😂😂😂😂😂😂
🤣
That would be a lot funnier if i couldn't relate.
😂
I tried it and after one application the gnat population dropped dramatically. A week later I did it again and the population has dropped down to under 5%. No exaggeration. Best thing I've ever tried, hands down. Thanks 👍
Thanks for that info. Just got my neem cake today. And just in time too. 😒
Dude.. THIS is like a salvation. Some people are pushing nematodes as a solution, but they can bore into the plant and live there doing damage to flowers and other plants
Can can you tell me which brand this is? I have looked on Amazon and there are so many that I am overwhelmed. Many of them specify ‘outdoor’ use, but I want to make sure I get one that is OK to use indoors. Thank you.
@@pandorafox3944 what brand did you use?
is neem powder the same?
I had a huge "cake party". Every gnat family was invited. Even with such a successful event I haven't heard much from my guests since. You saved my young plants. Thank you.
Awesome. Glad it did the trick!
I’m trying it here & waiting for my Neem TODAY. COMING IN MAIL. PUTTING DOWN STICKY TRAPS TOO ON PERIMETER. WISH ME LUCK!!!
@@TheIntegratedGarden It really did. Gnats had nearly destroyed all my tiny bamboo and papaya seedlings, and nothing helped. Now I don't even worry. You literally saved my garden. Recently I had brought in some new soil mix for my avocado seedlings, which maybe came with gnats. As soon as I saw them, I made my potion. In less than a week they were all gone.
I knew you were legit when you listed like 12 ways to kill gnats 😂
Thx
"It's just beautiful knowing that they are experiencing a slow and tricky and strange death to their entire population." LOVE THAT LINE.
Yeah, I thought so too!!! Lmfao
Anybody who dealt with these darn things can relate to the sheer hatred lol
exactly. i liked the video but the final made me want to comment on that victory of his
So, did it work?
lol
Dried neem leaves also work VERY well against yeast in a dog. I had a dog who had severe yeast issues. She had itchy skin, crusty ears, and it got to the point where she also didn't absorb the nutrients in her food as well. (Her colon made a biofilm to protect itself against the yeast which blocked a lot of the nutrients from going through.) I tried so many things, none of which worked. Then I finally tried dried neem leaves added to her food. Within a week I noticed a big difference, and in two weeks the difference was like night and day. She felt so much better! After about three weeks her ears stopped being crusty, her coat became shiny and full again, and I actually had to cut down on her food because she was absorbing the nutrients so well again that she was gaining too much weight. Neem is absolutely amazing! It is very bitter, but I think dogs don't taste bitter because I give all of them neem now (can't hurt, I'm sure) and they all eat the food right up.
That's amazing!
Where did you find the leaves? I have a young dog that suffers with yeast issues too.
Thanks.
@@Jane-ez7yl I bought them on Amazon. I like to get the cut and sifted rather than the powder form because they retain their potency better as cut and sifted being there is less oxidation.
Hey, thanks for sharing!
Definitely gonna try this. Thx so much for sharing
I just cant thank you enough! I was just at the breaking point when I found your video and decided, well I will try one more thing before I just give up. I cant believe it! One watering and they are gone! I am carefully patrolling the area lol, but I am just so happy it worked!! Thank you! You saved my beautiful plants!
I followed his instructions and had a pretty severe infestation a few weeks ago after five days with a couple of soil drenches.. it all cleared up.. fantastic
Awesome! Glad to hear.
Hydrogen peroxide didn’t work on any of my plants. Glad I found this.
It also throws off the natural biome of the soil and kills off good bacteria, as well as bad bacteria. You might want to give your plants an endo mychorzial fungi sprinkling to re-introduce the good bacteria into your soil. Without it, plants have trouble fighting off problems like root rot, pests, and dry mildew.
Peroxide helps with the roots breathing H2O2 brings more oxygen to the plant. Just don’t use a lot of of it 1 tablespoon per gallon 3%.
for those asking, the exact product he's showing is Ahimsa Organics Neem Cake (Pellets)
Thank you so much I feel my house is being taken over by these stupid things, like as if I am living in the days of Egypt with the plague of the flies! I have tried Vinegar & the sticky traps....I can't tell u how much I needed this, thank u, thank u, thank u!
Tried this and it worked after just one application! Bonus was how my plants perked up from the Neem.
Thanks so much. Here in Arizona gnats are everywhere and everyone is having trouble. I received my bag of Neem cake from Florida Garden revival in 3 days. On Saturday I watered everything houseplants and vegetables. Today is day 4 and there aren't many left except of course the smell. I'm looking forward to a gnat free life.
Awesome. Glad to hear it.
How it smell if you will nedd make example what will be closest and did you use powder neem cake? Or it doesnt matter
I also live in arizona and so many gnats in my area 😢
I'm in AZ also but my gnat problem is inside my home. They must have been brought in on some fruit or vegetables from the grocery store. I can't get rid of them. 😥
In India everyone who has any plans uses this, and is available freely They mostly use it as a mild organic fertilizer. It’s called “Neem Khali”and is available as cake not pellets
Soooo glad to finally find out how to stop gnats... they drive me crazy. Thank you so much!
I've been battling gnats for what felt like forever, and nothing seemed to help. Then I tried your suggestion, and bam, three weeks later, they're all gone. Vanished for good. Thanks brother!
Glad it helped, friend!
I've been fighting gnats for awhile. Definitely will try this.
3 heaping tablespoons per gallon of water. Let steep for a few hours until the water is brown. Use for watering and flood the surface of the soil.
THANKS
Thank you. I loose all my house plants. i had them in my closet my bed. my draw they eat and drink with me, they live with me for about five years. i use every thing they say will help. but they are the strongest i have ever seen. so this summer i spray the house and every other day i might see one. for the last time i will buy the neem cake. thanks
Zevo Insect Trap that plugs into an electrical outlet is the bomb. The blue light attracts bug, then get stuck on the sticky back. Plus you don't have to look at the trapped insects.
Thank you so much for this!!!! My plants were getting taken over by the fungus gnats and were looking sickly and yellow, within 2 days of treating them with the neem cake they are literally on a second life. They’re green, full, healthy, growing and most importantly, I’ve seen very very few gnats in the past couple days! Thank you so much this really helped saved my plants lives
You are very welcome. So glad to be able to help people out of these infestations, which are truly kind of an all-consuming nightmare.
@@TheIntegratedGarden the transformation from last Sunday until today is almost unrecognizable
I'm seeing more gnats than ever, should I just keep going with the neem tea?
Do you know the plants weren't underwatered? 2 days sounds awful quick for a (fed-on) root system to fully recover
@@COVID-19_Crab at first I thought I was over watering them, the neem cake turned them from yellow and sickly looking to growing green leaves in a day or 2. It was more gradual of a growth then instant but I did start to see immediate signs that it was working well. I continued to use it through the growth stage of the plants and months later, they’re between 3 and 4 feet tall now so it really works
For anyone with extra neem oil otherwise intended for the garden: neem oil is also useful for scars.
Just fresh ones or old ones as well?
Im kinds proud of my scars i wanna keep then
That greenhouse is so lovely.
THANK YOU! I had a major fungus gnat issue with multiple plants in my home and this has solved it (and I had tried so many other options).
Could you please send me a link to what you bought? I am infested with fungus gnats… been using Mosquito bits and they are not working! Thank you in advance!
Hi Samantha...thank you for your confirmation...my only question is, for 'indoor houseplants', once the gnats are gone, do I 'continue' watering w/this 'neem meal' or can I/should I go back to regular water? Also, is it ok to use a 'plastic' gallon jug? Thanks for any help.
@@llnmrgn I put all my plants in the same room, and then when they needed to be watered, treated them with the neem cake water and moved them to a different room. After I had treated all my plants once, I continued using the neem cake water for about 6-8 weeks before switching to regular water. I used a glass jug with a filter bag for the neem cake, so I could dissolve it and remove it easily and keep the water.
HERE IS MY ISSUE. IT SEEMS NEEM OR ANYTING KILLS BENIFICIAL MICROBES AND FUNGUS AS WELL...@so what do i do?
@@novicestarrstacker2549 The neem tea really doesn't do that. It is the neem oil that does. The neem tea, as described in the video is gentle. I am all about living soil and microbes myself, so I understand your concerns. Sorry so late of a response, but hope that helps.
Can’t wait to try this! My Welsh Terrier patrols the whole house huffing like a lion whilst hunting down fungus gnats. They drive both of us nuts!
Lmao
You made me laught the NAT HUNTER,s that is so cute im 76 young +im always looking for new things .honey it sounded so cute i can hear and see both runing +looking they are saying mommy daddy there over here the othe one is saying NO !OVER HERE GETUMmmm mommy fast .so cute thank you for making a old lady feel 😊 happy😂😅😘😃
😂
@@maryhodgson8604 I wish! My Westie could not care less!
Never heard of the neem cake. Def worth a try. I have had 100% success with nematodes mixed in the water. They're little beneficial bugs that eat all the gnat eggs and larvae. Thanks for the video 😊
I can't thank you enough. I have used this method over the last two years and it is legit. I still have not used up the whole bag yet. I only use it every other watering and I keep using it even after it rots, because the smell in the greenhouse goes away quickly and it still seems to work. I use fish fertilizer so I am used to awful smells in the greenhouse anyway. 😛
i tried all the things he listed and had similar results. this actually works and the plants seem to love it. i top the soil with the neem pellets and water with the tea. i love the smell, like fertile earth after rain. first time gnat free and loving it, thank you sir!
So glad to hear, Scott. Thanks for the feedback.
i don't know how this is obscure, why is the stuff that doesn't work so well known. oh well, hurdy gurdy metal is obscure too ua-cam.com/video/MtvpXr9O0J4/v-deo.html
live in Bedford, TX. and my houseplants were terribly infected - used top gravel, Mosquito bites (works pretty good), sticky yellow things, and an electric Zevo light - grr, STILL have them, fewer, bit STILL - DEFINATELY trying this!! THANK 😊 YOU;)
Did you make the tea with Mosquito Bits? I sprinkled on soil and in drain trays and watered. They scattered. Five hours later I could only find 1 when it would normally have been several. I didn’t want to mess with teas.
@Dusty Flats Thk you! Will definitely try;)
Mosquito Bites is BT. If used correctly and not old, BT works great.
100% concur, neem cake works miracles ! I mix it sparingly with my plant starter mix. The mix gets moistened and potted up, so the neem cake breaks down over time.
This is the best gnat control I've ever used. Thank you so much.
So glad it helped. Be blessed.
I got rid of the fungus gnats along with the soil they were in! But, happy to see there would have been a way to handle them!
I would personally like to thank you. I have been having a big gnat problem in my office. It looked like they were continuously flying past my face as if they were mocking me. I used sprays, bug bombs and everything I could think of to get rid of them with no success. I could not find the source of it anywhere. I finally came across your video and immediately realized what the problem was. I bought a big bag of potting soil a few months ago. It had a tear in the bag but I figured I was going to be using it soon so what's the difference. I wound up not using but instead, I put it in my storage room. As soon as I saw your video, I immediately ran back to the bag. I saw the gnats hanging out by that opening. I threw it out and set up bug bombs shortly after. This is the first day I was gnat free in months. Again...thank you!
I'm SUPER excited to try this! We have a significant gnat problem at our new home and summer is looming. I'm also putting in a large garden so my fears are deer, rabbits, armadillos and GNATS. I've got the bigger critters beat but this should give me the edge I need to have a successful garden. Thank you!
After trying every technique on the internet. This was the only one that actually worked!!! Thanks!
Awesome. So glad to hear.
(Read Updates: I now found that this is not as effective as I hoped, but I did clear up my gnats.) So i bought a peace lily off of craigslist (someone was selling their plant collection cause they were moving) and this thing brought fungus gnats home that ive been warring with for like 6 months now. Ive tried everything. Sticky traps, neem oil, repotting everything, forced drought, literally raid insecticide, topsoil covering, i just wanted these things gone. Heres what finally worked, a fan, sticky traps, AND THIS. THE NEEM MEAL IS THE SECRET SAUCE. I havent seen a gnat in a week and will update if the infestations gone gone in a few weeks. The fan i have blowing on all of my small plants i can move so any straggler adults cant fly to them, and i have sticky traps in the soil of my big/sensative plants. The neem meal watering seems to be working super well and any adults that make their way to the plants that dont have fan protection get caught in the sticky traps. Took a week to see a substantial difference but im two weeks in now and can see zero activity in my plants soil. Going to give it a few more weeks before the final all clear incase any larvae are hiding anywhere, but if youve been struggling the way i have with gnats, please give the neem meal a try its magical
any more updates?
@@lai6361 yeah i gotchu. so from the way it timed out, I think that this stuff fails to kill the eggs. I had about 3 1/2 weeks of an all clear, and then they started coming around again. I kept up with the neem tea waterings hoping that the comment about messing with their ability to reproduce was true, but after two weeks the amount of gnats was around pre-neem tea numbers. I went to a solution i KNOW works i just really hate the look of which is soil dressing with about an inch of course sand on top of the soil. This way the adults cant reach the soil and the larvae cant escape. This is doable for me because i only have around 30 plants, but i get for people that have a huge collection this might be a huge pain. I'm seeing a sharp decrease in their numbers again but like i said in the earlier comment ive tried A LOT and this is effective, its just not a cute look. Hoping by the end of the month ill be at zero gnats again and STAY THERE. ill report back if this is a success
@@prisimyo507 ahhh dude this sounds horrid! I've currently using neem oil and the soil covering but it's not sufficient for fighting with these flippin' gnats. I was watching this because I'm debating getting nematodes and this popped up in the meantime - I'd never heard of neem cake/meal, but maybe this is a sign to get some nematodes! Have you seen/tried those?
@@lezmondo22oohhh i havent!! Ive heard about them in passing but didnt give them too much thought since the idea of adding more organisms to the soil didnt seem like a good idea at the time lol (this was early into my research for solutions). If you go the nematode route please update on if they worked!! Every video on yt is someone saying "THIS WAS THE ONLY THING THAT WORKED FOR REMOVING FUNGAS GNATS" and its a different solution/product everytime, so real feedback from people currently in the trenches is honestly the most helpful thing ive found 😅
@@lezmondo22use mosquito bits from hardware store mixed into top 2-3” of soil. Works great! EVERY SINGLE TIME.
Thank you so much, I am going to try the Neem Cake... Let's all invite the buggers to a Neem Cake Party!
A good Homemade sprinkler for solutions like this is a Gatorade style bottle with small nail holes punched in the lid. It saves me from rinsing my regular watering can, and I can reuse it as many times as I need or throw it away, for that single solution.
Just got to get it into the bottle some how
Funnel
Thank you soo much and also to all the folks in the comment section that also have tried it and posted. I've tried almost everything also, including the Neem oil. I'm off to find the Need cake.😉Wow, that was easy to find. Thanks again!
I’ve tried EVERYTHING!!!!
Need to try this
This works and I've incorporated into my watering routine
Thank you for posting. I've bookmarked this video into my 'reference' library!
Glad it helped!
Good info, thanks. Also want to share what works for me 100% of the time. Start with sterile potting mix. Can also sterilize soil mix with 2-3 min in microwave. I have a silicone pan dedicated for this purpose. Great to prevent damping off disease in seedlings too.
Microwave also kills off beneficial microbes in the soil, basically killing the soil. Which is fine if you're adding nutrients and microbes back in the soil.
@@reddogknives I just use microwave to sterile soil that germinates seed. 2-3 weeks is all. Then goes in a potting mix.
I use an inch or two of sand on top of the soil, never have gnats or spider mites. Also, a small USB fan blowing across the soil level of my set up. If I am bringing plants in for the winter, they get soaked three times with insect soap.The stems and leaves get wiped down, hit with some neem oil, and I'm pretty much done. Then sand on top. I bottom water most of my stuff.
Rookie question about the layer of sand: do you top water through the sand, or bottom water instead?
Neem meal and proper bottom watering practices both help immensely. Especially coupled with those nasty fly strips lol
This stuff actually did work for me after 2 treatments. Didn’t seem as though it would for some time, but no gnats for months now. I also used a potting soil from Miracle Grow that’s designed to discourage gnats. Thanks so much Luke
Holy cow I’ve never heard of this! Thank you! I used nematodes and they totally eradicated the gnats-but they’re slowly making a comeback.
I tried the nematodes and I didn’t see a beneficial result. Eager to try the Neem cake.
Word! Been using neem cake for soil amendments and have noticed a lot less bugs in addition to fungus gnats. Using neem cake to make a tea and soil drench sounds even better. Thanks for sharing! :D
I just had a major houseplant shopping spree and unfortunately reintroduced fungus gnats into my home. I got rid of them in the past by using 1 part hydrogen peroxide 3% to 4 parts water. I had to water my plants religiously with this for a few months. One thing I noticed was as I was preparing some yogurt to eat during the past infestation of gnats, 3 gnats immediately landed on my yogurt...yuck. They must be drawn to the microbes in the yogurt. Anyway thank you for sharing this. I would much rather use this method to get rid of them because buying countless bottles of peroxide is a pain and this method is very appealing and may not take as long to get results
I have gnats but the ones I have bite do the gnats are the ones that produce the midges and the no see themcause I'm going thru hell and have no help from the landlord upstairs cause he's to cheap to fumigation I have fallen 23 times from my floors having oil from the gnat spray I constantly buy my little savings are gone I'm so traumatized between the gnats midges and falls don't know what to do and my contract expired on October 1 of this year please somebody replied to me help
They always flew into my unfinished cup of coffee..oh well extra protein.
Same here I’ve been using H2O2 for years and tired of buying gallons of it. It fixes the problem but they always seem to come back again with a new plant or new soil
After finding this video, I realized what was floating in hundreds were gnats. I've been having scooping these up for a few weeks now and wondered where they came from. I'm hoping by spraying this neem cake mix all over the backyard garden that it will help get rid of these tiny pest, bc it's driving me up the wall cleaning them out from my pool every day. Thank you for sharing this valuable tip!!
Thanks for sharing this Awesome information 🤩 I've been using neem cake for years and its working great!
Wow just wow, I’m sitting here with these little buggers buzzing me. I’m so glad I came across your channel. I surly hope this is the remedy. Thank you 😊
Thank you so much. This really worked on my gnat infestation.
Glad to hear. You're so welcome, friend.
Thank you Just ordered some got it today from Amazon!! Hopefully I'll be fungus nap free here in the next week or so! Thank you so much!!!
Awesome video Evan. I really enjoy your presentation, and the solutions you have from your experiences. YOU ARE your father in all things green thumb!
Excited to hear another option I just bought nematodes and if they do not work, I will be buying neem cake. The smell is bad. I will also buy a nice candle.
Well folks, I have a unique problem with these fungus gnats. I have a GREENSTALK 6 tier plant tower (which is great!!) that is planted with herbs, veggies and seeds. Seems one of my bags of dirt must have had these stinkers in it. I've aerated the soil a bit. Problem is that it's hard for this to really dry out as the air can't get to the middle area of each section where the water tray sits. Hmmm .... I may try to separate them for a day to aid in that process. I have my NEEMORGANICS Orgo Neem Cake all mixed up in 2 - 2 quart glass jars and will let it set for a while and water the tower tomorrow or the next day. I'll keep you posted. Wish me luck!!
Sounds good. And don't let it sit TOO long, at least without refrigerating it or something, because once it starts rotting, it is really gross.
I came here for same issue with my green stalk!! How did this do for you?
That’s the brand I was going to go with but didn’t want to be saddled with a 5 LB bag!
It worked by greatly reducing the number of them but I needed to keep at it throughout the summer. I replaced the top 3 inches of soil of some of the sections that were infected the worst with fresh dirt. It was a battle all summer. Next time I buy potting soil, I’ll spread it all out to fully dry and may even oven bake it before I use it - the struggle is frustrating. I always use an organic soil so I don’t know if that’s a separate issue. But hey, if the bugs (pests!!) thrive in it, it’s probably really good dirt!
FYI 1. I don’t think the smell is that bad!
2. If I remember right, I found a one pound bag.
Best of luck!
Thanks dude. I've tried over half of your list at the beginning of the video. I'm hoping this works for me
7 years fighting with those nasty gnats, lost my gardenia, list over 40 figs, and after i saw this video i decided this is my last battle, thanks for sharing the video and thanks to the one who referred us to the one who sells them neems in Ontario.
Best wishes for all.
Let us know how it went ! :)
@@mathieurollet8318 after few generous watering over 2 months, the gnats are still here , they live figs cuttings and mulberry cuttings, i noticed they are attractive to cuttings not the seedlings!
My figs cutting roots all eaten except one, im trying to get rid of them with the yellow sticky tape. Looks like there is no solution, but ill keep trying the neem cake since i bought two bags of it : /
@@Baselnfamily oh no :( did you try mosquito bits?
@@mathieurollet8318 we crushed mosquito dunks and made it powder, and we apply it every time we water the plants with neem, nothing is working, wish we had access to some chemicals grrrrr
@Fetter Koch nope. The gnats are still there.
just watched this video and bought the neem cake. Trying when it comes through amazon tomorrow. Will come back to this video when it HOPEFULLY works
Did it work yet?
What a life savor your information is! Thank you!
My neem cake arrived today, I can't wait to get rid of those irritating buggers
Last autumn I brought my family of kalenchoe's indoors to save them from the expected freeze. Yes, the plants were saved but not long aferwards I discovered the little gnats were also enjoying my indoor shelter. Thankfully, your video has given me a good tip which I shall try and hopefully get rid of the little blighters in the not too distant. Thank you for this advice.
ive tried alot, on some bad numbers of gnats, this worked pretty well, quality of neem plays a big part so watch for that. the only other thing to eradicate them are predatory nematodes.thanks for the vid
Thank you so much for this. First winter with my houseplants being infested as bad as ever. About to use mosquito dunks but will order the neem cake instead. Thank you
@R C the ones in your fridge were probably fruit flies
I started with Mosquito Bits but it didn’t work. I’m trying Neem Cake next. 😞
Thank you! I wish I had known this before I got rid of all my plants on my apartment balcony!
This couldn’t have come at a better time… literally trying peroxide/water for eggs and vinegar/water for gnats. If this works (Neem cake) it will be a great help. Thank you, 😊
Removing some of the top soil and covering it with sand helped. Also, added some neem oil water to make sure that it's done
@@pratyushbehere3580 tried that with the sand, and unfortunately it didn't work for me, even though it looked and seemed so promising. Glad if it helps for you though. Thanks for sharing!
Never heard of neem cakes. Very interesting. I have complete success with 3% peroxide though. I spray it or drench infected soil straight up and they are gone in 48 hours. The plants seem to love it too. It's usually easy to buy and super cheap. Except during covid. I couldn't find it for months and the gnats were taking over. Could have used this info back then.
I like to try the 3% peroxide on my indoor herb garden.....is it safe will the peroxide burn the tender herb leafs. 🌿
Do u mix it with water or use it straight?
I mix with water I use cap full for sprayer bottle
@@billiepembor7707 tnx for yr kind reply
You can use up to a 4-1 ratio peroxide to water! For bad infestations you might want to use a stronger dose for anyone curious:)
Wiped them out like a boss. Couldn't be any easier. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you, thank you , Thank you!!!!
Great to hear, and glad to help!
What brand did you use and after making the tea do you strain out the left over cake pieces? Been fighting a fungus gnat war here for 5 months desperate for help
I used NEEMCAKE by Yield Titan. Got a 6lb bag from Amazon. Bag is clear, with green graphics. The pellets look identical to the ones by the OP in the video. Being a natural fertilizer, I mixed like the OP said, let sit for a few hours, shook vigorously, than poured it in a way to cover all the soil. No straining. Zero fungus gnats after two waterings, about 12 days.
@@1PITIFULDUDE 🙏 thank you so much...greatly appreciated
Love your video straight to the point. No haggle no nonsense 😂😂❤
Many thanks. I'd live in that greenhouse happily, wow! Being in a bachelor pad, 40 plants and counting... well, it's trippy. No, there are no plants near the stove, though I've propogated some dischidiae in the drying area for dishes. Hmm. You must be thrilled with that fabulous garden!💐
I will give this a try asap, thank you! 🤞
Even just watching these videos and reading the comments is sort of therapeutic for me 😅I feel less alone in what feels like a neverending battle (with a couple truces here and there) 😱😭🤯
I had a lot of these fungus gnats, and tried a few things that didn’t really work. I did the mosquito pellet tea, and it didn’t seem to do much at first. I then figured I needed to trap adults, so I put out a bowl with a dab of maple syrup, dawn dish soap and water, and it attracted the little buggers like crazy. I think the maple syrup did the trick there (it was 100% maple); sugar didn’t attract them as much in my experience. I’d put out a bowl in the middle of my plants, and overnight there’d be a dozen or so. After a few days, there were scads, and I only had 7 plants at that point. But though using the “tea” along side the syrup mix seemed to be controlling them,after some time (months) it wasn’t lessoning the fact that gnats were still around.
Then we went on a two week vacation. My plants (even the peace plant) survived as they were mostly succulents. But what didn’t survive the drought were the fungus gnats! I think the triple threat finally did them in. I haven’t seen one since.
I have to repot a few of my younger plants, and I’m worried I’ll get gnat hitchhikers in the new soil, so I’ll be checking out how to sterilize soil BEFORE it becomes an issue lol.
(ETA: I’ll definitely try the neem pellets if I get gnats again, as the mosquito tea controlled the amount of gnats but didn’t kill them off. I want total destruction of my gnat colony!)
I just used the Mosquito Bits today, but I didn’t want to fuss making a tea so I sprinkled all seedling flats and any other houseplants and watered everything. That was about 5 hours ago and I just checked and moved some plants around and I seen only one where there would normally be at least 5+. I’ve read others mix the bits right in the soil.
You are correct on sterilizing soil. I was being frugal and used an open bag I had outside-never again! It’s getting baked in the grill outside before it goes inside. Ugh, never had so many problems. I’m leaving the fan on the plants all night as some didn’t need watering, but I wanted all the plants to be treated at the same time to knock them out. So far adding a few bits on top of soil and watering has worked.
@@dustyflats3832....hello, could you please tell me how you sterilize your soil? I would like to try doing this also to sort of nip the problem in the bud right away! Thanks!
The saying goes, "You can catch more flies (gnats) with honey (maple syrup) than with vinegar." Oh my! I tried the ACV method in 6 bowls throughout my home. It only caught 1 or 2 gnats in three bowls. The BIGGEST issue was the awful smell. I hate that smell! When I read this post, the next day, I tried the maple syrup method. Within moments, I had many, many gnats in each bowl. I also poured the solution in 3oz plastic cups, and placed them directly on top of the soil of many plants. This caught a lot of gnats also. Thank you for posting this comment, ICMongeese. The maple syrup method works like a charm!
You have to target the adult gnats too. The neem tea and mosquito bits help to eliminate the larvae. You use fly traps in conjunction with the neem tea/ mosquito bits. I use a small plug in (almost like a febreze plug in) with a purple light that has a sticky trap attached. This has dramatically reduced the infestation along with my tea soaks
Thank you for sharing! I have tried so many treatments but nothing really works. I am going to order this and try it out.
Neem Cakes are very common and ridiculously cheap (like $2-4 for a big 5Kg pack) here in India. We usually get them in grounds which I directly add into my potting mix but I'll try this tea method as well. Thanks
I bet! I understand that's the country of origin. Neat history of use behind it. :)
lool I can tell from the commment at the end that you've been through trial and tribulation with the winged nightmare that is the fungus gnat. Will definitely give this a try myself, thanks mate!
Thank you. This is the first year my DIY Neem oil solution, hydrogen peroxide, cinnamon and other remedies are not working. These are stubborn Fungus gnats I got from a plant I bought. I did quarantine this plant along with 7 plants. It took one plant to be invested with these huge gnats. I replanted 5 of them with new soil. Turns out made it worse the soil from Lowes had gnats too. I feel like I can't win. Four of my plants have died in one week. I always bottom feed so its not over watering issue. So leading up to your tutorial I just got my amazon package with my Neem Cake from "Neem Organics." I'm using an old gallon pickle jar with your recommendations of 3 Tablespoons of Neem Cake. Waiting until 6 hours letting it sit outside in the sun to get dark. I hope this works.
Did it work ?
Bottom watering all the time isn't that good for them because they don't get to flush out all of the salts and crap that accumulates in the soil, its healthy to top water every now and then
Hi!! How did it go?
No update!?
@@shawn1869 Hi Shawn, sorry I've been so busy to reply. The Neem Cake solution I made with my handy dandy "Pickle Jar" I applied it to my plants throughout the house and my plant room. I did loose some of my oldest plants after the one application of this solution. Some ended up with root rot. RIP my sweet green babes. I've used 3 Neem Cake applications. Forward to now I've seen few gnats. The sticky trap have taken care of it. Overall I know this has helped. My house was infested. Have you tried Neem Cake? If so, how were your results?
I don't have a gnat problem but I do have a pill bug (roly-poly) infestation in the garden. Every new flower or veg seedling transplant is destroyed by next morning from these little lobsters! Like you, I have tried everything. Now I will try this neem cake cuz you gotta try something once! Thanks for this info and hope it works.
Totally! I never knew they could go after my seedlings until I had the same problem. Please do feel free to share whether it helps or not. The verdict is out on it, because pill bugs are not technically insects.
Thank you for this info. I had gnats in my kitchen in NE Florida last week because of an infestation in a kale plant I recently bought and didn’t replant right away.
I use cold press neem oil and make a tea from that and drench the soil and that has always worked. Though I will grab a bag of the cake and make tea next time I see them and see how it works(I can imagine it works really well).
Will add this to the arsenal. I had a bad infestation in my atrium earlier this year, and I wiped them out over a few days with no ill effects. Method?
1. Cut some thick plastic sheet to go around the circumference of the pots to be treated. Maybe a 2+ foot wide strip.
2. Tape to pot (I used cutout tape since it leaves no marks). The goal is a skirt that rises ABOVE the lip of the pot as tall as possible. I tape the lower edge... imagine you're trying to fill the pot above the lip by 1-2 feet.
3. Go to grocery store and buy dry ice. A decent amount (a few pounds?)
4. Put some bowls/pitchers/whatever in the planter where they fit with hot/warm water.
5. Add dry ice to bowls.
Skirt will fill with the CO2 mist. You'll need to periodically change the water to keep the gas attack going. I tried to keep them in a CO2 rich environment for about an hour. I tested with candles, they'd extinguish quickly within the inverted skirt.
Bugs? Yeah, they need oxygen, so this kills all of them. Plants? They love CO2, so yay. I did this waited a few days, did it again, then waited a week or two, then did it one more time. Have seen zero flies since then. Put some of those yellow sticky traps out before and after. before they were black in a day, after I threw them out clean. The method in this video would probably be awesome combined with the CO2 attack.
This sounds like a great method (and science experiment for the kids), but like you said, I would definitely combine the two methods to eradicate those eggs as well. Thanks for sharing.
@@jamslam406 That was my thought as well-so far they are still gone. It was indeed a sort of science project-my son helped.
Ok i will give it a try. I have 3 month using mosquito bits for every wateriing. Stil have gnats. Thank you for sharing.
umm okay, first of all: Insta sub!, 2nd: wow amazing fig growth love it and I'm inspired to grow one in my living room with my scary-strong LED light: 3rd: love LOOVE that you kept in mind the ecosystem of the soil, that's what I was worried about. 4th: that evil smile you gave at 5:17 was priceless. and 5th: omg please come to Austin and help me with my little indoor grow set up! haha
I live in Bedford, TX. and my houseplants were terribly infected - used top gravel, Mosquito bites (works pretty good), sticky yellow things, and an electric Zevo light - grr, STILL have them, fewer, bit STILL - DEFINATELY trying this!!
Ewwwwwwwww pooooooo LED...GROSS TOXIC dangerous unhealthy for the eyes and retina.....RID...RID...THEM LED LITES
Thank you sir! had my doubts, but it works. 👏🏽 👏🏽 👏🏽 👏🏽
Very welcome!
What brand of neem cake are you using and where do I purchase it?
Thanks for the suggestion, I'll try the cake instead of oil.
Hi,
Tried the neem cake and it seems to be cutting the number drastically in just a couple of weeks, wondering if you have any idea if it would get rid of spider Mites as well.
These seem to be the main pests I suffer from almost every year and the spider Mites are an absolute pain to try and eradicate.
Glad to hear it's working on the gnats.
I'm not sure about the mites, simply because they are arachnids and not insects. Somehow I would not be surprised if it did work for them as well though. Perhaps try it as a thorough leaf spray? If you do, I would love to know if it works!
Thanks for reaching out.
Spider mites are the easiest of bugs to get rid of. No poisons needed. Water alone literally kills them. If you have problems with them, it means you don't rinse your plant leaves like you should, and/or you're in too low humidity for that plant. Watering the soil only does not work for most plants! You need to rinse leaves. Best houseplants have thick leathery leaves which are resistant to mites and low air humidity conditions. Plants that are sometimes referred to as "greenhouse only" can sometimes be grown in a house with lower humidity if you just frequently take the the plant to the sink and rinse all the leaves with very warm water (as hot as you can take it on your skin). Some plants like a rare velvet leaved anthurium I might rinse every 1-2 weeks (incl under the leaves), But a leathery-leaf glossy plant like a Monstera maybe only once a season.
@@TheIntegratedGarden i use a bar of ivey spring soap i ,,i take a razor and shave off a few pieces of soap put it on top of all my plants i never have a problem with any kind of bug or rottens it smells good too it really works ,its good for fruit plants anykind of plants. I. Do get spider but not in my plants im going to try it in my rainspout thats where i get spiders. I need something for moqszos..i live need a river it can get ugly help me please THANK YOU ALL.//mosquitoes //sorry ab it.
I make a tobacco tea. I break open two cigarettes and put the tobacco in hot water. Let it cool and sit for a few hours. Put it in a sprinkler can and make sure all the soil surface is covered. This is enough for my ficus tree, in a large pot.
I'd be concerned with this process due to tobacco mosaic virus.
Thanks you for the video! Just did my first watering with neem tea solution.
Two questions:
1) besides smell, is there any detrimental downside to letting neem cake soak for longer, even as long as 24 hours? I was considering letting it soak that long and then diluting it prior to watering.
2) do you reuse neem cake pellets for another soak, or is there any additional use we can get from used neem cake?
Maybe go for it (24 hours). It just smells really nasty if it starts fermenting. You might be fine though.
You can use them for another soak, but just know that it will be significantly less strong.
@@TheIntegratedGarden I assume the used cakes could be composted or just thrown in the woods?
i gotta wonder, would treating your soil with a bath of this brew in advance of planting help eliminate the cycle altogether. new potting and repotting seemingly are the biggest point of entry as you're introducing new soil potentially filled with dormant eggs, so just wiping those eggs out before they have a chance to spread into your gardens again.. combined with a standard upkeep should completely clear them.
I’ve just received my Neem Cake in the mail and definitely will let you know how it goes 🙂 I’ve tried everything and was going to transplant my indoor plants to Leca balls until I watched this video. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
what one did you get I can't find anything on amazon :( thanks x
@@lizzybrooks2050 I got mine off eBay
Did it work?
@@AccessHollywoood no it made them multiply and got worse I’ve ditched soil and have moved to growing my plants in water
@@kyliewescombe8543 Which plants are you growing in water? I'm going to do the same now too. I'm thinking of doing Monstera Deliciousa, Syngonium Albo, Golden Pothos and snake plants. There's not a lot of information on which house plants you can get to grow in water so I'm really curious what you chose.
I put neem seed meal in all my soil mix. 1/2 cup per 5 gallons of mix. The neem tea works well for existing plants. I had gnats in my worm bin, so mixed in a couple cups of neem meal. The worms seem to like it and the gnats are gone.
Thank you! These things killed off all that was starting & growing in my little greenhouse 3y ago which really put a damper on my growing. We grow in containers on our deck. Last year I didn't have them. This year they are full blown infestation! Putting an order in for mosquito bites & some other natural things to help eradicate them.
@R C I got mine from bags of organic potting soil…Black Gold brand…Twice! 😞
@@rainedyani8505 Yes, same here. I actually opened up a bag in the house and had gnats fly out of the bag. I was not happy. Never going to that again without sterilizing the soil with boiling water in the basement. I've probably used dozens of bags of potting soil over the years and last year was the first time this happened.
The Bits work. Just used today and could only find 1 when there was normally several. I sprinkled them on every plant in house to eradicate.
@@sbffsbrarbrr I’m grilling my soil in roaster from now on.
@@dustyflats3832 I used MB religiously for 5-6 weeks and it didn’t eradicate them. I’m trying Neem Cake next. 😞
I never put the bits directly on the soil though bc 1) it would’ve interfered with my daily ritual of going thru the soil in each of the pots with my fingers or skewer to force the adults out, and 2) I had read too many ppl getting mold from doing that. 😬
Ohhh MYY gosh!!! I cannot believe u just popped up n my feed bc last spring up until it got really cold here in Vegas I’ve had problems! I mean so bad that I had to throw my plants and the soil away 3 times last year ! And just the other day I started seeing some adults All over again ! And I did all those things you talked about and my own. Im going to purchase asap ! I also had an issue with idk if it was a worm or what but it was so tiny and it would make the stems LOOKY scaly and then started eating the inside of my plants ! Oh my gosh I don’t want them back ! I grew up on a farm in Oregon and we never had these particular problems! And made the stems like all skinny , dried out looking but the higher the stems went they were ( actually are bc I have tomato plants still growing and producing tomatoes ! I DIYd my own lil greenhouse on my condos porch !! ) so ya my tomato plants ( some) are skinny and dry looking at the bottom towards the root like a foot upward and then it looks normal . I think that’s bc the bugs didn’t get that far . But now I’m wondering if I should pull them before I plant again even tho tomatoes are growing bc maybe they hibernated and when it warms up they will b back . Idk bc idk what kind of bug I’m dealing with !
And yes! The oil form stinks sooo badly I can’t stand it!
Thanks for sharing. :) This should definitely help you. I also shared another video on my pinned/top comment that goes over how to use this for other things, including a foliage spray that you might want to check out, because it sounds like you would benefit from a drench AND spray.
Hope that helps!
I was going to opt for BTI over Neem purely bc of the vile smell which I could not handle in my tiny apartment. Would you say the smell of the cake/pellets is much less potent than the oil? And does the smell dissipate fairly quickly? Also, all my plants are watered at different times. How long is the tea solution good for? (sans the neem bits)
The tea should be used before 24 hrs, I let mine sit for a couple hours but no longer then a day I think
How long does the smell last
One thing that worked for me was packing my soil tighter and I stopped putting rocks in the bottoms of my pots for drainage.
New sub here with a few questions please. 1) So it does not need to be ground up from pellets to powder, right? 2) I see you are growing figs. Have you used this on rooting fig cuttings? Any issues of root damage? Did you use the same strength? How often did you apply? 3) How long can you store any excess? Thank you so very much!
1) you do not have to grind up the pellets. They steep nicely in water.
2) actually yes I have used this in my rooting cuttings. No negative effects to report at all, from my experience. I probably water it down slightly more though. It can get kind of "rotten" if it sits too long in a reservoir, if that makes sense. Probably applied only once or twice with the cuttings. Or maybe 3 times max, but intermittent with regular water.
Excess can be stored for probably a week or so in the fridge. Definitely in the fridge though. Otherwise it gets really horrible smelling within a few days.
Hope that helps.
@@TheIntegratedGarden Yes, very much. Thank you. What varieties of figs are you growing? They look quite healthy.
@@cs7717 The ones you are looking at there are actually unnamed varieties I got from Long Island, NY. But they are of the Mount Etna types for sure.
@@TheIntegratedGarden sometimes unnamed ones can be quite tasty.
@@cs7717 They are amazing. I get around 250-300 figs a year on these. Starting cuttings of them right now, too. What are are you residing in?
i used a fine layer of play sand across the top to stop the fungus gnats in soggy plants like caladiums
they can't get through the sand and it looks really nice. just redress the sand if watering messes it up.
Do you know if the neem cake treatment will change the ph of the soil?
Good question! I don't have the answer, but it's cheap and easy to determine using paper test roll for human urine/saliva. I recommend Hydrion brand. For accurate results, make sure to make your brew with distilled water.
I'm going to try this. I've tried a few other things... I literally vacuum them on the window lol. Thank you :)
What would you suggest for infested raised beds? I have 5 beds but only 2 are infested. They are 2’X12’ and they are 17” tall.
Look for "Mosquito Bits" it works on fungus gnats. Its BTI, you can drench the pellets in water and then apply.