CAUTION ! Dr. Earth full of fungus gnats!

[greenthumbomaha]

I just opened a bag of Dr. Earth Pot 'o Gold Potting Soil (orange bag) and fungus gnats came out in a swarm. Usually I open bags in the garage, but this year I put a tarp down in my dining room so I didn't have to freeze running back and forth. Sure enough, this bag/variety is contaminated. The little devils are flying past the monitor right now. Major bummer, so be careful and ALWAYS open bags away from your potting site and examine!!! Taped shut and waiting for muscles to come home from school and carry out for mom. Darn things go on forever!

I would take that sucker right back to where I bought it!

[Crandrew]

I suggest that if you buy the soil from any store that keeps the bags outside, slit a few holes in the bag and allow to dry out over a 1 week period. Then they either die off or leave due to the lack of moisture.

[greenthumbomaha]

I would like to hear from others if this is a widespread issue with Dr. Earth, or if the contamination occurred after shipment, as Crandrew suggests. A few years ago Miracle Grow Organic Potting soil at origin, and it was bone dry. In that case, the gnats didn't appear until a few days of being wet down. The Dr. Earth is humus like and drying it might me an issue with the beneficial microbes.

Ye it is going back - exchange or swap out ??

- Lisa

[fortyonenorth]

I've used Dr. Earth potting soils for the last four or five years and never had that issue. I do know, however, that my local garden center stores the bags indoors. I've been very pleased with the product overall.

[RobinB]

I love Dr. Earth, and have never had a problem. BUT, I got a bag of something else (MG organic) at Walmart a couple of weeks ago, and it is infested with the little buggers. Would putting the bag outside in the below freezing temperatures kill them?

[Crandrew]

Drying them out is the quickest way to do so. I'm in SoCal so I have no idea about temps on them. Otherwise drench the soil with Moskito dunks and it will kill the eggs and the parents life cycle is short.

[efisakov]

I had gnats infestation before, besides Moskito dunks I used deluded Peroxide (3%).
1 part Peroxide mixed with 3 parts water (on dry soil) will kill gnats in larva stage.
Does not harm plants at all. If problem persist repeat in 6 days. I used it as prevention as well.
And yes soil sometimes comes contaminated with gnats. Gnats will survive dry soil if they are in an egg stage.
I have planted marigolds around my tomatoes, they help. Gnats do not like roots of marigold, it is poisones for the gnats.