Frequently Asked Questions
Do sciarid fly nematodes kill adult fungus gnats?
No. They go after the larvae living in the compost, not the flying adults, and eggs in the compost are not affected either. That is why yellow sticky traps are recommended alongside them, and why a second treatment about 2 weeks later may be needed, depending on how bad the infestation is and where the pest is in its life cycle.
How do you use nematodes for fungus gnats?
Mix the whole pack into water, water it onto the compost, and keep the compost damp. Here is how it goes: keep the pack in the fridge until you are ready, take it out a few hours before so it comes up to room temperature, dissolve the whole pack in 4 litres of water, then add 0.5 litre of that to 5 litres of water and keep stirring as you pour because the nematodes sink. Use the mix straight away, as it cannot be stored. Apply it to the compost and water the treated area. The compost needs to be above 10°C. Do not let it dry out for about 10 days.
How much area does one 60 sqm pack of nematodes cover?
One pack covers up to 60 sqm (the supplier's figure), and the mixing amounts match it: the whole pack in 4 litres of water, then 0.5 litre of that into 5 litres of water, applied to one eighth of the area at a time. For a smaller area, use less water for a stronger mix. The supplier does not give a figure in litres of compost or a number of pots, and does not say how many nematodes are in a pack, so we have not guessed at either.
How long can I keep fungus gnat nematodes in the fridge?
Put them in the fridge as soon as they arrive and use them by the date printed on the pack. The supplier's own pages give different figures, about 7 days on one and a couple of weeks on another, so go by the printed date and use them sooner rather than later. Use the fridge, not the freezer compartment (the supplier suggests the front of the salad drawer), and take the pack out a few hours before you use it.
Are sciarid fly nematodes safe for pets and plants?
The supplier says these nematodes only affect the pests they are sold for and are safe around people, pets and plants, and that you cannot overdose plants with them. That is the supplier's wording, so follow the instructions inside the pack.
How long do live nematodes take to arrive?
Allow about a week. The supplier says its live stock has a lead time of between 1 and 8 days depending on the product, fresh packs arrive on a Wednesday or Thursday and go out straight away, and for same-week nematode delivery you need to order by Monday morning. It sends on weekdays. Nematodes are ordered in fresh rather than kept in stock, so there can be a gap before dispatch, and the supplier suggests ordering around a week before you plan to use them. When they turn up, they go straight in the fridge.
Beschreibung
Sciarid Fly (Fungus Gnat) Nematodes, 60 sqm Packs are a mix of two beneficial nematode species, Steinernema feltiae and Steinernema carpocapsae, that you stir into water and water onto compost to hunt fungus gnat larvae. They are for anyone with sciarid flies in houseplants, seedlings or cuttings who wants a biological answer rather than a spray.
Most of the damage comes from the larvae, not the flies. The small white larvae live in the compost and feed on the tender roots of plants and cuttings, and they come up to the surface to feed as well. The nematodes swim through the thin film of water on the compost, find the larvae and kill them. There is a catch, and we would rather you heard it from us first: they work on the larvae only. They will not catch the flying adults.
Read this first: larvae not adults, and these are live goods
Combine them with yellow sticky traps for the adults. A second treatment may be needed, depending on how bad the infestation is and where the pest is in its life cycle.
Biological controls are ordered in fresh rather than kept in stock, so there can be a gap between ordering and dispatch. Once they arrive they go in the fridge until you use them.
Sciarid Fly (Fungus Gnat) Nematodes, 60 sqm Packs specifications
Everything on mixing and storage below comes from Ladybird Plant Care's own instructions.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Product | Sciarid Fly (Fungus Gnat) Nematodes, 60 sqm Packs |
| What they are | Beneficial (parasitic) nematodes, a mix of Steinernema feltiae and Steinernema carpocapsae |
| Target pest | Sciarid fly (fungus gnat) larvae in the compost |
| Does not control | Adult flies, or eggs |
| Coverage per pack | Up to 60 sqm (the supplier's figure). No litres of compost figure given. |
| Mixing | Whole pack dissolved in 4 litres of water, then 0.5 litre of that into 5 litres of water |
| Temperature | Compost above 10°C |
| Second treatment | May be needed. Allow about 2 weeks after the first. |
| Storage | Fridge from the moment they arrive. Use by the date printed on the pack. |
| Pack options | 1, 2 or 3 packs |
| Safety | The supplier says safe around people, pets and plants |
In the box
Your nematode pack or packs, in a cardboard sleeve, depending on whether you pick 1, 2 or 3.
Do not bin the sleeve. The instructions are printed inside it, and the use-by date is printed on the pack too, so check it as soon as it arrives. Keep the pack in the fridge until you are ready to mix, and once it is mixed use the lot, as it cannot be saved.
How to use Sciarid Fly (Fungus Gnat) Nematodes, 60 sqm Packs
- Fridge first. As soon as the pack arrives, check the use-by date and put it in the fridge, not the freezer compartment. Read the instructions printed inside the cardboard sleeve.
- Pick your day. For houseplants, apply on the day you would normally water. Take the pack out of the fridge a few hours before, so it comes up to room temperature, and use water that is not freezing cold.
- Mix the whole pack. Dissolve it in 4 litres of water to make a stock and stir. Then add 0.5 litre of that stock to 5 litres of water in your watering can. For a smaller area, use less water to make a stronger mix.
- Keep stirring. The nematodes are heavier than water and sink, so stir as you pour. Use the mix straight away. It cannot be stored, because the nematodes drown if left in water.
- Water it onto the compost. Treat one eighth of the area at a time, then water the treated area. If you have mix left over, go over the worst spots again or treat nearby plants.
- Keep the compost damp. Not soggy, and do not let it dry out for about 10 days. The squeeze test: after applying, squeeze the pot and you should get 1 or 2 drops of water. Too much water washes the nematodes straight through, too little kills them.
- Trap the adults and plan a second go. Put up yellow sticky traps for the flying adults. A second treatment about 2 weeks later may be needed, as eggs in the compost are not affected.
How many packs? One pack covers up to 60 sqm (the supplier's figure). Because you use the whole pack in one go once it is mixed, a second treatment means a second pack. If you think you will need one, the 2 or 3 pack saves you reordering. Spare packs have a use-by date printed on them and the supplier's fridge advice runs from about 7 days to a couple of weeks, so check the date before you rely on a spare for a second treatment about 2 weeks on.
Good to know
- How they work: the nematodes swim through the thin film of water on the compost, find a larva, get inside it and release a bacterium (Xenorhabdus) that kills it within hours. They then breed inside it and the next generation goes hunting.
- Plenty of gnats helps: nematodes work better where there are lots of sciarid flies about.
- No overdosing: the supplier says you cannot overdose plants with nematodes.
- Number of nematodes: the supplier does not publish how many are in a pack, so we have not quoted a figure.
- General instruction sheet: the instruction sheet the supplier links for this product covers a mix of two nematode species that it also sells for other pests. We have only described its use against fungus gnat larvae, because that is what this product is sold for.
Which pack of Sciarid Fly (Fungus Gnat) Nematodes, 60 sqm Packs?
All three are the same nematodes. The bigger packs cost less per pack.
| Pack | Price | Per pack |
|---|---|---|
| 1 x 60sqm pack | £16.50 | £16.50 |
| 2 x 60sqm packs | £30.00 | £15.00 |
| 3 x 60sqm packs | £43.00 | £14.33 |
Sciarid Fly (Fungus Gnat) Nematodes, 60 sqm Packs FAQs
Do sciarid fly nematodes kill adult fungus gnats?
No. They go after the larvae living in the compost, not the flying adults, and eggs in the compost are not affected either. That is why yellow sticky traps are recommended alongside them, and why a second treatment about 2 weeks later may be needed, depending on how bad the infestation is and where the pest is in its life cycle.
How do you use nematodes for fungus gnats?
Mix the whole pack into water, water it onto the compost, and keep the compost damp. Here is how it goes: keep the pack in the fridge until you are ready, take it out a few hours before so it comes up to room temperature, dissolve the whole pack in 4 litres of water, then add 0.5 litre of that to 5 litres of water and keep stirring as you pour because the nematodes sink. Use the mix straight away, as it cannot be stored. Apply it to the compost and water the treated area. The compost needs to be above 10°C. Do not let it dry out for about 10 days.
How much area does one 60 sqm pack of nematodes cover?
One pack covers up to 60 sqm (the supplier's figure), and the mixing amounts match it: the whole pack in 4 litres of water, then 0.5 litre of that into 5 litres of water, applied to one eighth of the area at a time. For a smaller area, use less water for a stronger mix. The supplier does not give a figure in litres of compost or a number of pots, and does not say how many nematodes are in a pack, so we have not guessed at either.
How long can I keep fungus gnat nematodes in the fridge?
Put them in the fridge as soon as they arrive and use them by the date printed on the pack. The supplier's own pages give different figures, about 7 days on one and a couple of weeks on another, so go by the printed date and use them sooner rather than later. Use the fridge, not the freezer compartment (the supplier suggests the front of the salad drawer), and take the pack out a few hours before you use it.
Are sciarid fly nematodes safe for pets and plants?
The supplier says these nematodes only affect the pests they are sold for and are safe around people, pets and plants, and that you cannot overdose plants with them. That is the supplier's wording, so follow the instructions inside the pack.
How long do live nematodes take to arrive?
Allow about a week. The supplier says its live stock has a lead time of between 1 and 8 days depending on the product, fresh packs arrive on a Wednesday or Thursday and go out straight away, and for same-week nematode delivery you need to order by Monday morning. It sends on weekdays. Nematodes are ordered in fresh rather than kept in stock, so there can be a gap before dispatch, and the supplier suggests ordering around a week before you plan to use them. When they turn up, they go straight in the fridge.
Want something different for fungus gnats? Have a look at the Fungus Gnat & Sciarid Fly Control collection.
