Tip for Fungus Gnats & Caterpillars

I don't know if many people are aware but I used to use this product to control fungus gnats in my greenhouse plants:

http://www.hg-hydroponics.co.uk/fungus-gnat-off-407-p.asp

I could usually get a 250ml bottle for around £15 which was pretty steep for only a couple of months worth of treatment but after a while I twigged that the active ingredient in this product was a bacteria called Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. israelensis which prevent the juvenile gnat larvae from feeding.

I discovered that this bacteria is sold as "Mosquito Dunks" in the US for use in standing water such as pet drinking water or swimming pools and ponds as the bacteria is useful in the same way against mosquito larvae and for a lot less money!

I actually bought 20 of these "dunks" delivered from the US via Amazon.com for only £18! last year:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002568YA?

I pop one every now and then in my water-butt and I haven't seen a single gnat in my greenhouse this year! brilliant stuff.

as for caterpillars I discovered by chance that another variety of this bacteria is used to kill chewing insects such as caterpillars and is also available relatively cheaply from the US in comparison to about 3 or 4 times the price on eBay, the mind boggles as to why this isn't sold more often here in the UK when it's available in other European countries...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GVKZG8E

Happy hunting!

 

I like these, although I rarely find fungus gnat or mozzies a problem.
The caterpillar one might be good though.

I'm guessing, but is the last one available in Europe?

Usually the EU stops us getting most of the stuff that works, we are only allowed to use the stuff that kills bees.

 

There are some European alternatives, a Spanish company and also the German Company Neudorff all for much more money for a lot less product...

http://www.amazon.de/Neudorff-Neud-Raupenfrei-Xentari-25g/dp/B00NW87QZO

I can only think that the major UK brands are suppressing or just not using this bacteria in their products as they already have fully developed alternatives.

 

I just water the tray if I get the gnats, they don't like the top layer being dry.