re: Bugs eating my sarracenia's

From: Mark and Karen (marked@xtra.co.nz)
Date: Wed Nov 19 1997 - 13:59:36 PST


Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 21:59:36 +0000
From: "Mark and Karen" <marked@xtra.co.nz>
To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com
Message-Id: <aabcdefg4410$foo@default>
Subject: re: Bugs eating my sarracenia's

Peter Lowden wrote:

>I've got some black little flies that like hanging around some of my
>plants. One of my Sarracenia's lost several flower buds, and upon
>pulling them out, I found little magots on the ends of them, and
>they had rotted. This concerns me quite a bit. Does anyone know how
>to get rid of them, and what impact it will have on my plant?

The little black flies that you talk of are Muscaria flies and
Sciarid flies.(Fungus Gnats) The little nasties that are giving you
trouble are more than likely Sciara pectoralis. The lost flower buds
were probably due to fungal attack and the flies would have been
drawn by the decay . They supposedly only eat dead organic
matter although I have lost cuttings, seedlings and small plants to
them but never an adult plant. I don't know if you are growing your
Sarracenia's in just a peat and sand medium but I find the addition of
a layer of healthy live sphagnum moss on top of the mix helps
prevent fungal attack with it's natural antibiotic effect and also
aids in repelling the flies. To keep the moss growing healthy,
 I add live moss to the mix at a rate of equal parts peat,
moss and pumice (uncompacted mix) a medium probably frowned upon by
some Sarra. growers but it works best for me. Also if you're taking
cuttings never use peat or any other organic material to strike them
in as it will attract Gnats for miles. I use either pumice,
perlite,horticultural grade sand or coarse river sand.
      If you're into using chemicals Diazanon WP40 works well (not
the 5% granules). Maldison 50 apparently works well as a full
strength soil drench. Alternatively fill your glasshouse with
Ping's and Drosera's.
           
        
        Good luck

P.S. Thanks Kris Kopicki for your comments on the CRAP regarding the
"D" word!!!

-----------------------------------------
   Mark and Karen (marked@xtra.co.nz)
   8 Rugby Street, Levin, New Zealand
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