"BUY THESE! Used in conjunction with yellow sticky traps, these are the only products to have successfully wiped out the dreaded fungus gnat infestation of 2023 (well, the one at my house anyway)." Amy Fairley ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Oh. My. Goodness. I HATE Fungus Gnats. And that's from someone who dislikes using the word hate. And I've put it in capitals. Yep. That much.  

When I first started collecting plants I was quickly over-run by Fungus Gnats. And because they love carbon dioxide, the only thing more appealing to them than my plants, was the CO2 in my breath. You always know when you have Fungus Gnats. Even one or two and they'll quite literally be all up in your face. 

If you get on top of them while the infestation is small, the good news is they are more annoying than harmful. But with the number of plants I had, they were having a ball, and inviting all their mates to the party, so my plants were at risk. I tried almost every remedy. What finally worked was BTI + Sticky Traps. These are Mozzie Dunks, made of BTI. The same active ingredient as Mozzie Bits but a longer-lasting, re-usable (the leftover dunk can be dried and used again), more economical solution for larger plant collections, and for outdoor ponds, bird baths and gardens.

Break the cycle

The BTI in Mozzie Dunks kill the larvae. Sticky Traps kill the adults. No larvae = no new adults. No adults = no new larvae. Used together you can break the cycle, which is the key for saying bye bye to Fungus Gnats once and for all. 

How do Mozzie Dunks work?

Mosquito dunks target the larval stage of the Fungus Gnat lifecycle. The larvae hatch and eat wet and rotting organic matter in your soil, including roots if you have a big infestation. The adults that they hatch into are annoying, but it's the larvae that can do the damage.

The larvae are killed by a microbial insecticide called BTI. A naturally occurring bacterium that is deadly to mosquito larvae and fungus gnat larvae. BTI is short for Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis. That's what's in Mozzie Dunks Although deadly to fungus gnat larvae, it's harmless to other living things. You can float a dunk in your pond for example with no harm to fish or plants.

How do you use Mozzie Bits to kill Fungus Gnats?

The box gives you the directions for larger areas of water based on surface area, but used for treating indoor plants, I use the 'Mozzie Tea' method.

How to make 'Mozzie Tea' with Mozzie Dunks 

Dunks are made for larger bodies of water outdoors, like ponds and bird baths, but are a more economical solution for larger indoor plant collections compared to Mozzie Bits. One 'dunk' looks like a flat donut and there are 2 dunks per pack.

For indoor plants, break one dunk into quarters. Soak a quarter in 4 litres of water overnight. What doesn't dissolve you can put aside to dry and use again. Start your brew off with warm (not hot) water to help the dunk break up and 'brew' better.

Remove the leftover dunk, give your mozzie tea a good stir, and water your plants as usual. Top watering is best (or bottom watering until the top of the potting mix is fully saturated), as larvae concentrate near the top of the soil. Once mixed, use fresh as the microbial activity starts to break down in 1 to 2 days. 

It's best to only make up what you need each time, and dry and save the leftover dunk to brew again. Once a dunk has fully dissolved you can use the next quarter, and so on, making a pack of 2 dunks last a long time.

How often do you need to repeat the treatment to kill Fungus Gnats?

The Fungus Gnat lifecycle averages 17 days in good conditions (warm and moist), with most of that time spent in the soil, not as adults. You'll need to give a good top water drench with Mozzie Tea at least every fortnight (ideally more often), every time you water, until eliminated. You can bottom water if you prefer, as long as the surface is fully saturated. 

Because they love moist soil, you don't want to over-water or may end up with root rot instead, so water normally, and use drenches in conjunction with adult gnat control using Sticky Traps to reduce the adult population so they don't start the cycle all over again. 

Best to treat for at least 2 lifecycles, about 2 months, each time you water. I always keep some dunks or Mozzie Bits on hand in my plant cupboard as bringing in a new plant, or using potting soil that's been stored outdoors, can often come with Fungus Gnats.

Even shifting plants outdoors to water, and back in again can bring gnats inside. When you get a new plant, always isolate for at least 2 (ideally 4) weeks as Fungus Gnats (and most pests), will make themselves known in that time. Much easier to treat one plant than your entire jungle! Store soil indoors also.

Are Mozzie Dunks safe?

Yep! This is pest control using nature. Mozzie Bits won't harm animals, birds, bees, livestock, fish, vegetation or us. Safe to use in bird baths, indoor and outdoor potted plants, rain barrels, roof gutters, water troughs, vases, ponds, fountains and more. Just don't put it in your treated drinking water supply.