Proactive Parasite Options

[Evan337]

The buffalo gnats have been worse than I can ever remember this year in South Louisiana. Not sure why but they are thick. I don’t have any nests with young in them yet but in 3-5 days there will be a lot of hatching eggs. Last year I lost over 30 young. I believe gnats we’re the culprit. Most died before they reached one week old. Here are a few things I’m thinking:

1. Most the exterior of the houses and gourds with especially the entrance with pyretherine

2. Soak cotton balls in citronella oil and plan inside the cavities near the entrance

3. Place rosemary in the compartments as it’s supposed to discourage flying insects.

Any other suggestions? I have used sevin in the past for mite control and that has worked because they are in the bottom of the cavities/nest. Gnats aren’t as easy to control and I don’t thin Sevin is a useful deterrent.

[Dave Duit]

Hi Evan,
One of my members in the Iowa martin organization, (Tim Millard) had an article run in the purple martin update magazine a few years ago regarding gnats. The best thing to use with the cotton balls is absorbine junior. Change out the cotton balls every two days.

[lynnh]

Pyrethrin spray it on the exterior of your housing or gourd it's very effective and a heckuva lot quicker and easier than cotton balls and Absorbine Junior plus it kills the darn Buffalo gnats.