What are these tiny flying insects around my Flex Farm?
You are most likely seeing fungus gnat flies, as they are tiny winged insects and a common indoor pest. Fungus gnats like damp locations, so they like to hang out in and around the rockwool. The gnats are attracted to dead plant matter and algae. They don't eat the lettuce leaves as much, which is great news, however, most prefer eating the organic plant matter in or on the rockwool, such as the roots and any dead leaves. These pests are harmless to us, so you and the students are safe.
A good rule to follow is that if the leaves look healthy to the eye without any sign of disease when harvesting, they are suitable for consumption! 🥬
How do I remove fungus gnats from my Flex Farm?
Remove any dead plant matter in the tanks or around the rockwool to reduce their food sources. We recommend checking your plants at least twice weekly for signs of sick or weak leaves, trimming them back, and discarding them (following the rule of never trimming more than 1/3rd of the leaves). This way, the plant can put its energy towards creating more healthy leaves that are more suitable for consumption 🙂
You may benefit from spraying some store-bought 3% hydrogen peroxide on a clean cloth and wiping the rockwool. The 3% hydrogen peroxide is harmful to soft-bodied insects like fungus gnats and their eggs. Please be sure to avoid any direct contact with hydrogen peroxide on the leaves/stems of your plants. The higher oxygen concentration in hydrogen peroxide can damage plant tissues.
If there are lingering gnats, we recommend using gnat sticky traps, either placing them on your Flex Farm Tank or hanging by your Light Tower.
How do I prevent fungus gnats in the future?
To prevent fungus gnats in your Flex Farm plants, check out our comprehensive Food Safety, Pest & Plant Disease Prevention article.
Please also refer to these additional prevention tips below:
Always prune and remove dead or browning leaves in the tanks or around the rockwool to decrease any attraction of pests.
Minimize the algae on your Flex Farm using store-bought 3% hydrogen peroxide and a clean cloth to wipe away any excessive algae. Check out our Algae and Calcium Guide for more tips on minimizing algae.
You can also try adding 1/4 cup of 35% food-grade hydrogen peroxide to the tanks every four days or so. This will promote more oxygen in the tanks, making it uncomfortable for fungal gnats, bacteria, and algae while making the roots happy with more oxygen. 35% hydrogen peroxide is caustic, so please follow proper handling and storage instructions on the bottle.
Once you harvest, we recommend spraying the Panels, Tanks, Root Chambers, and Drip Lines with 3% hydrogen peroxide and wiping them down with a cloth. The panels are dishwasher safe, so you can simply load them up and send them through a dishwasher for quick sanitation! These preventative cleaning steps will help keep the Flex Farm in superb condition and reduce the likelihood of pests.