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Tiny little bugs in soil

14 years ago

Does anybody know what these might be?? My DS-70 has been slowly dying over the last year and I thought it was just lack of proper care, turns out there are tiny little wingless insects in the soil. I've never seen these in any of my other plants, just this one.

Comments (3)

golden_ca_2000
14 years ago
I had these funny little white bugs in my soil of my lacunosa - everytime I watered I would see them moving on the soil. so what I decided to do is.. I took the plant to my laundry room sink and I knocked off as much soil as I could - then I totally rinsed off all the soil - till it was all roots... then I repotted it ... Hopefully that is going to help. I find everytime I buy a houseplant now from the store - I am always weary of the soil, so I do this as I do not want soil with insects from anywhere else. So far its worked good for me....But I did not know what those bugs were... are they white bugs?
k0okie
Original Author
14 years ago
I think that is going to be my next step for sure... bye bye soil. They appeared kind of whitish/greyish in color, they were so small though it was kind of hard to tell.
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Fungus gnats do not survive if the soil becomes dry, so one management option is to permit the soil to dry out between waterings. Remember though, you don't want to let the soil get so dry that you are stressing the plant, your goal is simply to not have soggy, wet soil all the time.
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I would remove a couple of lower rows of leaves and repot the plant in the smaller pot. Like half of the current one. Exactly as Ima_digger and Tommyr pointed - heavy wet soil = is a paradise for fungus gnats - mix a new soil - cut it half and half with perlite to lighten it up. The gnats live in organic soil, if you get vermiculite and when you are repotting - fill the last inch of pot with vermiculite - you will significantly reduce the gnats. I do not think it is possible to get rid of them without pesticide. The adult gnats are flying and laying eggs - and the larva lives in a first inch of soil. You can get some mild pesticide - like neem oil based 3-in-1 spray, and soak the soil with it. The first thing to do - to keep your pot on a dry side. It will really help with bugs and will stop the decline. The pot is too big, the soil is too wet - and this is the main problem. Good Luck Irina
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thanks. rhizo_1 i think thats it. springtails! they are on the soil... on the edge of the mulch/lawn. i looked them up online and they sound just like what i saw. i think i have the globular kind... they hop like tiny fleas. apparently they are harmless. thanks very much! julie
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i see movement .... but i cant focus on the bugs. the white stuff in the soil.. is just a fungus that is naturally breaking down your very fine soil ... ignore it ... its natural ... you ask if they are eating the roots.. i ask.. whats your concern.. look liked a healthy root mass to me ... you might want to try shaking some on a black sheet of paper .. and taking pix.. ken
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mdahms1979
14 years ago
There are spring tails and thousands of species of soil mites and I have seen both in my potted plants in the past. Most of these types of critters feed on decaying organic matter but I can't help but think that an over abundance of them could be bad for a plants root system. I would use an insecticidal soap solution and water the plant well with it, should take care of the problem. I will also spray a neem oil solution on the surface of the soil after I water if there are any bugs present. Repotting might be a good idea if the plant has not been doing well and it will give you a chance to take a look at the roots.

Mike

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