Well, you could try getting some entomopathogenic nematodes off a site...they'll kill most of the bad critters in your soil, and since they are all natural, you won't have to worry about messing with chemicals or killing off any good bugs (or anything else). There might be other beneficial predators you can introduce around your plant, so that is definitely worth looking into. A chemical option would most likely involve a systemic pesticide, which kills anything that bites into the plant. Some of these can be dangerous if inhaled or if you get it in your eyes or skin, so be careful if you go that route. In the end, I would google "root aphid treatment" and see which options you can take to treat the infestation. Steve

Tried taking a picture, but they're just too small to get a decent focus on. They really do look like spider mites in that they have a dark body but tiny lightly colored (legs?) sticking out in front but slightly larger in overall size. They also have antennae like aphids. Smooth, solid black with a tiny white speck on the left and right sides. Their undersides are white-ish. They tend to hop when disturbed or trying to get to something and they're pretty good at it. I'm only finding them in the top 1/16" of soil, but I've also noticed a few green aphids hanging around too on the surface. They seem to be spreading to other containers. So far, I've found them in containers of seedlings/seeds of: Texas bluebonnet Platycodon Aster Datura (more recent) Blackberry Lily All containers have a bit of algae growth in them. Overnight, I noticed that they flocked to a cup of water that I had a chrysanthemum cutting in it. Most drowned, but several seem to be hanging on to the stem a few inches above the water, which leads me to think that they're an aphid or mite of some sort. Once again I noticed another green aphid nearby.

unfortunately yes...a horrible flashback. as it turns out, those are eggs. insecticide soap was helpful in washing them off. the soap dehydrates them (see previous blogger). what's most important is to find out which insect is laying those eggs. i went from white pellets (eggs) to tiny black bead-like structures. careful, this gets out of hand quickly. after multiple, daily sprays (which can get expensive) i took some leaves in to various nurseries. interesting, the black beads transferred to my white paper towel and they/ i was able to suddenly see tiny red spiders/ mites moving around. they all advised chemicals (sevin or malathlion) and although i purchased them as a backup, decided to make one more try and ordered a garden pack of beneficial insects (for full coverage. it was that bad. nearly lost several plants). most of the ladybugs flew off, however some stayed and worked on the mites allowing the greenwing larvae to hatch. the nemotodes were watered in and the beneficials for whiteflies worked it's magic (it was like a domino effect). i have to say, that i spent much less in comparison for the multitude of sprays i invested in and "all" of my plants look great (i was sure i would lose my rarest). of all the insects, the green lace larvae was the most effective. they're still flying around the plants. they're tiny and non-bothersome. take that from a no bug tolerance type person. it's best to try the beneficials first as chemicals kill good and bad insects and will inhibit the effectiveness of the beneficials. you'll be amazed. i was. as it stands, the chemicals are still stored in my garage, unopened. here's the link i ordered from. they were realiable and guaranteed delivery of live beneficials. i found them to also have the best prices. good luck and let us know how it works out. http://www.buglogical.com/index.asp great site by the way.

They're not a problem. Allow the potting mix to dry off a bit. A general guideline: Plant pests move slowly whereas predators move rapidly.