Thanks for the reply. I guess the ants I saw on the cut piece of rhizome were after the moisture as it's been pretty dry here to. The exposed white "meat" of the cut rhizome was covered with fire ants, kind of like they would cover a cut slice of apple. I was just worried they might be doing some destructive work on the rhizomes in the ground. I did put some granules out, which did away with the ants until a hard rain washed the granules away. They were back in large numbers today, with lots of trails coming and going from the planted clumps of bamboo. Some clumps we planted are about 4' in diameter so it's hard to tell exactly where they are going. I guess I'll just sprinkle some more granules as needed until the bamboo gets well established.

Oh great...threads I took part in are now considered "old." Usually neem oil has been sufficient for control for me. I buy the concentrate and then use a pump sprayer to cover all surfaces.

it cannot take direct sun in FL : it's usually planted in ground in shade under trees. heat by itself is not a problem, provided it has enough water. however, the Asparagus Fern (not a fern at all!) really did well in NYC outside in bright shade under the tree with some very early morning sun. otherwise I had it in the office under fluorescents for sev years growing well and not shedding much to be a nuisance. I would say it grew too large for your pot and needs to be repotted and kept in the shade : north in FL would be ideal. and well watered of course.

Wormy things in soil could be larvae of fungus gnats. Video 2 looks like springtails, but can't be sure. You need to capture and murder your critters for better ID. See if you can get a photo of one suspended in water or vodka. :) If you're growing a jungle, I think you are ready to invest in a decent stereo microscope. Not the type that require slides (although you can use them to view slidemounted insects and mites--just not bacteria-size stuff) but a "dissecting" scope. They aren't super pricey and are really great for IDing critters.