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Vegetable Gardening

What Bugs Are In My Garden?

9 years ago

I am growing artichoke, kale, a spider plant and a couple flowering
potted plants (I'm not sure what they are) in a little patch in front of
my house. I have seen a killed a few aphids on the leaved of the
artichoke plants, but there is another, much smaller bug that I cannot
identify.

At first I thought from reading some articles that they might be thrips, and then maybe thought they could be gnats, but they really don't resemble images I've seen of either. They almost look like tiny shrimp. They are very small (eye of a needle size, maybe smaller?), usually gray but sometimes white, and tend to jump if disturbed, but I haven't seen them fly.

Here are links to images I've taken of these bugs:

http://postimg.org/image/jz85bpi05/

http://postimg.org/image/n4sr1x0md/
http://postimg.org/image/ckitjbw4l/

http://postimg.org/image/3lo5sk1ut/

In
each image I've circled the bug, and the last image has my finger in it
for size comparison. Like I pointed out, they are quite small.

Any suggestions? I live in San Diego, if that helps narrow it down.

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Comments (4)

woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Any way of clearing up the pics some?

Are they these maybe?

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/2860469/id-please?n=10

Kevin
safersaturnx thanked woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
safersaturnx
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Sorry for the late reply; I had to wait a bit to get access to a better camera. Here are some additional images of higher quality:

http://postimg.org/image/rdroep2gx/

http://postimg.org/image/8zh5apq69/

http://postimg.org/image/jouu2z1z5/

http://postimg.org/image/kpv2s3iyp/

I know the quality isn't perfect, but I think that's the best I can do.
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safersaturnx
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
To answer your other question: Yes, that bug (listed as a "springtail") looks very similar to the bugs in my garden, except that in addition to white, some that I've seen are grey or appear spotted (it's hard to tell when they're so tiny).

Are springtail bugs good, bad, or indifferent?
woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
9 years ago
The grey ones I figured are just a different(molting) stage of the springtails.

Spotted? Check out pics of Carpet beetles -- I've seen some of those around also.

Here's what UC website says about springtails...

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74136.html

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