These are likely springtails as Fred mentioned. Put a pencil led near one and see if it jumps. If it jumps it is definitely a spring tail. They eat decaying matter in the peat moss and will not hurt your plant. They can damage young seedlings, however. Nancy

I use a 1-1-1 mix of peat moss-perlite-vermiculite like many others. It works great and it's not too expensive either. A small bag of each when mixed will make quite a lot of potting mix. Make sure to get the small bag of "peat moss" as this has been milled. The large bales of "sphagnum peat moss" often have not been milled and are too coarse for AV pots. Hope this helps.

Fungus gnats can certainly be annoying and difficult to eradicate until you know how. I haven't used "Mosquito Bits", so cannot comment beyond saying that it sounds like Danielle317 has some experience with the buggies. I have tried folk remedies like bowls of water with dish soap and yellow food coloring added and tried the yellow double sticky tape. They worked some, but did not end the infestation. The local Cornell Cooperative Extension identified the winged beasts as "fungus gnats", also known as "fruit flies". They suggested a product called Gnatrol, specifically designed to combat fungus gnats. Gnatrol is easy to use and works well. After the soil has a chance to dry, a small amount of the concentrate is mixed with water, then the soil is drenched as the larvae lives across the surface of the soil down to about 3". (I generally use 5 ml [1 tsp] per 2 liters [2 quarts] of water.) Since it effects only the larvae, in order to get rid of everybody as they mature, the soil must dry between servings and the drench repeated once weekly for three weeks. PROVIDE NO OTHER WATER. Just to be sure, I throw in another week or two. By that time, there will be no more larvae left alive to grow into adults. This thread further discusses Gnatrol: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/pests/msg0411022110590.html There is a link provided for an informative article at the Colorado State University. (I was unable to find the product locally, but readily found it online.) To prevent an infestation: * The gnats normally live in the soil outdoors where they can find yummy rotting organic material. They may try to enter through open windows when outdoor conditions prove unpleasant for them (too dry, too wet, too cold). Extra-fine mesh screens may help keep them out. * Examine produce before you buy it. If you see fruit flies (fungus gnats) flying around it, do not buy it. They may have already laid eggs in the flesh of the produce. The eggs are way too small to be seen with the naked eye. * As soon as you see the first gnat, ACT IMMEDIATELY! Water all your plants with Gnatrol x 3 weeks minimum. All the best luck!

Good points - do not use straight peat - the acidity of the peat is about 3.5-4.5 - so you need to check the pH of your mix - and add dolomite to get it to 6.5 or about. If you can do it - fine. Yup - the reason they croaked - is exactly what the other contributors said. You disturbed the roots - you need to reduce amount of leaves - and you need to give them TLC while they are rerooting. Means barely moist soil - and high humidity. So - dome them up, cover with baggies etc, in 10 days - they will root - and you can gradually expose them to the outside. Make sure that soil is barely moist, not soggy - so probably keep them off reservoirs. Learning curve is littered with dead plants... sorry. Fact of life. If you can find somebody in a driving distance who already grows them and you can get a demonstration with participation - it helps. That was a great advantage of the dying breed - AV clubs. Nothing replaces an actual experience with dipping your fingers in a good soil.. in a good company... i.