My Potted Babies have Bugs - Please Help

G

Green Mamba

Member
Hi Fellow Growers!

I was super excited when all 5 of my seeds germinated and survived their potting experience.

But my heart sank into my shoes this morning when I saw small white bugs roaming around in the soil of one pot. Well, they might be in the others too but I never saw any.

I only noticed them when I gave my babies a good watering this morning.

The bugs are really tiny and definitely don't live above the soil. I tried making a hole on the side of the pot to see if I could get a picture. But these damn critters are super fast.

What I did see is really tiny bugs and they seem to be a beige/white color.

Can anyone ID them based on my description? And tell me if they're harmful? And what I should do if they are?

I did read about springtails and apparently these aren't harmful and actually mean the soil is healthy. But I'm a total newbie at this so I'm seriously stressed.

And guidance will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 
G

Green Mamba

Member
CaliSmokes said:
We need a picture. Do they appear to be hopping? They may very well be spring tails.
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The disappear too quickly for me to determine if they are hopping. And that's the same reason I can't get a close up shot. I've tried but don't want to dig too deep into the pots for fear of upsetting the roots of my plants.

Any other way to determine what they are?

Is it weird that they're only in 1 pot? Also, the pot where they live has 2 plants that seem to have stunted in their growth. If that helps at all.

They're also light green and I read that could be nitrogen deficiency. So I'm really confused.
 
G

Green Mamba

Member
SouthCross said:
Little white translucent bugs. That don't fly or wiggle...they run. You flip a little soil up and they scatter.

Scientific name is Fungusdickhead gnaticus.

Commonly known as fungus gnats.
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Fungusdickheads!

I'd say that's the right description.

Are these buggers harmful to my plants?

If so how to I get rid of them?

They're potted in coco peat potting soil. I do let them dry out quite a bit before watering them thoroughly again. And they have a good drainage system with a decent layer of gravel at the bottom of the pots with good drainage holes too.
 
CaliSmokes

CaliSmokes

Well-Known Member
Green Mamba said:
Fungusdickheads!

I'd say that's the right description.

Are these buggers harmful to my plants?

If so how to I get rid of them?

They're potted in coco peat potting soil. I do let them dry out quite a bit before watering them thoroughly again. And they have a good drainage system with a decent layer of gravel at the bottom of the pots with good drainage holes too.
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Sprinkle some diatomaceous earth on top of the pots. Get insecticidal soap and yellow sticky traps for adult gnats. Let your medium dry out. Kind of bad situation since you're in coco.
 
G

Green Mamba

Member
Update:

Sprinkled them with DE and then let them dry out like Cali said. It was a fine line between drying them and allowing them to dehydrate. But it did the trick.
 
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