Springtails? Remedies

Lagged

Lagged

Well-Known Member
Hey ya'll

Noticed these little tiny white bugs that like to jump and flip around when agitated. Through research here I can see that these may be springtails.

Seems like the only remedy is to wait them out and water less / manage moisture levels.

Odd thing is I've been letting my plants go through a relatively dry cycle before watering again, so I would not expect that my soil was too wet.

Anyways, is there any remedy to these besides the above? I added nematode SF's about a week ago, guess they don't care for springtails.

I tried to get a picture but these fuckers are agile AF.

Any help appreciated my friends, thanks!
 

Attachments

jondamon

jondamon

Well-Known Member
Lagged said:
Hey ya'll

Noticed these little tiny white bugs that like to jump and flip around when agitated. Through research here I can see that these may be springtails.

Seems like the only remedy is to wait them out and water less / manage moisture levels.

Odd thing is I've been letting my plants go through a relatively dry cycle before watering again, so I would not expect that my soil was too wet.

Anyways, is there any remedy to these besides the above? I added nematode SF's about a week ago, guess they don't care for springtails.

I tried to get a picture but these fuckers are agile AF.

Any help appreciated my friends, thanks!
Click to expand...
Springtails are a part of the soil ecology.

they are detrivorous feeders.

usually adequate wet dry cycles eradicates abundant populations.

I’ve had good success removing them with a neem drench and dish soap along with a spinosad drench whether it actually did anything I don’t know for sure but they didn’t come back after that.

these little guys live all across your house and garden feeding on decaying matter (notice the word decaying) they generally don’t effect plants unless plants are really young and populations are out of control.
 
Lagged

Lagged

Well-Known Member
jondamon said:
Springtails are a part of the soil ecology.

they are detrivorous feeders.

usually adequate wet dry cycles eradicates abundant populations.

I’ve had good success removing them with a neem drench and dish soap along with a spinosad drench whether it actually did anything I don’t know for sure but they didn’t come back after that.

these little guys live all across your house and garden feeding on decaying matter (notice the word decaying) they generally don’t effect plants unless plants are really young and populations are out of control.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your reply! Great information!

I'll grab some Neem oil and see if that helps. Glad to know they wont destroy my plants. We're approaching day 35 of flower so I wouldn't consider these young at all.

I got a buddy who's an exterminator, I'll have him come treat the house (minus the grow space)
 
twentyeight.threefive

twentyeight.threefive

Well-Known Member
Lagged said:
Thank you for your reply! Great information!

I'll grab some Neem oil and see if that helps. Glad to know they wont destroy my plants. We're approaching day 35 of flower so I wouldn't consider these young at all.

I got a buddy who's an exterminator, I'll have him come treat the house (minus the grow space)
Click to expand...
I let them live their best lives when they popped up in my last coco grow. Plants were happy.
 
twentyeight.threefive

twentyeight.threefive

Well-Known Member
Lagged said:
Thank you for your reply! Great information!

I'll grab some Neem oil and see if that helps. Glad to know they wont destroy my plants. We're approaching day 35 of flower so I wouldn't consider these young at all.

I got a buddy who's an exterminator, I'll have him come treat the house (minus the grow space)
Click to expand...
Springtails usually come in your medium. Treating the house will more than likely not prevent future issues.
 
Lagged

Lagged

Well-Known Member
twentyeight.threefive said:
Springtails usually come in your medium. Treating the house will more than likely not prevent future issues.
Click to expand...
That's interesting, considering we didn't have any of these suckers before. The last thing we added to the medium was Nematode SF from Nature's Good Guys and we borrows some PK Boost from Lotus from a friend as we ran out. Otherwise everything has been the same in house.

I saw a video on youtube that someone linked on this forum where the guy suggested treating the outside and inside of your house as they can come from leaf piles, flower/mulch beds, gardens, etc.
twentyeight.threefive said:
I let them live their best lives when they popped up in my last coco grow. Plants were happy.
Click to expand...
Glad to know everything worked out well! I see you around a lot on the forum so I know you aren't bsing.

Thank you for your replies!
 
growslut

growslut

Well-Known Member
springtails don't damage the plant. my understanding is they feed on dead organic matter, not living tissue. so literally not a threat to your plants. just eating up whatever is under the soil.

Springtails are a common household insect. most homes--even without grow rooms--have springtails. Not a big deal

most of the time it the treatment seems to harm the plants more than the initial problem. you are making a good decision waiting until this grow is done. Then talk to your exterminator buddy and ask if he recommends trying to eradicate them.

Happy growing!
 
jondamon

jondamon

Well-Known Member
twentyeight.threefive said:
The idea of any bug in my grow completely freaked me out when I first saw them. After I figured out they were more of a help than a hindrance than I let them stay.

Springtails eat bacteria, fungi, lichens, algae and decaying vegetation, fertilizing the soil in the process.
Click to expand...
You don’t have to tell me mate I’m an armchair entomologist lol.

I just fucking hate them lol

The mrs had them in her Kong rose and New Zealand Flax that she was growing on the windowsill before planting out this year.

I told her straight.

“if they make their way to my room you can fuck off next year with your windowsill garden” lol.
 
Star Dog

Star Dog

Well-Known Member
I had 1000s of them in a tray of nutrient, I used to filter them off the top with a small pump, I then learned a couple of drops of wetting agent and they fall right through the water tension.. Job done!
I then learned they're harmless even beneficial, they eat dead and decaying matter and shit out fertiliser lol.

Some insects can trap a safety bubble with their abdomen hairs to breath from wetting agent also fks that up to, without the surface tension they drown.
 
green_machine_two9er

green_machine_two9er

Well-Known Member
are you in soil or coco? Fresh compost or castings would be my first step. If they are taking off and getting out of control I think the soil food web is out of wack and best way to get things back to normal is quality compost. I grow in soil and keep close tabs on any little bug. Beneficial or not it’s about balance.
 
Lagged

Lagged

Well-Known Member
green_machine_two9er said:
are you in soil or coco? Fresh compost or castings would be my first step. If they are taking off and getting out of control I think the soil food web is out of wack and best way to get things back to normal is quality compost. I grow in soil and keep close tabs on any little bug. Beneficial or not it’s about balance.
Click to expand...
I'm in ProMix HP which Is mostly peat but I believe falls under the soil category. I added some castings in the soil mix and top dressed with about an inch of coverage. I added some more ProMix about a month ago or so and did a Dr. Earth 4-4-4 tea about a month before that. I've also been adding molasses every other feeding for the past 2 weeks. It very well could be out of whack.

The plants seem to be doing exceptionally though, in my opinion at least. Middle plant is growing a little funk but other than that it's a huge improvement from last run.

I wouldn't say they are taking off and getting out of control necessarily. I noticed a few when I watered last, a bit more than I would have liked to see but I wouldn't say an infestation at all.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top