no need to be sorry, any help is super appreciated
Springtails (Good or Bad?) and is there any way to kill them?
- Thread starter 5dekades
- Start date
PadawanWarrior
Well-Known Member
That makes a lot of sense.
Hollatchaboy
Well-Known Member
They look like soil mites. I get shit tons of them. They mostly just stay on top of the soil eating organic inputs. I believe I get them from the worm castings I get.
PadawanWarrior
Well-Known Member
Soil mites is a really broad term, but I get it. Those don't look like mites though. More like springtails. Mites don't jump and are also a different shape. Check out the close up shots.
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Hollatchaboy
Well-Known Member
Yea I get springtails too, but I don't worry much about them. If there's enough organic matter and fungus, they don't look at the plant. The only thing that pisses me off, is they'll eat the mycelium bloom. Lol
Nutty sKunK
Well-Known Member
I’ve had good success in brining the numbers down with Hygrozyme. Breaks down dead roots before the springtails can get it and turn your soil in a moving organism lol
Star Dog
Well-Known Member
Being a keen fisher I've a small interest in entomology.
Some insects due the hairs on their abdomen/body trap an air bubble around them when they get drenched, again it's through surface tension.
I'm thinking it's possible when pots are treated with xyz the pests don't necessarily get wet.
I don't care much for gardening beyond the obvious but I'm aware dish soap is used to treat some pests, it's just a hunch but i don't think it's the dish soap that bothers them as such i think its the getting wet that makes them move on, in normal circumstances they'd be water resistant I'd expect.
Always use a wetting agent is what I'm suggesting.
Some insects due the hairs on their abdomen/body trap an air bubble around them when they get drenched, again it's through surface tension.
I'm thinking it's possible when pots are treated with xyz the pests don't necessarily get wet.
I don't care much for gardening beyond the obvious but I'm aware dish soap is used to treat some pests, it's just a hunch but i don't think it's the dish soap that bothers them as such i think its the getting wet that makes them move on, in normal circumstances they'd be water resistant I'd expect.
Always use a wetting agent is what I'm suggesting.
Star Dog
Well-Known Member
My springtails have completely left now???
Ime if there's springtails when you lift a pot you'll see them, if I lift a pot there's 0 under them, I'd noticed a decline in them (mentioned in the quoted post)
So about a month ago I looked closely over the medium of seedlings i had going using a 30x loupe but i couldn't find a single one?
I've had them for ever idk why now they'd disappear now without any intervention?
They were part of the coco recycling team.
Nutty sKunK
Well-Known Member
Cyclical?My springtails have completely left now???
Ime if there's springtails when you lift a pot you'll see them, if I lift a pot there's 0 under them, I'd noticed a decline in them (mentioned in the quoted post)
So about a month ago I looked closely over the medium of seedlings i had going using a 30x loupe but i couldn't find a single one?
I've had them for ever idk why now they'd disappear now without any intervention?
They were part of the coco recycling team.
I noticed last year and friends/family about how little wood wasps were about. Usually I’m fighting them off my apples but saw about a handful all summer.
just a thought