All the bugs in the runoff looked like they were dead/drowned, a couple were twitching. They were most definitely not there before, I would have noticed them in the runoff... They would have been hard to miss...Do the bugs in the runoff jump or "Spring"?
Fox Farm soil is known to come with bugs. Generally not beneficially from most reports but those do look like Hypoaspis miles cruising around in your soil
A lot of bugs are native to a lot of areas.
Not too worried about the springtails, from what I understand they eat old vegetation and stuff and don't really pose a threat to the plants. I was told I could cause more damage trying to eradicate them than they could even cause. One person I spoke with even went as far as to call them beneficial lol. Honestly, I don't really give a shit if they live in my soil, as long as they don't kill the plants. I am all about symbiotic relationships, if we can exist together without issues than I am all for it. haha. I will keep you in the loop.For reference this was Hybridways bugs at the time when we were trying to eradicate.
I belive he took the nuclear option but don't go doing that if you plant to reuse the soil
No doubt. The videos are shot at about 400x, maybe more, I have a 1000x USB microscope I used to get the videos. The photo on the other hand is shot with a macro lens, the little puddle of bugs you see is probably no more than 1/3 of an inch across. They're damn small. Almost look like sawdust or grains of sand. Anyway, I am going to keep them around. From what I understand, if those are hypoasis miles in there as well, I read that they eat springtails? We'll see. Thanks for chiming in!
Soil mites that eat dead organic material like the Oribatids are an important part of nutrient cycling. If you've done everything right, you should have at least dozens of species of mites - both predators and the benign recyclers. If you don't have them, you need to introduce them. That can often cost money, but usually they come for free and just appear. Hypoaspis miles aren't the only kind of predatory mite either, there are thousands of species.
When I open up my worm bin I get these tiny bugs jumping around like a flea circus. They come with the vermicompost; dunno if they hatch from somewhere outside or even how they got in but there’s millions of them. I’ve never done anything but thrown kitchen scraps into the bin. Amazing how nature overtakes the soil even while seemingly separated from the outside in a plastic tower.
Springtails.
Well I'm glad they shacked up then haha. They must be living underneath the pots as well as within the soil, cause I'm not sure how theyd come through the cloth pots. Id rather not kill them if they're not harming the plants, even more so if they're a sign of good soil and are beneficial. I dont mind a few creepy crawlies as long as they stay in the tent. If they had wings it might've been a different story though haha.Soil mites that eat dead organic material like the Oribatids are an important part of nutrient cycling. If you've done everything right, you should have at least dozens of species of mites - both predators and the benign recyclers. If you don't have them, you need to introduce them. That can often cost money, but usually they come for free and just appear. Hypoaspis miles aren't the only kind of predatory mite either, there are thousands of species.
One way to roughly monitor the biological activity in your soil is by the numbers and variety of these bigger (relative to bacteria!) creatures you see in your grow. If you don't see them in your organic grow you likely have a serious problem that needs attention. Yes that includes springtails too. I figure I get at least a pound or two of free insect frass each grow cycle from the high population of springtails under my mulch alone! Plus predatory mites love their larvae, and those guys need a steady supply of food to prosper.
Seeing the photo of drowning springtails made me sad.
only through ignorance tbh.
Looks like I'm gonna stick to hand watering for a while then lol. I have a 24 carrot blumat setup I want to install at some point between my two flowering tents but I'm in no rush. Was meant more for when I travel for work and vacation, but that ain't happening til this damn rona goes away anyway...I've started recycling my coco recently, when I was sifting out the old roots I was quite happy to see a few springtails in there, they'll be munching away on the old roots for weeks/months to come.
They are not difficult to put up with in substrate but clouds rising from nutrient isn't a nice sight to be greeted with, I'm pleased to see them now but I have spent time and money in past getting them out of nutrient trays with a pump and filter