Thrips

Heck nawwwnawww

just started using roots organic 50/50 with promix.

thrips showed up. using neem to treat, not worried.

just pissed.. .because well... duh.. i bought 4 bags and now just gotta get more neem lol

Azamax soil drench. It seem about once a year the lil bastards come to visit. Hose em down with azamax and then drench the soil, by directions. They will leave soon!

Just wanted to chime in here, I was blown away in a friends garden last night when I discovered MILLIONS of tiny little critters running all around the pots and soil, and even on the plants.. I asked what soil and he said roots. I went to the bag and sure as shit, there they are all in it... Upon closer inspection however...
They are predator mites!!!

Did roots try to fix there problems, or did the store do a poor job of containing there stock? Curious... I have never seen so many, I though at first well they have to be feeding on something in order to live in those numbers but saw no food source what so ever... Cannibalism?

Anyone seeing these anywhere else?

Woodsmantoker~

PS. In Alaska we have a biting fly called a no-see-um. They are small and can bite through most bug suits however, folks make "no-see-um Jackets" from a material that has much much finer mesh than commonly used in similar applications. I found a roll of this material at a supply store in Anchorage Alaska (sorry I don't have the name). I used this material as a physical barrier covering my pots by simply making a bag out of it with a draw string. I then place the pot in the bag and tighten the draw string around the stem of the plant. It works wonders on the fungus gnats but did not keep Thrip's out. (thrips fall into the soil where they finish a step in there life cycle, without being able to gain access, they die and the cycle does as well). It was not a cure all, but by dusting the bags with diatomaceous earth, it worked.

Years ago I was running just coco and I noticed one day that the bottom of the pot where the drain hole is was just crawling with some sort of mite. I think. Either way I pulled it and transplanted into soil, never found out exactly what they were and never had any problems or outbreaks. Sure was scared for minute though. They hydro store owner here swears up and down all the dirt is sterile but I'm sure fungus gnat have came home that way (roots) and a buddy had a small gnat issue and I went to see if his dirt was infected and it had a huge gnat issue (also roots). I have used Sunshine, ProMix, and more often than not Fox Farm and they are always the same no matter where in the country you are. Every bag of roots I got was a different consictancy than the one before.

Oh fuck ! Lol, i hate those fuckers , they are relentless ! This is what you need to do , get yourself some Azatrol, i'm pretty sure it was what i used when i had them. You need to spray the leafs but also soil drench !!!! Soil drench is important because those fuckers breed in your soil, if you don't drench their eggs will hatch and the problem will reoccur

Never buy organic soil... I guess you learned your lesson as I did. I still have some Happy Frog left over for houseplants, and I bake it in the oven before using it now.

Mix up your own pesticides, it's cheaper. 1/4tsp essential oil for every gallon of water and a tiny squirt of soap, just enough to get it to foam a little when shaken. Rosemary, peppermint, and cinnamon oil all are very effective. Make sure you're consistent with your soil drenches, do it for every watering for a month.