White Bugs in Soil (pics)

I am somewhat convinced that mine are Hypoaspis Miles. They are predatory soil mites, sometimes white, sometimes orange. They are an awesome cleanup crew and I make a special effort to keep them around. The very rarely crawl on the leaves and have never harmed the leaves. In summer, fungus gnats invariably find their way inside and the soil mites give their larvae a hard time. The soil mites 100% eliminated the springtails that I once had.

From the picture you posted it is difficult to be certain if yours are Hypoaspis as well. I suspect mine came from a bag of Foxfarm Ocean Forest but I'm not 100% certain because I had a bag of Pro Mix that was outside in the rain, so that may have been the vector. Where did your soil come from?

Have a look: http://store.evergreengrowers.com/prostores/servlet/Detail?no=1
Pics
Im gonna get the 60x out later & have a look, but im pretty sure those are whats in my soil, the front legs are more pronounced than the rear, whitish, yellowish orangish colour.

My medium is Canna Bio-Terra, think it came with fungus gnats in it as ive had some gnats since day 1, but i grow in a garden so any bugs couldve easily come in through the door/windows with a breeze if they wanted to get in... i did leave my bag of soil outside for a few weeks until i transplanted so it was slightly exposed (taped up in a cardboard box in a shed)

Pretty cool if some people pay for these & i gotem for free, i wont get over exicted, im gonna get the 60x out before cracking the champagne ;)
 

indyman

Active Member
Hey bro i will answer u soon on to research what they are and how to get rid of them, BE RT BACK!
 

indyman

Active Member
Ok they are gamasid they look like dinychus but soil mites or most are good for ur soil so nothing to found that would kill.but know and old school grower that used his grill outside and put soil into pot, boy and you think shit smells bad,he would cook or get it hot and smelly and put it in clean buck.it's wierd but he alway's did it and maybe it was to kill bugs.
 

Kcannabis

Member
Got some slightly better pix
I have what looks like to be the same mites in my soil. I am using strictly Fox Farm Ocean forest too. These things came in the soil. I wonder if Fox Farm is doing this on purpose or what. Here is a what mine look like, looks like the same predator mite to me.





 

RxGrowR

Well-Known Member
this is the first thread that finally makes sense! i have a small fungas gnat problem, where i can see the gnats and the little larve in the soil, when i recently watered those little bugs came out of the soil, and i was like, MORE BUGS, FUCK! but i guess they are helping me out with my gnat problem.
 

RxGrowR

Well-Known Member
it makes sinse, since the fungas gnats never really go out of control and my plants are just fine
 

manytoys

Member
hears what i did too controll the little white bugs pull your plants out of the pots slowley put the soil in a cooking pan heat the oven to 290
then put your dirt in for 1hr this will kill all bugs and thier eggs now your soil is furtle just add some pete moss and put your plants back into your pots water and let grow i have no mare problems and follow up with a good insectisilde soap thats bio manytoys
 

manytoys

Member
the little white bugs in your soil are aphids they lay thier eggs in the dirt and then when they hatch looks like the soil is moveing then they proceed up to your plants and feest onthe plants jucies i hate those little shits but i have wone the battle
 

hybridcheef

Active Member
you guys are all wrong lol. those are soil mites, and are predators. i have had them for many seasons. i grow organic. they will not do any damage at all and actually kill fungus gnat larvae. fungus gnat larvae look like little white worms with a black dot on the head. you have nothing to worry about with those bugs you have and will probably do more damage, they are very hard to get rid of and the only way is using something that is super poisonous. not worth it, because honestly they help keep bad bugs away.
 

hybridcheef

Active Member
the little white bugs in your soil are aphids they lay thier eggs in the dirt and then when they hatch looks like the soil is moveing then they proceed up to your plants and feest onthe plants jucies i hate those little shits but i have wone the battle
those are not aphids this guy is totally incorrect. he obviously doesnt know what aphids look like. because whats in your photo looks nothing like an aphid. i know this is an old post. but its an old post with people saying abunch of stuff thats incorrect. just wanted to help people that might pull this up. those are soil mites and do no damage.
 
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