Trying to identify these little bastards in my soil, here's a couple pics...

About 3 weeks in I started seeing these little whitish fuckers in the soil. It's usually only one plant at a time, I only see them in the morning when the light comes on and then I douse the top of the soil with some organic pesticide (clove oil, rosemary oil, etc. concoction) and it seems to kill them off. But usually a week or so later they will pop up in a different pot. Every time I have sprayed I hit all the pots. The first time I made the mistake of dousing the entire plant top to bottom which burnt some leaves...so now I just do the top of the soil.



As far as I can tell they don't seem to give a shit about the plants but remain in the soil and up around the edge of the pot. So here's the best pics I could get of them. I'm thinking they are either spider mites or soil lice maybe? I'm wondering if they happen to be beneficial bugs by chance? (Soil was Scott's waterlock potting soil.)

What would be the recommended method to stomp a mud hole in their little faces? Neem oil instead of my organic crapola or just go to a regular dousing of the infected plants with the stuff I have?

Thanks in advance! =)

Bummer dude. Good luck. You have mites.

A layer of peralite will discourage things from dwelling in the soil. Drop about an inch layer of peralite on top of the soil than water the pot and it will make it hard for the little critters to get back and fourth in the soil and they will eventually all die.

Defintiely looks like mites, not sure why "they don't seem to give a shit about the plants but remain in the soil"

I've used the Dr Doom stuff to good effect. Nuke the buggers...unless you're close to harvest...

It's hard to tell in the pic, but to me they seem to have 6 legs. If so, then they're not mites (which are arachnids, and have 8 ). I'm thinking by their behavior that they mite be soil lice. If they are, then you don't need to worry about them. I think soil lice are somewhat beneficial.

Leothwyn said:

It's hard to tell in the pic, but to me they seem to have 6 legs. If so, then they're not mites (which are arachnids, and have 8 ). I'm thinking by their behavior that they mite be soil lice. If they are, then you don't need to worry about them. I think soil lice are somewhat beneficial.

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Agreed. Not mites, lice. And if you see no ill effects from them I wouldnt sweat it much.

I'm about 1-2 weeks from flowering which I may have to delay a bit due not having my bloom fert. yet...oh and having these DAMN BUGS. So I think what I'll do is throw down about an inch of perlite on top like Balzac89 suggested and spray every 3 days with the stuff I have regardless of if I see them or not and go from there. If all else fails I'll try some Neem and go for the Dr. Doom as my last ditch attempt at killing them off before I flower. Thanks all. =)

Just try not to think about them crawling out of there and onto you while you're sleeping and it'll be all good.

420God said:

Just try not to think about them crawling out of there and onto you while you're sleeping and it'll be all good.

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Man that's so not funny lol, my bed is just behind the opposite wall of my plants. EEK! 0_o

In fact I just went in there and moved my bed a few inches away from the wall lol! =D

brownbearclan said:

Man that's so not funny lol, my bed is just behind the opposite wall of my plants. EEK! 0_o

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Lol, a good layer of perlite liked mentioned along while neem oil should take care of them.

I have the same bugs but I just ignore them, they don't hurt anything.

I stand corrected!!! You folks are correct with the aracnid answer. I had lttle bugs in my soil on my firstr grow and tried to kill them and couldnt but they didnt seem to bother the plants.

420God said:

Lol, a good layer of perlite liked mentioned along while neem oil should take care of them.

I have the same bugs but I just ignore them, they don't hurt anything.

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Right on, thanks! I be so screwed without this forum I swear lol. =)

^^ Hehe...me too.
I learn something new every time I check in here.

Like soil lice.

Peralite works good for getting rid of fungus flies also.

God this site frigging Rocks!!! I just saw these little basterds in one of my plants...good to know that its not mites you all are the best.

I KNOW WHAT THEY ARE LOL LOL LOL LOL

I cant believe no one has told you what they are yet.


ARe you ready

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HYPOASPIS MILES

Or flour mites. They are a Fungus Gnat and thrip larvae predatory bug.

Here try this link


http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&source=imghp&biw=1276&bih=599&q=hypoaspis+miles&gbv=2&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=


Enjoy


J

jondamon said:

I KNOW WHAT THEY ARE LOL LOL LOL LOL

I cant believe no one has told you what they are yet.


ARe you ready

........
....

.
.
.
.


HYPOASPIS MILES

Or flour mites. They are a Fungus Gnat and thrip larvae predatory bug.

Here try this link


http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&source=imghp&biw=1276&bih=599&q=hypoaspis+miles&gbv=2&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=


Enjoy


J

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That's good info to know jondamon. +rep

Here's the cut from wiki, they're actually good to have.


Hypoaspis miles is a small (0.5 mm) light brown mite that lives in the top ½ in layer of soil. As a natural predator of fungus gnat pupae and snail parasite Riccardoella Aspersa it is used by gardeners for biological pest control.
Hypoaspis miles and the similar species, H. aculiefer are soil-dwelling, predatory mites. Hypoaspis mites feed on fungus gnats, springtails, thrips pupae, and other small insects in the soil. The mite is 0.5 mm (1/50 inch) long and light-brown in color. It inhabits the top 1/2 inch layer of soil. Females lay eggs in the soil which hatch into nymphs in 1 to 2 days. Nymphs develop into adults in 5 to 6 days. The lifecycle takes approximately 7 to 11 days. Both nymphs and adults feed on soil-inhabiting pests, consuming up to 5 prey per day. They may survive by feeding on algae and/or plant debris when insects aren't available. Both males and females are present, but males are smaller and rarely seen.
Hypoaspis is well adapted to moist conditions in greenhouses in a variety of growing media, but does not tolerate standing water. Hypoaspis is currently used in greenhouses for control of fungus gnats. It feeds on fungus gnat eggs and small larvae and is most effective when applied before fungus gnat populations become established or when populations are low. It has been successfully used in bedding plant production, potted plants, and poinsettia stock plants. Hypoaspsis will also attack thrips pupae in the soil, but cannot be relied on alone for thrips control in a commercial greenhouse. It may, however, enchance biological control when used in conjunction with predators feeding on thrips on the foliage. In small-scale experiments this mite reduced emergence of adult thrips to about 30% of that in controls. The mite comes in a pasteurized peat mixture for commercial use.

ExileOnMainStreet said:

^^ Hehe...me too.
I learn something new every time I check in here.

Like soil lice.

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Cannabis crabs.

crazy so they are good in a way

jondamon said:

I KNOW WHAT THEY ARE LOL LOL LOL LOL

I cant believe no one has told you what they are yet.


ARe you ready

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HYPOASPIS MILES...

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Right on, those do look exactly like what I was seeing in there! It's good to know they aren't bad. I figured they probably weren't because they seriously don't care about the plants at all, they are just kinda cruising around the soil every so often. I only see them once a week tops and usually just in one plant. Weird! =)