Identifying insects in the soil

[evtubbergh]

Hi all

I have an infestation of some sort of little white bug in my soil - in all my soil.


Sorry about the iPhone picture - it's best I can do.

At first I found them under pots on the ground and they looked like the young of the adult grey things that I thought were earwigs but now see are actually not. (I have always wondered what those ugly dive-bombing things were called, now I know). Perhaps we should also identify the grey things; segmented, kind of like a fishmoth but rounder and only outdoors and only under rocks and things on the ground. I might remember another name for them after I post this

Anyway, they are harmless (the grey things) and I had no problem with them being there (what I thought were their larvae). Then I noticed them in the soil around various plants. When I watered they would all rise to the surface and start scrambling about then go back under when the water drained. I still thought they were harmless at this point.

At the same time I was battling aphids on everything and increasing numbers of white fly as well as scale, spider mites and powdery mildew. The lemon tree in particular is badly affected and while I got the aphids off and wiped off the scale the white fly caused more damage.

Somewhere along the line I realised that the white larvae are everywhere! They are even in the soil I use to pot with and I had to bake some in the oven just to start some seeds. I then realised that my white fly problem does seem to have something in common with the increase in these little things.

I definitely have not found an increase in the adult grey insects and coupled with my pest problems I am worried that I allowed an infestation to occur. According to this image of white fly larvae they could be that, except I haven't found them on leaves but in the soil and under things on the bricks.


Source: Wikipedia

Perhaps they can be somethings else?

[evtubbergh]

I said I would remember what they are after posting. The grey things are woodlice. They were under the same pots as the white things so my conclusion was reasonable but, as I said, now there is not an increase in adult woodlice or even juveniles.

[evtubbergh]

And what I forgot to write is also, how on earth do I deal with these things at ground level? Everything I have is for the plant, like neem oil.

[evtubbergh]

Anyone?

[rainbowgardener]

Do they jump? If so probably springtails:


https://www.redwormcomposting.com/images/springtails.jpg

If not, maybe larvae of fungus gnats:


https://sharepoint.cahnrs.wsu.edu/blogs ... _larv1.jpg

But if they were fungus gnats, I would expect you to be seeing the adults also: very small delicate bodied blackish flies, that mostly crawl around on your soil and only fly up a little ways when disturbed.

[evtubbergh]

Oh thanks very much. Springtails look right (definitely not worm shaped). Should they jump though? Mine are not jumping anywhere. But they look really right. I will go out tomorrow morning and get some to check again.

So according to the internet they are not a problem, right? But then why is there also so much info on getting rid of them?

Look at these macro pictures of them. Really cool.
https://www.flickriver.com/photos/tags/p ... teresting/

[rainbowgardener]

If it is springtails, they are not a problem in your soil. They are detritivores and do not eat living plants. Apparently they can even be beneficial in helping control pathogenic fungi, like the damping off fungus.

I think why you find so much on getting rid of them is that they can apparently move inside of houses and become a major infestation in basements, kitchens, bathrooms, inside walls etc. Maybe still not really a problem, since they eat molds and mildews, but I can see why people might freak out if tens of thousands of springtails suddenly appeared in their bathroom (when they get over populated in one area, they swarm to find a new nest site).

[evtubbergh]

I checked and it is them. I am relieved. Perhaps I should introduce them to my onion seedling, which all get damped off.

I am glad I didn't kill them. They really do swarm all over the place. I must have millions in what is really a very small garden. They probably thrive on all the fungus. I do hope they stay out of the house though.

Thanks

[rainbowgardener]

They need moisture and dessicate easily. If your house has eaves, just make sure the area under the eaves is not planted and is never watered. That's better for your house any way, keep water and roots away from the foundation. The dry zone will be a reverse moat for your house and keep springtails and other things away from the house..

[evtubbergh]

Thanks. I am guessing they moved in and thrived because it is so moist in the garden, especially under pots. That garden doesn't get winter sun so doesn't dry out. I hope they make it through summer. Oh I guess part of this is because I used a lot of leave litter for mulch.

Our eaves are well away from anywhere and definitely not wet and since our walls are brick we should not have a problem.

[applestar]

I feel redundant since rainbowgardener has thoroughly discussed the topic with you but I think you are right, and if you are seeing a whole mess of them immediately after lifting/moving pots, rocks, wood, etc. that's perfectly normal.

It would be highly unusual to see them like that on open ground.

[evtubbergh]

Oh they're never just on open ground. The photo was after I lifted some bricks. They are also under the leaf mulch but they come up when I water.