seed eating worms!!! any ideas?

mountainfarmer1 · Oct 7, 2019

Ive seen these before with my eyes but didn't have a digital microscope to capture them. I planted a few seeds and they didn't come up so i dug down to see what was happening and found this. I have a video of them slithering around but can't figure how to upload. These things are a PIA. I have lost several seeds because of them. I also decided to check some clones I have that have been struggling and sho nuff they are eating the roots of the rooted clones. Any ideas on what they are and remedies would be awesome. I have been treating the clones with BT as a preventive for fungus gnats. also seen a flyer our two. So BT, i don't think is effective against these worms/maggots. Thinking of doing a spinoza drench but wanted to get some feedback first.

TanzanianMagic · Oct 7, 2019

mountainfarmer1 said:
Ive seen these before with my eyes but didn't have a digital microscope to capture them. I planted a few seeds and they didn't come up so i dug down to see what was happening and found this. I have a video of them slithering around but can't figure how to upload. These things are a PIA. I have lost several seeds because of them. I also decided to check some clones I have that have been struggling and sho nuff they are eating the roots of the rooted clones. Any ideas on what they are and remedies would be awesome. I have been treating the clones with BT as a preventive for fungus gnats. also seen a flyer our two. So BT, i don't think is effective against these worms/maggots. Thinking of doing a spinoza drench but wanted to get some feedback first.

Fungus gnat larvae.

The solution is to

- soak the seeds so they spend less time in soil
- sprout in coco coir (prepped with 0.4 EC of bloom food and 0.1 EC of epsom salt).
- treat the soil with hydrogen peroxide to slow them down

Germination is the only stage at which fungus gnat larvae can be deadly to seedlings.

Lost in a SOG · Oct 7, 2019

Well said TM.. Also use sterile seedling soil..

TanzanianMagic · Oct 7, 2019

Lost in a SOG said:
Well said TM.. Also use sterile seedling soil..

Just to add, you can sterilize bags of soil outdoors if you have good sunshine.

Just put the bag of soil on a black binliner, cover withanother black binliner and the heat will destroy most of the insects in the soil in a couple of days or a week.

Back in the day people used to actually micro-wave their soil - which is an extremely smelly process.

Another alternative is to add water and some calory source to the soil and let fungi develop. The fungi will turn any insect eggs into food for themselves, and also protect the seeds as they sprout. Oat flakes, sugar, molasses will do.

mountainfarmer1 · Oct 7, 2019

Man would I love that to be true, that they are fungus gnat larvae. However, they don't have black heads. When i noticed them in the soil they appeared to be white. But as you can see from the pics they look clear as well. Also, look at the size of these things in comparison to the seed. Pics we're taken with a digital microscope and are barely visible with naked eye. I have seen fungus gnat before and DO NOT believe these are FG's.

mountainfarmer1 · Oct 7, 2019

Another thing, I have used hydrogen peroxide drenches in the past with great results. So last night when I was taking these pictures I made up a solution of 4 parts water 1 part hydrogen peroxide. I then places two drops of the solution on the seed and worms. The worms proceeded to swim around in the solution. it did not effect them.

RB56 · Oct 7, 2019

Get the fuck out and run

RB56 · Oct 7, 2019

Looks like FG to me too.

mountainfarmer1 · Oct 7, 2019

Fungas gnats larvae that swim in a HP solution? Must be them new kind. haha Unfortunately i can't post the video i took where you can clearly see they aren't FG.

mountainfarmer1 · Oct 7, 2019

another guy posted back in 2009 a similar problem. everybody who chimed in said the same thing, FG. I have a feeling I'm gonna get the same. After searching images on google of FG larvae I can assure you these aint them.

RB56 · Oct 7, 2019

Was the flier you mentioned a fungus gnat? I assumed so, but maybe not? Are these things bigger that fungus gnat larvae (1/4" or so)?

TanzanianMagic · Oct 7, 2019

Just to add:

1) Whether these are fungus gnat larvae or not - my advice remains exactly the same.

2) They look like fungus gnat larvae.

Source: https://wiki.bugwood.org/HPIPM:Fungus_Gnats

mountainfarmer1 · Oct 8, 2019

smaller than FG larve. and very thin.

mountainfarmer1 · Oct 8, 2019

What you have circled is debris from media. They would have been quite easy for me to identify if they had black heads. See how the FG larve are oval and kinda fat? These are longer, more slender and both ends come to a point. I'm doing some experiments and will get some better pictures. another thing, GN larvae move like a catepiller, tithes things move like a snake.

mountainfarmer1 · Oct 8, 2019

Here are some better pictures. Now what do y'all think? Same?
/Users/eamonnpercy/Desktop/Photo on 10-8-19 at 12.25 /Users/eamonnpercy/Desktop/Photo on 10-8-19 at 12.32 AM #2.jpgAM.jpg/Users/eamonnpercy/Desktop/Photo on 10-8-19 at 12.27 AM.jpg
/Users/eamonnpercy/Desktop/Photo on 10-8-19 at 12.25 AM #4.jpg/Users/eamonnpercy/Desktop/Photo on 10-8-19 at 12.32 AM.jpg

mountainfarmer1 · Oct 8, 2019

Mattbho · Oct 8, 2019

Pot worms perhaps ?? Never heard of them harming roots tho

buzzmobile · Oct 8, 2019

Nematode larvae perhaps?

DARKSIDER · Oct 8, 2019

mountainfarmer1 said:
Ive seen these before with my eyes but didn't have a digital microscope to capture them. I planted a few seeds and they didn't come up so i dug down to see what was happening and found this. I have a video of them slithering around but can't figure how to upload. These things are a PIA. I have lost several seeds because of them. I also decided to check some clones I have that have been struggling and sho nuff they are eating the roots of the rooted clones. Any ideas on what they are and remedies would be awesome. I have been treating the clones with BT as a preventive for fungus gnats. also seen a flyer our two. So BT, i don't think is effective against these worms/maggots. Thinking of doing a spinoza drench but wanted to get some feedback first.

Queer looking things what country you in maybes be able to pinpoint them a little better from your location maybes :tiphat:

potworm larvae quick google maybes hope you get to the bottom of it .

Lost in a SOG · Oct 8, 2019

It could indeed very easily be a naemotode. There are many thousands of species and many will burrow into and eat seeds.

Ive seen them kill seeds before they hatch countless times..

seed eating worms!!! any ideas?

Member

Attachments

Well-known member

GrassSnakeGenetics

Well-known member

Member

Member

Active member

Active member

Member

Member

Active member

Well-known member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Active member

Well-known member

Official Seed Tester

GrassSnakeGenetics