Help, I've got white bugs under my pots?!?!?!?!?!?!

[Leroy Brown]

Hi Leroy

Do you have springtails in every room ?

If they do feed on root hair it would not surprise me that this would affect both transpiration and nutrient uptake.

I'm going the same road: drying out,pyrethrine but BT seems useless since they have no larval stade.

Yes, and I have them where my clones are also, I had a clone that I am pretty sure was rooted, most of them are, and it was dead- pulled it out there was a bunch of the fuckers on it. Mine have changed color, I'm now seeing grey ones scurry around, must be the older ones.

I keep bouncing around thinking it's different things, still not sure if the ST's are my problem, I realized it might be Pythium from standing water, I didn't realize it but the heavy heavy pots would suck themselves right down- pondliner on top of carpet, and it left me with standing water/no drainage- then I saw the springtails, sprayed the neem, and watered it in even though they weren't thirsty, might have compounded the problem & caused slight rot even in the MH room that doesn't have a pondliner.

SO, at this point I still don't know what to think, I'm all over the damn place, concocting some new theory every day, but I've got several concrete things that I did that I would not do again. My pots are getting lifted up for airflow tonight, my favorite plant is probably getting pulled, she is just starting to throw naners I'm about 75% sure, just watching them now, might even pluck them off and see how she fares. Oh well, I'm practically 6-weeks in & bud is still forming, roots are re-growing, so I should be able to make the rent, definitely won't break even with this first run though but the knowledge I've gained is PRICELESS. I've read probably 3-400 different threads throughout the course of this grow.

One or two should be due for water tonight, I've got to make a gut decision to not treat for the ST's, the root rot theory sounds much more plausible, which would mean my ST's are helping majorly with that. If I'm right on this, means I could have had one hell of a banger for my first show had I only elevated my pots, stupid stupid stupid.

SO, my plan of action, feedback appreciated-

Run these things so dry, and water them small amounts daily from here on out.

For run #2 if it's root-rot/pythium can I still use my clones? I took them 3 weeks in just as problems were surfacing. They look like ass for being 3 weeks old, but they are rooted.

One more thing, Abuldur- After backreading threads through all the different problems I have had, please keep us updated with any new info you get & follow up of how things go, it can be very helpful for others down the road. I wish you & your crop the best of luck.

LB

 

[grapeman]

Caterpillar Killer from safer brand works well on thrips. Breaking up a mosquito pellet and spraying also does a good trick. The reason you don't see any flying is because it is a new colony. As the bugs mature, they will get wings.

BTW - thrips attack roots, not the plant.

You couldn't be more INCORRECT. Most all Thrips suck on leaves, usually living on the underside of the leaf.

 

[Stress_test]

Caterpillar Killer from safer brand works well on thrips. Breaking up a mosquito pellet and spraying also does a good trick. The reason you don't see any flying is because it is a new colony. As the bugs mature, they will get wings.

BTW - thrips attack roots, not the plant.

You couldn't be more INCORRECT. Most all Thrips suck on leaves, usually living on the underside of the leaf.

+R Grapeman...
I have tried to start re-reading this thread but it bounces all over the damn place.

Personally I don't think the problem is thrips. BUT regardless of what the critter is; it is easily eliminated. Spray em once with a light soap/water (Safers soap), then order some predator mites.
The problem is eliminated. If you want to take another measure, then wait 2 weeks and mist everything down with neem.

All this bouncing around beating it to death isn't getting anywhere. So it makes sense to just kill the fuckers and be done with it. Who really gives a crap what they are at this point? I mean short of somebody discovering a brand new super bug pest critter that is immune to everything but nuclear weapons.

 

[Strainhunter]

This will kill anything and everything (but spider mites) it comes in contact with and/or is eating sucking from your plants.

There will be nothing living in your grow room anymore but you and your plants.

And yes you will be just fine smoking your plants later on.

4.5ml per 10 Gallons of water.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330431234742&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

 

[abuldur]

hi,

Neem does not kill them nor does bacillus thuringinsis (mosquito dunk).Pyrethrum does not kill all of them.
But potato slices does attract them and help for better observation and trapping (might be a way of controlling population?).
I am now trying diatomaceous earth and will report back.

peace

 

[Grass Lands]

Hot Shotz No pest strips works wonders...I had a issue with spider mites, white flies and thrips all at once...the HS no pest strip killed off the thrips and mites in record time...but the whiteflies were a little tougher to eradicate...had to turn off all fans and allow the gases to build up to a level to take care of them...now I am mite and thrip free...few white flies here and there but hey thats gardening...

My wife told me to get over it and deal with them instead of getting pissed off all the time...she says it just a part of gardening and once I took her advice I know longer get bent out of shape...

 

[Scrogerman]

I'd be tempted & am tempted to try Linalool on Springers, it kills Ticks & Fleas as well as Spider-mite & their eggs. Houseflys, & many other insects, seems pretty effective stuff, only thing i can find that is acctually known to kill them is stuff like Bifen IT.

I have a jade plant that has the biggest infestation of Springtails ive ever seen(its crawling-big time), its a beautifull plant & i dont want to throw it out, took me years to grow it to its current stature, but it looks like its going outside untill i can find somthing to kill the fkers! Linalool comes top of the list atm for me, from what ive read im convinced it will do them, Ticks are fkers to kill! & it does them! lets hope Snowfleas falls into that catagory of fleas ah!
5% solution with De-ionised water, ill report back & hopefully this shit will nuke the fkers. Its a natural terpene & is non-systemic!

 

[Leroy Brown]

Nice, definitly keep me informed.

I ended up figuring out that my problems were just overfert & a water drainage issue in the HPS rooms (Heavy wet pots would sink down on top of the pondliner & not drain).

Had to pull everything down all at once a touch early, evil gold dust gets everywhere fast

 

[abuldur]

If you want to make sure they are collembola just check if they jump.

Diatomaceous earth did nothing but i finally got rid of them using complete drying out followed by concentrated pyrethrine drain and then rinced everything in high h2o2(30%) solution.

I also would like to point out that they can travel under your shoes or across your grow place easily.If you have them somewhere check every plant even if it is in a different room.

I also should point out that the white collembola did prevent my clones from rooting.
I used root riots with no cloning powder.Things seemed to be going fine but after 2 days clones started wilting in the trays.Pulled one out, the stem was covered with collembola .This was done as a test in an infested room and the trays were deliberately set next to host plants.

peace

 

[MacGyver420]

those bugs are springtails;
they come in nearly every bag of soil/coco

they are harmless...

here are some shots i grabbed of them;

in every pot of coco i have used in the last year at least;
they have not ever caused me any issues; i am interested to learn more; that post about them killing a clone seems especially troublesome...
if they did get out of control i would suggest letting your pots dry out alot more; that alone will greatly reduce their numbers.

peace.

 

[abuldur]

Nice plats mate.

Most people tell me they are harmless and i witnessed it with my own eyes.

I saw perfectly good looking plants that were infested with those white devils.

My guess is that things are fine if they have enough organic matter to feed on.

If they don't they start feeding on what lies around (roots).

This would match the information i found about Onychiuridae that cause problems to beetroot growers in Europe.The data i found indicates they feed on tubers.

I only use coco for veg in airpots and then transplant to hydroton.

My clones died and older veging plants had top curving leaves and slow growth plus the harvest was diminished.

So i guess something went wrong.

Peace