Springtails? Can I just leave them? Are they really benificial?
- Thread starter nohurrygrower
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- coco growing springtails
exoticrobotic
Well-known member
Freaky looking tings.
Maybe a good source of cheap protein.
Maybe a good source of cheap protein.
nohurrygrower
Member
They are freaky looking. Maybe? They reportly eat mold and bad material.
exoticrobotic
Well-known member
Those ones look dead and not eating anything.
Such an infestation isn't ideal no matter what bugs they are unless the bugs attack or eat the borg.
nohurrygrower
Member
No they are alive and very beneficial
Endrega
Well-known member
I have the same situation on my ebb&flow system. It has been like that for 2-3 years now. I still wonder and am not sure whether they are good or not.
They might be a sign that something else is out of order. Roots ok and white? Maybe using too little enzymes. They are there for a reason, if they bother you, you can try and find the reason.
I had runs where they got out of hand and covered almost the entire surface in the tanks. I took a pump and pumped them down the toilet. Started to clean my medium better and use enzymes the entire cycle and now i have a few here and there.
I plan to change my medium soon and I am eager to see if they disappear compleatly.
Good luck bro
They might be a sign that something else is out of order. Roots ok and white? Maybe using too little enzymes. They are there for a reason, if they bother you, you can try and find the reason.
I had runs where they got out of hand and covered almost the entire surface in the tanks. I took a pump and pumped them down the toilet. Started to clean my medium better and use enzymes the entire cycle and now i have a few here and there.
I plan to change my medium soon and I am eager to see if they disappear compleatly.
Good luck bro
graser
Well-known member
Springtail - Wikipedia:
Springtails can occasionally become harmful to monocultures in the open as well as to houseplants when their actual food source, plant detritus, runs out and they eat the living fine roots.
Springtails can occasionally become harmful to monocultures in the open as well as to houseplants when their actual food source, plant detritus, runs out and they eat the living fine roots.
nohurrygrower
Member
Wow interesting, Thank you bro. I think they are beneficial, and no enzymes what do you mean by enzymes, like Mammouth P or Recharge? What are you currently using. I have a 6 pack of Puro Loco seeds from Archive which is Moonbow #75 x Papaya feminized seeds and Coconut Cloud which is RS11 x Blue Power from Sin City Seeds, a 15 pack reg. I have popped 4 Puro Loco and 4 Coconut Cloud and they are all in solo cups. Excited for my next run. What medium are you running? I want my weed to burn white ash and be loaded with minerals when its done harvesting. Cheers dood
Endrega
Well-known member
Enzymes are used when you reuse your media, eg. Cannazym or Atazym. It dissolves old roots organically.
I thought that was a nutrient tank like they use in hydro. Where do you have these springtails. In your runoff?
My diary: https://www.icmag.com/threads/corre...-mango-lassi-leda-uno.18128895/#post-18473575
I thought that was a nutrient tank like they use in hydro. Where do you have these springtails. In your runoff?
My diary: https://www.icmag.com/threads/corre...-mango-lassi-leda-uno.18128895/#post-18473575
Cannaben123
Member
Struggled with these over the past year or so…
Everyone likes to say they are beneficial. They are the worst pest I’ve dealt with in terms of plant health. Only credit I can give them is killing the thrips I had prior.
Not so much of a problem in bigger pots or a more organic set up. Small pots filled with coco, they can get outta control real fast. The developing roots get eaten & open the plants up to over feeding / lock outs, then the problem multiplies because the plant doesn’t dry back & the springtails keep on breeding.
Pyrethrum 5ec will kill most of them on contact. 1 - 2ml per litre I believe I used. It’s a very quick way to wipe out the adult infestation, not enough to wipe them out completely though & maybe not the best to be using as a soil drench? Still it kills the damn things & you can see it in action.
The most effective method I’ve found to deal with them 100% is Nematodes (Steinernema Feltiae). Also the most organic solution, they don’t eat the roots. Just go to war with the springtails & bring peace back to the garden.
Everyone likes to say they are beneficial. They are the worst pest I’ve dealt with in terms of plant health. Only credit I can give them is killing the thrips I had prior.
Not so much of a problem in bigger pots or a more organic set up. Small pots filled with coco, they can get outta control real fast. The developing roots get eaten & open the plants up to over feeding / lock outs, then the problem multiplies because the plant doesn’t dry back & the springtails keep on breeding.
Pyrethrum 5ec will kill most of them on contact. 1 - 2ml per litre I believe I used. It’s a very quick way to wipe out the adult infestation, not enough to wipe them out completely though & maybe not the best to be using as a soil drench? Still it kills the damn things & you can see it in action.
The most effective method I’ve found to deal with them 100% is Nematodes (Steinernema Feltiae). Also the most organic solution, they don’t eat the roots. Just go to war with the springtails & bring peace back to the garden.
nohurrygrower
Member
Very interesting and apologies on my late response. Yes the springtails are doing exactly what you said my media is not drying up and they are all in my media. My plant looks healthy but way overfed.Struggled with these over the past year or so…
Everyone likes to say they are beneficial. They are the worst pest I’ve dealt with in terms of plant health. Only credit I can give them is killing the thrips I had prior.
Not so much of a problem in bigger pots or a more organic set up. Small pots filled with coco, they can get outta control real fast. The developing roots get eaten & open the plants up to over feeding / lock outs, then the problem multiplies because the plant doesn’t dry back & the springtails keep on breeding.
Pyrethrum 5ec will kill most of them on contact. 1 - 2ml per litre I believe I used. It’s a very quick way to wipe out the adult infestation, not enough to wipe them out completely though & maybe not the best to be using as a soil drench? Still it kills the damn things & you can see it in action.
The most effective method I’ve found to deal with them 100% is Nematodes (Steinernema Feltiae). Also the most organic solution, they don’t eat the roots. Just go to war with the springtails & bring peace back to the garden.
Where do acquire nematode? Cheers
wickytokes
New member
Why get rid of them? They are GOOD to have.
nohurrygrower
Member
Thank you guys my plant looks healthy. Appreciate it
Ca++
Well-known member
My cuts are looking ropy, and the penny just dropped. A quick look and sure enough, I have been here before a few times.
In soil I think they could be useful, but in hydro, they can only be eating one thing. I suspect they don't like coco, and it's salt issues. As the plants are certainly not happy about their presence.
Oddly, I always figure them out, while I'm with the plants. It would need quite a study, but I feel a bit stuffy around them. Like today, I realised they were there, and then found them. Perhaps it's what they are eating I can smell. Suggesting the plants went bad, then they got a good hold. It's always the same though. I start to get run-off collecting, and subtle congestion signs say it's not right. It's still a bit chicken or the egg, but I think it's that bloody chicken.
neem time.
In soil I think they could be useful, but in hydro, they can only be eating one thing. I suspect they don't like coco, and it's salt issues. As the plants are certainly not happy about their presence.
Oddly, I always figure them out, while I'm with the plants. It would need quite a study, but I feel a bit stuffy around them. Like today, I realised they were there, and then found them. Perhaps it's what they are eating I can smell. Suggesting the plants went bad, then they got a good hold. It's always the same though. I start to get run-off collecting, and subtle congestion signs say it's not right. It's still a bit chicken or the egg, but I think it's that bloody chicken.
neem time.
Ca++
Well-known member
Neem treatments for drenching range from 2-3g per liter, through to 8g, reading the internet. I use a teaspoon, which should be about 5. I warm it first, then mix the neem with enough wetting agent for the volume of water it's going in. Then I typically put this neem/wetter mix, into a little warm water (like 50ml if I'm heading for a liter), which is then added to the feed the plants are getting.
So today that was 5ml of neem, with 3ml of aquaburst. It took a good stir. This was added to a splash of warm water to check it would mix. Before this was added to a liter of made up feed. I no longer have springtails.
I do have some shiny stuff on some older leaves though. Two pests at once seems my first choice, but I have seen this pairing before. Give it a few days, and they can have a squirt of something to.
So today that was 5ml of neem, with 3ml of aquaburst. It took a good stir. This was added to a splash of warm water to check it would mix. Before this was added to a liter of made up feed. I no longer have springtails.
I do have some shiny stuff on some older leaves though. Two pests at once seems my first choice, but I have seen this pairing before. Give it a few days, and they can have a squirt of something to.
