Tiny white mites eating seeds?

[Kushizle]

About a week ago I started 12 plants from seed in coco/castings/compost mix. Only 5/12 sprouted and when I dug up the seeds to see if they had taproots, I noticed that they had been completely hollowed out and eaten by these little white mite looking things who were now just kickin it in the hollowed out seed. I saw them in my compost pile and assumed they were beneficial but I guess not. I can confirm they’re not root aphids either as they are smaller than a pin head and I haven’t seen any winged fliers. They are also extremely slow moving. Anyone have any idea what these little fuckers are? Just lost 7 expensive seeds too them

 

[Jimster]

That's a new one to me, although they look a little lie spider mites. I haven't heard of mites eating out the new hatched seedlings, but if they were already numerous in the medium and then these sprouted, it would be like a buffet! I usually prout my seeds in paper towels kept about 80 degrees. I have done it this way for nearly 40 years, but there are a million ways to do it... as long as it works, you have done good.
I would either treat your remaining mediums with some sort of insecticide, or possibly re-pot them in non contaminated soil. If you replant, make sure to de-bug your plants first, otherwise they will eventually repopulate and cause issues.

 

[jkill9109]

These resemble Acarid Mites, commonly known as Bulb Mites. They will definitely eat your roots, they are a problem in root crops like garlic. There isn't very much you can do in the way of treatment. You can spray for them, but my understanding is that is is not very effective. To eradicate these things, you're supposed to let all organic material decompose before planting again. I'm not sure how you would treat for these in a compost pile?

Edit: You may consider inoculating your compost pile with Hypoaspis mites, I've heard they will hunt bulb mites.

 

[Kushizle]

These resemble Acarid Mites, commonly known as Bulb Mites. They will definitely eat your roots, they are a problem in root crops like garlic. There isn't very much you can do in the way of treatment. You can spray for them, but my understanding is that is is not very effective. To eradicate these things, you're supposed to let all organic material decompose before planting again. I'm not sure how you would treat for these in a compost pile?

Edit: You may consider inoculating your compost pile with Hypoaspis mites, I've heard they will hunt bulb mites.

I might just throw them out and start over but thanks. Do you know the extent of the damage they cause? So far no deficiencies or anything have shown on the ones that have sprouted but it’s still super early

 

[Jimster]

I might just throw them out and start over but thanks. Do you know the extent of the damage they cause? So far no deficiencies or anything have shown on the ones that have sprouted but it’s still super early

s with any root eating insect, the amount of damage varies on a lot of fronts, but eventually they will keep multiplying, and after a while your roots will stop growing. When they do, the insects will slowly eat the remaining roots away. Chronic symptoms includes wilting (looking like they are thirsty despite plenty of water), slow growth, poor overall appearance, and evidence of deficiencies. I have sucessfully treated plants infested by sow bugs (potato bugs... they roll up looking like a tiny Armadillo) with a mix of watering normally but adding Malathion. It stinks but degrades fairly quickly, although I wouldn't use it on flowering or near flowering plants.
Since this just started and things aren't too far along, you would probably find it easier to start over with a different medium. I like Promix myself, but there are many choices depending on your methodology.

 

[jkill9109]

The issue I would be most concerned about is your compost pile, since you said you first noticed them there. Anything over about 65 degrees Fahrenheit will make them rapidly reproduce, as well as expedite their development. The Hypoaspis mites may keep the population down in your compost, and also battle fungus gnats as well as thrips and spider mites.

As far as damage, Jimster is right on, they will eat your roots and kill your plant depending on how established their colony is will dictate the extent of damage. Where I have to disagree is the recommendation of Malathion as a root drench. Malathion is known to cause damage to plants at the root level. Malathion will cause your roots to grow shorter, and is said to reduce water content in the leaves of plants, as well as damage plant DNA. Be very careful with Malathion! I would probably cull the plants that popped too, unless you have predator mites, because the bulb mites will definitely multiply in your grow environment and cause all kinds of issues for those plants. Even with predator mites, there's no guarantee that the bulb mites wont cause you issues later on.

 

[Jimster]

Where I have to disagree is the recommendation of Malathion as a root drench. Malathion is known to cause damage to plants at the root level. Malathion will cause your roots to grow shorter, and is said to reduce water content in the leaves of plants, as well as damage plant DNA. Be very careful with Malathion!

I can't argue with your concerns, and I should have emphasized that I would only recommend this is there was no other choice AND the plant was pretty small and unlikely to carry much material into it's larger adult size. I also use a lower amount of Malathion... although the best option, if possible, is to get rid of the soil and replace it with something safer.
I can't disagree that the less we put into our plants, the better they like it. I have saved some pretty large plants, not cannabis, with the malathion water, but would not really recommend it for something we smoke or ingest. The other side of the coin is bringing plants indoors that lived outdoors and have hitch hikers that come with them. Any outdoor soil will invariably have some wildlife in it, which is usually kept in check by other wildlife. Indoors, the predators are removed and the rats take over unless they are also removed. I think this is the biggest risk for combined indoor/outdoor growing, and the treatment of the soil is important to prevent problems in the future.

 

[jkill9109]

Jimster I think you hit the nail on the head talking about being indoors with a lack of predators. I think the best solution is to release specialized predator species into your space that will live well in your environment. The one caveat I see here is some predator species will not feed on varying other food sources so if you are lacking their prey they will die off, making them more of a reactive management input than a preventative one. The Hypoaspis mites I spoke on above are an incredible addition to your grow because they take care of multiple insects that love cannabis.