Bugs In My Dwc Reservoir

[Greengrower8]

I was checking my pHs yesterday and I lifted one of the baskets to find dozens of tiny bugs crawling around. I have dealt with bugs in the past, but the only ones I’ve ever seen are barely visible under my 10x loupe. These are visible to the naked eye. They look like ticks kind of and they are about that size. What is most frustrating is that I have been spraying with Azamax weekly because of problems I’ve had before (NOT in this grow). This plant had just received its second treatment 5 days ago.

However, they don’t seem to be eating my leaves. I only see them in and around the reservoir and occasionally crawling around the lid. I don’t see them on the plant at all.

As soon as I noticed the bugs, I changed the water, rinsed the basket, and cleaned the bucket out. I just sprayed (foliar) the plant with Azamax again (8ml/qt). I also lifted the basket up and sprayed all over it, which I don’t normally do, but that’s where all the bugs are. I got quite a bit of the Azamax in the reservoir. I’m not sure how long I should let it sit before I change the water again.

Any recommendations about this?? What else should I do?

 

[Greengrower8]

Please help! They don’t seem to be doing anything, but they aren’t going away yet.
They look like this:

 

[Dbear180]

Are they on your roots? Kinda looks like a root aphid.

 

[Greengrower8]

Not that I can see. But they are all around the basket, underneath it and on the sides of the bucket above the water. I hesitate to call them spider mites, cuz I thought they hated water. I’m about to change the water again. Lots of dead bugs floating in it and it’s clouded with Azamax. Also need to rinse the bugs of the basket again. Gonna spray the basket directly with straight 3% h2o2 as well as I rinse them.
This plant was originally grown in promix. I transplanted to DWC out of 1gal promix pot (I did this with several). They all took well. This is the only one affected. I transplanted a few weeks ago. Maybe eggs sat dormant in the soil I couldn’t rinse off? I dunno where they came from. They look horrible. But, like I said they don’t seem to be doing anything except stressing me tf out.

 

[Greengrower8]

After closer inspection — yes — they are in the roots.

 

[Dbear180]

Yeah prob root aphids, I had some just recently sneak in on me as well. I think a few adults with wings came in on my clothes, only way I can picture them getting in. I dont do hydro I'm a promix guy so I cant really give you any advice there. I'm going to either get some promis & do a few soil drench treatments back to back, Spinosad same treatments, or if I can get them in a reasonable time beneficial nematodes.

 

[Jack og]

@heisenbubble
Maybe he has a solution as he is the hydro king round these parts

 

[heisen]

Ive gotten them in rapid rooters.Never seemed to harm anything and they sure cant swim.Once you dunk em they die;

 

[Greengrower8]

Well it’s a relief to hear they don’t seem to cause much damage. I replaced the water again and sprayed the baskets down with h2o2. I added a 1/4 cup maybe of 3% h2o2 to the new water. I raised the water up so it would almost cover the basket. A whole mess of bugs ended up in the water. I changed the water again and did the same thing keeping the water at normal level. I don’t see much in the water this time. I’ll check again in the morning. Glad to hear they can’t swim. I’m not turning my room upside down for these stupid things.

 

[heisen]

Well it’s a relief to hear they don’t seem to cause much damage. I replaced the water again and sprayed the baskets down with h2o2. I added a 1/4 cup maybe of 3% h2o2 to the new water. I raised the water up so it would almost cover the basket. A whole mess of bugs ended up in the water. I changed the water again and did the same thing keeping the water at normal level. I don’t see much in the water this time. I’ll check again in the morning. Glad to hear they can’t swim. I’m not turning my room upside down for these stupid things.

Yeah ive seen them in root riots before.They just dig little tunnels and shit.I never seem to see any damage from them but as soon as you set the roots in water they all drown.

 

[DetGrnThumb]

Time for a nematode invasion!!!

 

[greencraft]

Those little bastards are evil in soil got some a few years back free of charge the last time I took clones in
from someone who said they were clean . Never again

 

[CaliRooted]

I'll take Russets over Root Aphids anyday

 

[Greengrower8]

I was changing my water and found another root aphid infestation in one of my DWC buckets. The other plant that was infested I ended up trashing. It was struggling above and below the water as it was and not worth saving once I found those bugs. This new one, however, is a very healthy plant already 1 week into flower. I don’t wanna trash it unless it’s really necessary.

I already totally submerged the basket in water and drowned as many of these bastards as possible. I rinsed the roots well and I let the basket sit overnight in water (practically up to the top) with maybe a half cup of 3% h2o2 in it. A handful more ended up in the water, but many still remain within the roots. I can’t really tell if they are alive or not. But I don’t really see them crawling around the basket or lid. As I said before, these plants had also previously received 2 treatments of Azamax, although I’m not sure how effective it is against root aphids.

Bottom line —
How worried should I be about these things? Since they can’t swim, it seems like a death sentence for them living in a DWC bucket.
Will they negatively impact my plant?
Should I be worried about them spreading to other plants?
If it is imperative I get rid of them - How? What will kill them?

Thanks guys!!

 

[Jack og]

I was changing my water and found another root aphid infestation in one of my DWC buckets. The other plant that was infested I ended up trashing. It was struggling above and below the water as it was and not worth saving once I found those bugs. This new one, however, is a very healthy plant already 1 week into flower. I don’t wanna trash it unless it’s really necessary.

I already totally submerged the basket in water and drowned as many of these bastards as possible. I rinsed the roots well and I let the basket sit overnight in water (practically up to the top) with maybe a half cup of 3% h2o2 in it. A handful more ended up in the water, but many still remain within the roots. I can’t really tell if they are alive or not. But I don’t really see them crawling around the basket or lid. As I said before, these plants had also previously received 2 treatments of Azamax, although I’m not sure how effective it is against root aphids.

Bottom line —
How worried should I be about these things? Since they can’t swim, it seems like a death sentence for them living in a DWC bucket.
Will they negatively impact my plant?
Should I be worried about them spreading to other plants?
If it is imperative I get rid of them - How? What will kill them?

Thanks guys!!

Na no negative effects but you need the find the source. Is there any rooted plants in soil near or in your grow space? They seem to be coming in from somewhere?
I’d dunk them every week till you get rid of them. Persistent lil buggers they are

 

[Greengrower8]

The source is also of great concern to me. Both of the infested plants (along with 10 others) were from the same source. They were originally grown in promix. I transplanted them from their 1gal promix bags into my DWC buckets. They all transferred very well. But I suspected with the first outbreak that it was caused by dormant eggs that were left in the promix I was unable to wash off that got transferred into my buckets.

Is this the correct assumption?

Like I said, these came from the same clone source. Before I raise hell with them about providing me with bug infested clones, I want to be fairly certain this is the cause.

I’ve only done hydro so I don’t know that much about soil, etc. Is store bought promix prone to this problem? Does it typically need to be sterlized before use? I have no frickin clue where they get their promix or whatever, but it appears to be contaminated or not properly sterilized. I have some of my own clones I was thinking about sticking in some promix or coco cups after pulling em from the cloner, but this bug crap makes me think twice.

 

[Jack og]

The source is also of great concern to me. Both of the infested plants (along with 10 others) were from the same source. They were originally grown in promix. I transplanted them from their 1gal promix bags into my DWC buckets. They all transferred very well. But I suspected with the first outbreak that it was caused by dormant eggs that were left in the promix I was unable to wash off that got transferred into my buckets.

Is this the correct assumption?

Like I said, these came from the same clone source. Before I raise hell with them about providing me with bug infested clones, I want to be fairly certain this is the cause.

I’ve only done hydro so I don’t know that much about soil, etc. Is store bought promix prone to this problem? Does it typically need to be sterlized before use? I have no frickin clue where they get their promix or whatever, but it appears to be contaminated or not properly sterilized. I have some of my own clones I was thinking about sticking in some promix or coco cups after pulling em from the cloner, but this bug crap makes me think twice.

It very wellcould have come from the original soils.

 

[Greengrower8]

Where else could they have come from? There is snow on the ground here, so I doubt they’re coming in from outside.

 

[Dbear180]

I found ants colonized in a root ball in my basement a few weeks ago & couldnt figure out where they came from. Turns out the gas pipes thru the wall have just enough room for them to come inside. I think the root aphids did the same thing. As I filled the holes with spray foam the other day ants & dirt flew back in my face lol.

 

[chemistry]

Roll your rez round and send the bugs a Sonami, hopefully they will drown.