Friend or foe... Please identify critters lurking

[Frankster]

Don't know exactly how clear they are are, so I posted up several pics, fast little bastards.

 

[Frankster]

Pic's for what their worth. It's quite possible these are vestiges of the beneficials that I brought in last year, and they've just become well established. Was difficult for me to see them actually, but I had the fan off, and I was peeling shells off the seedlings and seen them.

Could they be a root aphid of some type? But aren't aphids slow as shit? I don't think its them, but they look similar.

 

[Goodthingsgrow]

Are they just white?
No markings?
How many legs?

 

[chemistry]

Look a bit Weevil like in the way the scurry around, I'll bet the have big fat root eating grubs that only come out to breed.

 

[Frankster]

Look a bit Weevil like in the way the scurry around, I'll bet the have big fat root eating grubs that only come out to breed.

Didn't someone have a problem with something like this awhile back, was it memed? maybe??? I would like to find out and compare the old photos, that's my main concern chemistry, the roots, what's going on down below. It's obvious they have no interest in the part of the plant above ground, but below it might be different.

The plants are no dying, but I've had some mysterious problems with nutrient uptake, and these could be at the root of the problem.

 

[lvstealth]

are they some soil mite? do they have 6 legs? will diatomaceous earth work to rid you of them? are they even bad?

 

[Frankster]

are they some soil mite? do they have 6 legs? will diatomaceous earth work to rid you of them? are they even bad?

Not a soil mite, no. There a root aphid, no doubt. I just deconstructed the roots off the little zkittles that got put up to dry, there in there also, so confident there everywhere at this point.

I've got the 5 plants mid grow (that are also suffering the same fate) right now, so stay tuned, and I'm going to try and prove a theory with this problem. That my colloidal micelles solution will solve a problem such as this, once it's identified. It killed the mite problem dead, and prevent mold, now I'm going to prove it works under the soil as well. It might be a little harder, since they can hide better down there, but I'm going to turn this one around.

Them little fucker are getting mass murdered in a few hours.

 

[Frankster]

These little bastards destroy the root lattice structure, I can see it plain as day. The normal little lattice network work that I so meticulously try and build up in the root zones is absent, as it's being probably eaten or destroyed somehow. It's been showing itself as a nutrient deficiency up until now, until I got to digging around with a looking glass.

My eyes are pretty terrible, so I think these sorts of things get past me, whereas some others might pick up on them a bit faster, before a full fledged infestation such as this.

 

[MIMedGrower]

Hard to see clearly for my poor eyes as well @Frankster but they move and look like springtails more than root aphids.

do they cone out in the runoff and kind of jump like fleas?

 

[Frankster]

Hard to see clearly for my poor eyes as well @Frankster but they move and look like springtails more than root aphids.

do they cone out in the runoff and kind of jump like fleas?

Actually, I solved the problem, not exactly the route I wanted to take, but it is done. I'll get rid of the soil tonight.

I don't have time for this bullshit, it's spring, and I have shit to do besides fight an infestation that's probably unwinnable, and going to serve as a vector for the rest of the shit that gets planted this year. The seedlings, the plants, everything is being culled, starting now. Everything goes out the door, EVERYTHING!

I did the hard part, and cut the 6 bigger pants that were mid grow, the 50 or so starts are only another week or two behind, so I can live with it. I can't live with a bunch of sap sucking godamn root suckers that I can't see, or kill under the root line, it's an impossible task, now that their established, but now I see some of the tell tale signs, and will watch for them in the future.

It's the first time I've had this one, and hopefully will be the last.

 

[MIMedGrower]

Actually, I solved the problem, not exactly the route I wanted to take, but it is done. I'll get rid of the soil tonight.

I don't have time for this bullshit, it's spring, and I have shit to do besides fight an infestation that's probably unwinnable, and going to serve as a vector for the rest of the shit that gets planted this year. The seedlings, the plants, everything is being culled, starting now. Everything goes out the door, EVERYTHING!

I did the hard part, and cut the 6 bigger pants that were mid grow, the 50 or so starts are only another week or two behind, so I can live with it. I can't live with a bunch of sap sucking godamn root suckers that I can't see, or kill under the root line, it's an impossible task, now that their established, but now I see some of the tell tale signs, and will watch for them in the future.

It's the first time I've had this one, and hopefully will be the last.

If its springtails they are harmless.

 

[Frankster]

If its springtails they are harmless.

I've had problems all along, I'll start a seed, it will be prolific for about 2 weeks starting out, then get sick. All the other plants have been having this "mysterious" nutrient deficiency that I can get straightened out for awhile, then it returns. On some of the cloth pots, there's a white substance that's bleeding though random spots, so all the warning signs of root aphids, I'm 99% sure that's what I'm dealing with here.

The bugs are in every single pot within the house. To be sure, there not coming up on the plant, at least not in any numbers, but staying down in the soil, crawling up on top and down below in the root zones.

I don't think these things will even kill the plant, at least not when the plants are being kept healthy, but they are surely stunting the growth significantly.

 

[Frankster]

Like these, all planted at the same time, but some are healthy for awhile, but others are getting sick, all within the same pot. It's got to be a problem occurring at the root zones, I'm sure of it.

 

[Frankster]

All these new ones look for the most part, fine, but I can already tell that they are starting to turn bad. Some of the little baby leaves are showing little signs already. At least on a few of them.

Usually, I would chalk it up to numbers, and that some are going to be laggards, but it's something more, in this case, I think. They are already trying to eat at my roots. The signs is they just start looking sickly, and nutrient deficient, but that's certainly not the case.

 

[MIMedGrower]

The white discharge is a root aphid thing. Do you have flyers? Look almost like fungus gnats.

 

[Frankster]

The white discharge is a root aphid thing. Do you have flyers? Look almost like fungus gnats.

That's the thing, I never got any fliers that I could identify, but from the reading I've done, it's might be more temp dependent, (cool temps was holding them down?) and early spring, you might not see them. Maybe their not getting to that stage, or I'm not seeing them, I certainly remember seeing one or two over the past few months (since last fall), but not more than say 1 flier, and I've never seen them in consecutive days or anything that would make me think I had an issue, but looking back maybe one or two.

I have seen a few in my red worm compost bin, and dismissed them as fruit flies, because i have pumpkin and banana rotting in there. I now know they are in there too, along with my worms, and many different organisms.

I really respect you opinion on this matter, and were both in such similar environments. But those starts are only maybe 7-10 days along, so I think starting over would be prudent, and making sure I don't have anything starting off, what's your thoughts... Do you think I over reacted?

I've really been fed up since the take down I had to do awhile back. Just getting sick of soil in general, for now anyhow, it's too much work in this small space, up stairs to boot. Then having this come and bit me right behind it, mid grow, it's like I'm being tested or something. But I certainly want to start the spring out on a good note, and not have any problems I could have dealt with early come back to bit me later in the season, or have to contend with an infestation early on..

 

[MIMedGrower]

I cant argue. Once i was sure i harvested or got rid of every plant. Cleaned and left rooms empty a month. The treated next crop with imid and botanigard.

 

[Goodthingsgrow]

I believe root aphids have two like tailpipes out the rear.
I don’t believe they’re springtails.
They’re definitely not fungus gnats.
That narrows it down some.
They’re fast moving so I would lean more towards a predatory mite of sorts.

 

[Frankster]

I believe root aphids have two like tailpipes out the rear.
I don’t believe they’re springtails.
They’re definitely not fungus gnats.
That narrows it down some.
They’re fast moving so I would lean more towards a predatory mite of sorts.

That's what I was thinking at first, actually.

TBH, by the looks of it, I have lots of beneficial mites on the top of my soil, but there are signs of root aphids on some of the sides of the containers, and I'm getting all the telltale signs and symptoms. So there's probably a bunch of bugs down there actually, a lot of good ones, no doubt, but some bad also.

I've got some more detailed camera stuff, if I can find the cord.

 

[MIMedGrower]

I would say they look like root aphids. I didnt realize how close up the vid was until i saw the seedling tray. Those bugs are tiny. .5 mm i bet. Round butt 6 legs. White discharge at the roots. Mystery deficiencies. Doesnt kill the plant.

I would treat with botanigard (or even h2o2 to start). They will run from the drench. It will be easy to identify. They will crawl out the sides.