Help - Are These Bugs Dangerous ?

[Reefer Franklin]

I was checking the nutes at the bottom of one of my 2 gallon buckets in my ebb and grow and found about a dozen of these slowly moving across the water. They are about 1mm long. Anyone know what they are and if they are a danger to the plants. I'm growing in coco fiber over hydroton.

Thanks for any info.

The Reef

 

[Chris1]

Doesn't look like a good bug

 

[paulycali]

Looks like a cockroach maybe termite

 

[Reefer Franklin]

It's tiny - less than 1mm. The picture was taken through a 30x microscope. I'm concerned that it's a Fungus Gnat, but there's no stage of Fungus Gnat growth that looks like this.

I'm cleaning out the system anyway.

The Reef

 

[-hydrofarmer-]

Aren't all bugs bad?

 

[joeca1i]

Could be some sort of larvae,munchin on the roots for breakfast,lunch,and dinner.

 

[Reefer Franklin]

Aren't all bugs bad?

No some are predator bugs which are beneficial because they prey on the nasty ones that ARE eating your plant roots.

The Reef

 

[-hydrofarmer-]

oh what kinds would those? Be do u know?

 

[Kcar]

It's a Springtail. Mostly Harmless.

 

[Genius Genetics]

It's a Springtail. Mostly Harmless.

thats what i thought, Springtail's but i think its abit small to be a Springtail. i could be wrong.


Peace
GeniusG:)

 

[Reefer Franklin]

Thank you Genius,

That's very comforting. I already ran a mild solution of Ed Rosenthal's Herbal Zero Tolerance through the system. Hopefully it will get rid of them even though they are no real pest.

The Reef

 

[Reefer Franklin]

oh what kinds would those? Be do u know?

Here are some of the most common:

Aphidius Matricariae eats Aphids.
Atheta Coriaria and Hypoaspis Miles eat Fungus Gnats.
Amblyseius Fallacis and Phytoseiulus Persimilis eat Mites, including Spider Mites.
Amblyseius Cucumeris and Atheta Coriaria eat Thrips.
Encarsia Formosa eats White Flies.

The reason they have Latin names is because the Roman Empire didn't fuck around when it came to killing.

The Reef

 

[Reefer Franklin]

It's a Springtail. Mostly Harmless.

Thanks Kcar, I thanked the wrong guy. I'm pretty sure it is a Springtail after looking up the description. I wanted to be sure that it was not something that would devastate my crop.

The Reef

 

[Rootbound]

Blind springtail

Google blind springtail for pics. They are pretty harmless unless there numbers a very large. They feed on dead roots and decomposing stuff. I had them in coco a couple of times. When I would water they come to the surface and immediately burrow back in to the media as the water receeds. Itty Bitty buggers. I am pretty sure fungus gnat larvae have a black dot one one end of them and are bigger. RB

 

[Sci-fi]

It's a Springtail. Mostly Harmless.

yup