Root Aphids, Fungus Gnats, and other fun bugs (ID PICS)

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Dank.in.Donuts

Dank.in.Donuts

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can someone tell me
whats going on here. I had this problem with dying buds for a while ans they were little ones now its a whole branch
29BFF232 EFA3 440C B76E 84E33A64E1E8
 
DavidMykel

DavidMykel

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Any dirt bound bug you just take 1 full bottle of peroxyde and 1 full bottle of alcohol i mixed mine in a 4 liter container and watered 1 day and about 5 or 6 days later water again, branch and leaf is the same mixture in a spray bottle, but you want the alcohol level of the spray at 5%, so do the math, itll get them drunk enough to die if they dont they dry out (no peroxyde in spray)
 
Dingus13

Dingus13

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1
Very very good images! Props for sharing we. Thank you and respect.

I recently started finding clouds of some larvae floating on top of the water in some of my soil pots and I cannot tell if its a repopulation of thrips, or if its the springtails. When I water the effected plants I see tiny white bodies float motionless to the top of the puddle, and as the water gets absorbed I see them start to dance just as the water drains fully into the soil. They then crawl away with the quickness. Anybody know how I can differentiate between the the thrips and springs? Do thrips nymphs move the way I'm trying to describe? Here's a pic of thrips nymph for comparison.

View attachment 301541

A bit off topic but is spinosad effective against thrips nymphs/larvae?
I used Seamaidens alcohol/water 1;1 solution on my Durban Kush I was sure was a goner and she has come back amazing with no signs of any pests and I had an alphabet going on. Just sayin
 
KeytheCaregiver

KeytheCaregiver

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Just found out we have root aphid infestation! Any tips on exterminating?
 
Mechman60

Mechman60

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Hey everybody! Hope this helps ID problems with some common garden pests and critters.

Root Aphids (Aphidoidea)

"Root Aphid" is a broad term describing an unknown number of species of aphids that can attack crop roots. They are most commonly seen outdoors, where they feed on leaves of plants and overwinter either as a dormant egg or as a colony feeding on stored sugars/starches in plant roots. Indoors they are common pests due to the concentration of sugars, amino acids, and nutrients in the roots. Aphid eggs are sought after by some species of ants, who will nurture a colony of aphids to feed on their sugar and nutrient rich excrement. A common misunderstanding is the referencing of Root Aphids to phylloxera, which is another family of insects that is very similar to aphids but lacks the telltale "tailpipes" and "honeydew" discharge that distinguishes aphids.

here are some pictures of root aphids in their winged or "flier" form

View attachment 301449View attachment 301452
you can see by these images that the winged aphid holds it's wings parallel and vertical, at the sides of it's body. It's head is similar sized to the rest of the body, and it's abdomen is either green, yellow, brown/red, or black depending on diet. It's legs are also all of a similar size (male aphids can have quite long legs, however). Immature aphids can also be seen in the bottom picture.

"crawler" form:

View attachment 301448
Notice the "tailpipes" (cornicles) on the abdomen of the aphid. These protect it when it feels threatened by producing a hard, waxlike substance that coats the aphid's exterior. This aphid was unique in that it displayed many of the common colors of root aphids. Depending on what they feed on and their maturity aphids can be any shade of either yellow, green, or red, and occasionally black/brown.

an example of aphid colonization/infestation

View attachment 301447

View attachment 301446





Fungus Gnats (Mycetophiloidea)

Fungus gnats are generally obnoxious because they get stuck in flowers in large numbers. Since their larva eat decaying matter, a growing population of fungus gnats generally indicates either over-watered plants/over saturated media, or an unhealthy root mass. Females will travel from pot to pot looking for optimum conditions to lay eggs. Females lay eggs in the top 2-3 inches of soil and can lay up to 200 in her 10 day life. Both the eggs and the larvae are very cold resistant, but cannot survive without a moist environment. It is recommended to let the top 2-3 inches of soil dry out between waterings in most media to avoid fungus gnats, especially late in flower.

Fungus Gnat flier:

View attachment 301450

View attachment 301451
You can see that fungus gnats have three definitive body segments, very long legs, and wings that overlap and fold flat over it's abdomen. They are generally much larger than winged root aphids.

Fungus Gnat larvae

View attachment 301453View attachment 301454 The brown inside this guy is whatever he's been eating...probably roots as this picture was taken very late in flush. Normally they are clear like the section directly before his head. You can see his black head as well as his body segments, very similar to a caterpillar or inchworm.


And last but not least, a beneficial insect, the springtail

View attachment 301444

these guys resemble thrips, but are very small, clear, and can dart away quite quickly. Usually found in the runoff of pots after watering, having a springtail population isn't something to worry about. It is a sign that the soil biosphere (the rhizosphere) is balanced and in check. Springtails are known to eat spores and mycelia of pathogenic fungi that can cause damping off, as well as carry mycorhizzal fungi to root hosts, and control other forms of microlife that become imbalanced or disrupt the rhizosphere. Springtails are estimated to have some of the highest populations of any animals on earth, and play an important role in soil conditioning.
View attachment 301445
Springtails are nice to eachother, they know what's up. They're you're friends, too!


That's all for now folks, thanks for lookin!
I had several bug issues in the past. Amazing results by adding diatomaceous earth to my soil mix. The only bugs now are very temporary, a day or so as I move my plants outside during the day. I use about 10%.
 
Gmix

Gmix

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De is good stuff just don’t get it on your skin as it makes you itch & defo don’t swallow it ( tiny Particles )
 
Mechman60

Mechman60

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De is good stuff just don’t get it on your skin as it makes you itch & defo don’t swallow it ( tiny Particles )
Good point. Tottaly, and wear a mask while mixing it in. After it's watered in it's not a problem.
 
F

farmernoob

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3
Hey, my outdoor plant has spots on the leaves which initially I thought was from splash damage (first time grower). I got a sticky trap and I see white winged insects and black insects that look like mosquitos to me. A couple of unlucky flies indicate the size of these insects. Any ideas what these are?

I bought some neem oil but after reading online it seems it's not a good idea to use it this late as it might alter the taste of the buds. Aside from the yellow traps I'm spraying the plant with Biobizz leafcoat which supposedly should help.
 
Sticky
Damage
F

farmernoob

3
3
Hey, my outdoor plant has spots on the leaves which initially I thought was from splash damage (first time grower). I got a sticky trap and I see white winged insects and black insects that look like mosquitos to me. A couple of unlucky flies indicate the size of these insects. Any ideas what these are?

I bought some neem oil but after reading online it seems it's not a good idea to use it this late as it might alter the taste of the buds. Aside from the yellow traps I'm spraying the plant with Biobizz leafcoat which supposedly should help.
Seems there's a problem with image uploading in the forum.

Here are the images in the original resolution:
Damage: https://ibb.co/Qk8VcMx
Yellow trap: https://ibb.co/zr10HFP
 
jdog22

jdog22

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here in aus we get alot of bugs haha my simple solotion to this is neem oil. wont hurt your plants and sorts out all of those bugs that could had made you a photographer, insainely good pictures man :)

happy growing
 
Scolymia7

Scolymia7

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63
I noticed this little feller when watering today(best picture I can get). My plant seems perfectly fine. Its actually my biggest/healthiest plant Ive ever grown, I use air pots and have never had a root mass stretch a pot out, so id say roots are healthy. I have spring tails, and leave them be. Again no signs of harm/stress to my plant. I ask because I have a small tank set up when almost done flowering to save some of the spring tails for the next grow and want to make sure if this little feller is in the mix no harm will come(I like the benifitial bugs lol).

Coco
78f/50-55h
Lucas formula
Hlg 600rspec
Week 4 of flower
 
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