Plants drooping and losing color, thousands of tiny bugs in the soil about a half mm in total length. I have not found any adults or larva on the leaves or stalks. I have already fought with thrips and found a solution [peppermint oil soap, tea tree oil soap, alcohol, peroxide, water (let me know if you want the formula)] and I have already fought fungus gnats and found a solution [BTI]. Neither solution is working on these critters. They crawl very fast and they can hop, maybe fly. I haven't seen any fly away while stirring the soil, but they may be too small to see, I just see some of them crawling very fast and/or just disappear instantly. Sorry the photos are not high quality as they didn't want to stop and pose for the photos. They actually look sort of white crawling around in dark soil, but they look black on a white paper plate. Can anyone identify these critters and offer a solution?
Tiny critters in soil, plants drooping and losing color
- Thread starter jimiding
- Start date
Looks like rove beetles to me but just to be safe I’m gonna shout out to @Nunyabiz and @seaofgreen18
rove beetles are beneficial insects…as far as I know they are predators that don’t attack the plant. About the only spray recommended for flower cycle would be Safers Soap.
handy reference tool for critters complete with mug shots can be found over at bugguide.net
but just to be safe lets get a few more replies
as far as color goes… it’s late stage flower cycle so yes the plant will strip the nutrients that are stored in the fan leaves. Don’t pluck or snip the faded fan leaves either, just let them drop naturally.
really nice garden!!!
rove beetles are beneficial insects…as far as I know they are predators that don’t attack the plant. About the only spray recommended for flower cycle would be Safers Soap.
handy reference tool for critters complete with mug shots can be found over at bugguide.net
but just to be safe lets get a few more replies
as far as color goes… it’s late stage flower cycle so yes the plant will strip the nutrients that are stored in the fan leaves. Don’t pluck or snip the faded fan leaves either, just let them drop naturally.
really nice garden!!!
Nunyabiz
Well-Known Member
Bit hard to tell in those pics.
If its a rove beetle you will see them curl their tail up almost like a scorpion.
And if you see one flying which isn't often unless you have a crapton of them then it will fly really slow like you can just pluck it out of the air.
If it is rove beetles then you're in luck they're great to have in your soil to keep fungus gnats and really all soil borne pest under control.
The only time they phuck with a plant is when it's just sprouted and just two fat cotyledons, they will chomp on that cotyledon like candy.
But as soon as the plant gets its first two regular leaves they won't touch it.
It would be unusual though for rove beetles to stay is such small pots without any mulch
If its a rove beetle you will see them curl their tail up almost like a scorpion.
And if you see one flying which isn't often unless you have a crapton of them then it will fly really slow like you can just pluck it out of the air.
If it is rove beetles then you're in luck they're great to have in your soil to keep fungus gnats and really all soil borne pest under control.
The only time they phuck with a plant is when it's just sprouted and just two fat cotyledons, they will chomp on that cotyledon like candy.
But as soon as the plant gets its first two regular leaves they won't touch it.
It would be unusual though for rove beetles to stay is such small pots without any mulch
Sounds like they might be springtails. Most are harmless to plants. Bugspray.com has a good article on them.
Nunyabiz
Well-Known Member
Thats possible.
If its springtails you should see a lot of them and most will usually be in the soil not as many on top and at first will be white and you will see them popping around like popcorn
If its springtails you should see a lot of them and most will usually be in the soil not as many on top and at first will be white and you will see them popping around like popcorn
seaofgreen18
Well-Known Member
seaofgreen18
Well-Known Member
Rove Beetle
Please note we cannot ship live insects to PO Box addresses. All orders placed to a PO Box instead of a physical address will be delayed until an address is provided. Rove Beetle (Dalotia coriaria) Dalotia coriaria is a fast-moving, soil dwelling rove beetle. It is a generalist predator that...
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seaofgreen18
Well-Known Member
seaofgreen18
Well-Known Member
Ive never had problem with rove beetles messing with my plants I keep them in my worm bin at 500 at a time and if i do buy them. Otherwise they just breed and transfer from my bin to Containers if you for sure identify the pic as rove beetles DONT KILL them!! I hadn't had a problem with fungus gnats since ive been using them Thrips either in my inside garden or even outside garden in the summer
they are one oymy best tools to combat pests
seaofgreen18
Well-Known Member
@Nunyabiz i actually seen a rove beetle nabbing an adult fungus gnat out of the air in my grow room, like you say it had ahold of that little booger like a scorpion, tail all curled and the hind legs had ahold of the fungus gnat, it was right after I inoculated my bed with them .
That was 4 years ago I've been using them ever since , along with hypsis miles mites also a beneficial.
Haven't had a fungus gnat or thrip problem since. They will eat adults but they are more of a larvae predator
That was 4 years ago I've been using them ever since , along with hypsis miles mites also a beneficial.
Haven't had a fungus gnat or thrip problem since. They will eat adults but they are more of a larvae predator
seaofgreen18
Well-Known Member
This is a Black soldier fly also beneficial they like compost and decaying material like the rove bettles and have no mouths
seaofgreen18
Well-Known Member
I raise them fir frass and chicken treats and This is a rove beetleThis is a Black soldier fly also beneficial they like compost and decaying material like the rove bettles and have no mouths
ThirdUncle
Well-Known Member
Thanks for all the info guys , i've learnt heaps 
going by the last photo it looks like a rove beetle @seaofgreen18
going by the last photo it looks like a rove beetle @seaofgreen18
Sueet
Well-Known Member
There is no way they are rove beetles at one half of one mm long.
(my best guess is springtails)
(my best guess is springtails)
seaofgreen18
Well-Known Member
Rove Beetle (Dalotia coriaria)
Dalotia coriaria is a fast-moving, soil dwelling rove beetle. It is a generalist predator that feeds on a wide range of small insects and mites but is primarily an egg predator.
The Rove Beetle is used in the control of fungus gnats, thrips pupae, moth fly larvae, shore flies, root mealybugs, springtails and other small arthropods.
The supplied adults can fly and find hard-to-reach locations in greenhouses where pests may lurk. The larvae are predaceous and resemble the adults. They thrive in damp conditions and are ideally introduced early during propagation cycles in greenhouses. Can be combined with BioStratiolaelaps to help prevent root aphids
While they are beetles, they do not quite look like beetles. They are light to dark brown in color, with adults being 3-4 mm long. BioAtheta curve their abdomen upwards (like scorpions) and can run or fly when disturbed . Since they can actively fly, they rapidly colonize the release area.
Each adult rove beetle consumes 10-20 prey per day. In greenhouse conditions, adults are non-diapausing and can be used year round especially in propagation conditions.
Copied and pasted
Dalotia coriaria is a fast-moving, soil dwelling rove beetle. It is a generalist predator that feeds on a wide range of small insects and mites but is primarily an egg predator.
The Rove Beetle is used in the control of fungus gnats, thrips pupae, moth fly larvae, shore flies, root mealybugs, springtails and other small arthropods.
The supplied adults can fly and find hard-to-reach locations in greenhouses where pests may lurk. The larvae are predaceous and resemble the adults. They thrive in damp conditions and are ideally introduced early during propagation cycles in greenhouses. Can be combined with BioStratiolaelaps to help prevent root aphids
While they are beetles, they do not quite look like beetles. They are light to dark brown in color, with adults being 3-4 mm long. BioAtheta curve their abdomen upwards (like scorpions) and can run or fly when disturbed . Since they can actively fly, they rapidly colonize the release area.
Each adult rove beetle consumes 10-20 prey per day. In greenhouse conditions, adults are non-diapausing and can be used year round especially in propagation conditions.
Copied and pasted
seaofgreen18
Well-Known Member
So if the larvae look like adults they could very well be 1 mm long sufficed to say
Sueet
Well-Known Member
They do Not look like adults, in fact the larvae are even larger than the adult beetles.
seaofgreen18
Well-Known Member
Ok im not going to argue I'm not here for that have a good day
Sueet
Well-Known Member
I am now certain that they are in fact springtails... aka snow fleas according to the Farmer's Almanac . Springtails are good for your soil and for your plant. I think the issue with your plant may simply be that it needs more food than you are giving it. That is a LARGE plant for a small pot.
ThirdUncle
Well-Known Member
those rove beetles sound very useful ,cool 