Are these Springtails? Or...?

[sour.b]

Hello AFN,

I was watering last night and I see a swarm of these little white larvae looking things as I look inside my AutoX pot on the final flush week.

So this morning I took a lil sample and took a few snaps, and then search around to see what I had my hands on... Not much about springtail here on AFN so I thought it would be worth opening a thread for it!:smoke:

it looked like Sprintail, which are said to be eating fungus and dead root matter; and are supposed to be beneficial...
It must be millions of them in my 15L pot and after a quick inspection of the soil top layer of the Red Poison next to the X, they expended already not as much but they are there. Meaning adults are flying around..

I bought some Diatomaceous Earth which should be here soon (I had thrips a couple month ago this is more of a prevention then anything else).



My pic

Springtail image from Google

Are they safe?



Edit: forgot to put a link to some info about springtail > http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/insects/find/springtails/

 

[illbethere]

Well I guess if you are in your final flush week they must've been there for a while. (especially if you say there's lots of them)
Meaning they shouldn't be harmfull and probably are sprintails?

But, that's my best guess.

 

[Muddy]

Fungus gnat larvae would be more likely, especially if you've been seeing them flying around your grow area. Next grow, hang some sticky fly paper. That will catch the adults. Fungus gnats lay eggs in the top layer of the soil. A layer of diatomaceous earth or sand on top of your soil will stop them from laying. I get them sometimes and like to let my seedlings stretch a little and/or open up the bottom of my plants for better air circulation. They only lay in damp/wet soil so if the top layer dries out quickly they won't lay their eggs or if they do, the eggs won't hatch in the dry top layer.

 

[sour.b]

Fungus gnat larvae would be more likely, especially if you've been seeing them flying around your grow area. Next grow, hang some sticky fly paper. That will catch the adults. Fungus gnats lay eggs in the top layer of the soil. A layer of diatomaceous earth or sand on top of your soil will stop them from laying. I get them sometimes and like to let my seedlings stretch a little and/or open up the bottom of my plants for better air circulation. They only lay in damp/wet soil so if the top layer dries out quickly they won't lay their eggs or if they do, the eggs won't hatch in the dry top layer.

Hi Muddy,
This has been the question I was asking myself for the past couple of days, and I keep on debating...
I grow in airpot, and found a fair few in my saucer in the mini run off..
I am not sure if they are flying or just jumping the fan being next to the plant i cant be sure, the yellow sticky tape should solve my interior debate on this..
I ordered the DE a few days ago already, would you reckon I can use it with airpots, or would 1,5cm of perlite on top do the sand trick?
Thanks for taking the time Muddy.

 

[Waira]

SourB- ... can't say for sure from the pics, but springtails, adults and larvae, are serious jumpers! ..poke at one, and if it jumps, you know the answer,... they are not threat to the plants, and DE will work to cut the population down,.... of course a better close up would be helpful, but that's a camera dependent thing,... now, if those white things look like maggots (no legs), then they're larval fungus gnats like Muddy said,... DE will help there too, but a biological weapon that's safe and zero impact on your harvest are mosquito dunks, or any other source of the specific bacteria that's in them...(some liquid suspensions are out there)...they get ingested and mess up their guts! Dunks are readily available at any garden store with pond supplies,...Bonide brand makes a granular for, vs, the pucks, that's much more convenient to deal with....

 

[Wienerwoods]

I had the exact same bugs in my previous grow.

Springtails and oribatid mites (the red guy) was my conclusion. The mites eat springtails and process rotting matter whereas springtails just do the latter. No harm unless you're annoyed by the numbers.

Good call on the DE, though. Good stuff for the plants.

 

[fweedom]

Those look similar to the springtails i get and i get alot, like waira said just put ur finger by one and if it jumps away its probably a springtail.

If u can catch one on a sticky trap and look at in under a scope like you would your trichomes you can actually see the small thing on the end of them that they use to jump thats how i finally identified mine after thinking they were thrips and larvae for awhile.


heres an adult one a caught u can see the springtail. the baby ones i get are white and look like what u posted hope this helps

 

[sour.b]

SourB- ... can't say for sure from the pics, but springtails, adults and larvae, are serious jumpers! ..poke at one, and if it jumps, you know the answer,... they are not threat to the plants, and DE will work to cut the population down,.... of course a better close up would be helpful, but that's a camera dependent thing,... now, if those white things look like maggots (no legs), then they're larval fungus gnats like Muddy said,... DE will help there too, but a biological weapon that's safe and zero impact on your harvest are mosquito dunks, or any other source of the specific bacteria that's in them...(some liquid suspensions are out there)...they get ingested and mess up their guts! Dunks are readily available at any garden store with pond supplies,...Bonide brand makes a granular for, vs, the pucks, that's much more convenient to deal with....

Hi Waira, Thanks for the response I will have a look tomorrow when I last water the X before the chopTaNg's Thangand try and get better shots of the buggers, sticky traps will be in place also.. Are dunks safe in organic growing?

I had the exact same bugs in my previous grow.

Springtails and oribatid mites (the red guy) was my conclusion. The mites eat springtails and process rotting matter whereas springtails just do the latter. No harm unless you're annoyed by the numbers.

Good call on the DE, though. Good stuff for the plants.

Hey WW, I got the DE from you mate a few days ago! No mites so far..*fingers crossed

Those look similar to the springtails i get and i get alot, like waira said just put ur finger by one and if it jumps away its probably a springtail.

If u can catch one on a sticky trap and look at in under a scope like you would your trichomes you can actually see the small thing on the end of them that they use to jump thats how i finally identified mine after thinking they were thrips and larvae for awhile.


heres an adult one a caught u can see the springtail. the baby ones i get are white and look like what u posted hope this helps

Hey, Fweedom, thanks for the input man much appreciated. I looked at a thread similar where you posted this pic last year, hence my interior debate... I will try and get a good shot with my trichs magnifier tomoz.
It sure does look like the same tho.. Coming up when i water very fast, swarming..

Much appreciated help guys..

 

[sour.b]

Hi all, a quick follow up with an extra picture, which aint great but is the best I can do...

Sticky trap hanged, waiting on the DE. I left the pot to dry out a bit more which has significantly reduced their number..