Tiny white bugs in soil? How to get rid of soil mites
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- Опубликовано: 21 июл 2024
- Here's why you might have tiny white bugs in your soil (soil mites) and how to get rid of them.
Remember, if using Diatomaceous Earth, it works when dry and you may have to repeat applications.
0:00 Intro
0:18 What are soil mites?
0:47 When do you see soil mites?
1:04 What do soil mites feed on in my soil?
2:07 Soil mite summary
2:25 Are soil mites harmful?
3:25 How to get rid of soil mites
5:31 My process
#soilmites #houseplants #plantpests
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If you see tiny clear balls on your plants, watch this: ruclips.net/video/1eZteGkRSRU/видео.html
OMG THIS! I've been scouring the internet trying to figure out what on earth (no pun intended) was crawling all over my plants-leaves, soil, pots, saucers, and surrounding areas-but especially on terracotta! No amount of pesticide, soap, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, mosquito dunks, or neem oil has kept them from resurfacing. DE works okay but it's hard to keep dry and of course stops working when it's wet. These mites are probably harmless, but because they're literally just EVERYWHERE, I will be repotting most of my plants and letting them dry out more. Thank you so much for this super helpful video! I feel so much relief you have no idea the stress this has caused me😵💫
Awesome information 🤓! I appreciate how you got to the root of the problem. Thanks for sharing.
Awesome video. Truly the best when it comes to this topic. You are just like me. If I see a pest, I mean business. I'm ready to get the flamethrower out! Lol. And you are very right, often times we over love our plants by over-watering. Which in turn causes so many issues like mold, fungus, pests, ect. Less is more.... especially with succulents and cacti. Best of luck in the future! Your plants look great!
Lol yes! I play no games when it comes to pests, beneficial or not, they have to go! Thank you!
Thank you so much, this is the best video I've found to help with my soil mite problem. I've got orchid bark / moss in most of my pots, so will start just using perlite and coir in future / when repotting
Glad this helped! I've been mite free since the switch and wish the same for you!
I have this in so many plants especially the ones with terracotta. I want to throw those pots away honestly
I have orchid bark in my mix as well.. I'll repot them with soil and perlite/ pumice in the summer.
Is there a specific insecticide i can use in the mean time? Neem oil isn't doing anything yet
Thank you for making this video, super helpful.
Wow! What a job i definitely feel your pain, in this process ❤. Great information, well spoken, too❤
Thank you so much!
Wow, thank you for this wonderful detailed information. I just found some today as soon as I watered the plant. Initially I was scared, as I didn't know what they were. But thanks to your video. These are exactly like the ones that you encountered. I just saw them in one pot, so for now I kept it outdoors.
You're welcome. I'm glad it helped. Thank you for watching.
I found a couple in my fluval stratum that im using for alocasia corms, what should i do??
Such great advice, thank you! I’m so sad, I have a large pot in my backyard that had another plant that didn’t survive winter, I had kinda been adding leftover soil that included some mulch. I threw some flower seeds in just to see if they would grow and they are budding! But I moved the soil and saw the mites. I know if I move them they won’t survive they are too small :/ thank you for all the great information!
Glad it helped!
Thank you from UK for this clear video. I use vinegar in the water never bleach. (soak the pot overnight then scrub) because the acid eats through and neutralises the alkaline mold. We have at our garden a woodlice in pots problem (mealybugs in USA) Apparently woodlice are only there because they eat rotting matter which is caused by the little white mites. Too much nitrogen rich fertiliser (Miracle-Gro) causes rot and then the mites come in followed by the mealybugs. Bleach always encourages mold to grow because it is a very strong alkaline. Try vinegar.
Thank you. Personally, I didn't try soaking the pots in vinegar, but I did wipe them down with it. Hopefully, there won't be a next time, but if there is, I'll try that!
@@vesgardens best of luck and thanks again for the mites video.
You're welcome.
Errrrr. I hate those little suckers. On another note, your pots turned out gorgeous! I oversize pots too. Often due to future laziness, because I just want to pot once. I agree, many plants tend to thrive with tight root environment in pots. I am also cheap & want to root & separate my plants into several pots 🤭. Sometimes I don't get my desired effect!
Great video.
Shalom
Thanks! I usually like the aged look with terracotta pots, but I was also impressed by the clean look afterwards.
Exactly! When I buy plants, I like to make sure there's more than one in a pot, so I can plant them separately and put them in different spots.
Thank you for watching, Debra!
@@vesgardens Yeah. I love the aged pots myself. I've even painted some & did dirt rub on some to age them. We have a French cottage style home. They decorate very inexpensively.
If you have a lot of extras they make a super cute garden or walkway boarder.
Just wanted to let people know that not all bugs in your soil are bad. If you're running organic living soil good mites help break down the organic matter better for your plant. I worried about my plant also until I did a little research. You can always keep pests population down but it is okay and beneficial to have some pests
I agree with you, however I personally would only prefer them or leave them be if they're outside or in a terrarium. In houseplants their populations can explode in the right conditions and depending on the plant, is a sign that it's too moist and can lead to the death of the plant in the future. Bugs in soil, even beneficials, can be an indicator of a bigger problem now or in the future. Especially in houseplants if you didn't intentionally release them.
@@vesgardens actually I disagree with that because pests that are beneficial especially in organic living soil are not indicators of any bad signs for the plant or soil. Now there is bad pests of course that will ruin your plants and these bad pests tend to thrive in hot and humid conditions. some of these "good pests" actually eat and or kill the "bad pests". So if running organic living soil pests is not at all an indicator of something bad going on. If you're running pure coco/peat with perlite that shouldn't have any living organic matter and then you get pests that's a whole another story and that's does mean a bad indication of something because coco/peat is not at all L.O.S so it shouldn't have pests in it. Hope that helps a little but I just wanted to shed some light on pests and L.O.S because there's alot of misconceptions out there.
It's fine that you disagree, but from my own research and experience, good and bad, with soil mites and springtails, they can be an indicator. For example, these insects are found in high moisture conditions, that can mean various things, soil is holding too much moisture and it's not the proper mix for the plant, pot lacks drainage hole holding more moisture creating an environment to thrive in, and roots could be rotting giving them something to feed on. Root rot kills plants. They can even be found in sinks, drains, wood and walls and have been signs of other problems. As I said, beneficial insects can be indicators of other problems. This does not take away from them being beneficial. Two things can be true.
You also reiterated my point of them being indicators when you said it's another story if it's pure coco or peat and you have these insects. Coconut coir and peat moss can still have pests without organic matter. Springtails can live in coco coir as I learned from opening a brand new bag of 100% pure dried coco coir and found a bunch of springtails in it. These insects will also feed on peat moss.
While I do appreciate your thoughts, my research and personal experience with these insects proves true about my statements. Please remember two things can be true and just because you haven't experienced it doesn't make it wrong.
@@vesgardens You don’t need any of these guys in your soil realistically because most of your plants don’t need many nutrients let’s be real. A lot of them do break down all your material in your pot so your plant can feed on more stuff but if your not producing vegetables for example definitely no benefit to keeping them especially inside because it’s so hard to know what is what. You can always just use fertilizers if needed which most people will and do or repot which again most people do.
@@TheOnlyKontrol you're right. That's why I said I'd prefer/leave them be outdoors.
Thanks for the tips because I was about to water my (Bromeliad) aka white girl 🌱 lol. And I saw these little white bugs crawling around enjoying themselves. That ends this weekend lol
Lol yeah, put that to an end. Glad this helped.
Thank you!
What kind of microscope-camera did you use to film this? Holy carp, great video!
It's one of those cheap clip on macro lenses that go on your phone. Thank you for watching!
Thank you
Currently battling these suckers and am feeling like repotting may be the only way. All my soil has orchid bark 🤦🏻♀️. What are your thought on adding charcoal? I ask cause I have mostly philodendrons and like my soil super chunky.
I'm sure charcoal is fine. I've only used it when it came in the orchid bark mix I got. I read it's supposed to repel pests. It's possible, and I've been thinking about this for a while, if you want a super chunky mix, sift out some coco coir, or peat, and add more perlite/charcoal. Hopefully, it'll dry out faster and drive the bugs out. Just a thought!
I have ink lilies. They are the offspring of the original plants I bought a year and a half ago. Last year I pulled off the newly growing babies and planted them. Unfortunately the parents didn't survive because I left the pot outside and we got a lot of ran over the winter and the bulbs were completely rotten. But the babies survived!
The babies are kept on the back porch out of the direct path of rain and they get partial sun. They haven't flowered but that's because they aren't big enough. I hope that's the reason. They haven't gotten that tall.
However, the last few weeks I've noticed that the leaves have been turning yellow, and brown at the points where they break off from yellowing. Then I noticed these tiny black dots here and there on the leaves. Then that's when I saw them. These SUPER tiny, and I mean SUUUPPPEEERRR tiny, white bugs. I don't see a lot of them and they're so small the only details I can make out is their shape and color. They're like this long bodied white oval shaped type bug. But they're so tiny that you wouldn't see them unless you were actively looking.
They're only in the soil from what I've seen and the only organic material in the pots are the plants themselves, and maybe their fallen leaves. I water every 2 or 3 days or when the soil is dry.
I've seen these bugs before but I have idea what they are. They're not springtail because they don't jump. They're definitely not isopod because I know what they look like.
Since I can't figure out what they are I'll be baking the soil and then adding some mushroom soil my sister has. Right now they're in normal potting soil. The weird thing is though, they're also growing new babies and leaves but losing leaves too.
You might actually be dealing with thrips. Thrip larvae/nymphs can be white. Do you see tiny white dots all over the leaves? If so, it might be because of thrips. Thrips suck the life out of your plants. Whenever I had theips, I put some diatomaceous earth in a spray bottle and sprayed the entire plant down with it. Thrips were gone within two weeks. Look up white thrips to see if that's what you're dealing with. If so, and you have other questions, let me know.
Thank you for this video. I am not mentally prepared for what I’m about to do. Lol
Lol good luck!
Felt this is my soul 😭 they’re so creepy.
I love 💘 how you said you gave them a good spray of water and they never came back.
They were on a cardboard box I was *trying* to make compost in. After spraying I constantly monitored and didn't see them. If they were there I definitely couldn't tell. Thanks for watching!
I found these about 5 days ago on my indoor tropical plants and applied neem oil. It decreased their numbers, but had to apply it again. I'm not sure what they are, but I'm afraid of replanting them during winter in Germany. I'm going to dry to dry out the soil next before repotting, just because of the weather. I'm tired of the mixed reviews as to what these are and whether they're beneficial, so thank you for letting me know that I'm not the only one.
You're welcome. I guess to sum it up: these are soil mites. They aren't harmful. They help break down organic matter. Some people like them in their terrariums and things like that. Others, like me, find them to be annoying. I personally don't care to mess with them if I find them around plants outside, but if I find them inside I'd want to get rid of them.
@Stay Kind I accidentally deleted the comment thread, thinking the initial comment was a duplicate after seeing it in the Held For Review section! 😩 unfortunately, I cant recover it, but briefly saw you replied as it was being deleted.
If you see this, I hope your tree is doing well now!
Anyone know the scientific name of these small white mites?
I have so many of these slow moving mites that hangout on the sides and bottom of my pots, some in the soil. But today I discovered a slightly bigger mite that moves much faster also much smaller ones that move fast aswell
It's possible you may be dealing with springtails as well if any of them are jumping. Your potting mix is holding a lot of moisture. Take a pencil or something and scrape the top inch or two of soil, and poke holes, to help the mix dry out.
@@vesgardens how do you avoid the white mold on terracotta pots? I scrub it off with a sponge and plain water always comes back
I don't. I just wipe it off. I've tried sealing pots with mod podge and a varnish and I didn't like it. I have a video about that. I found acrylic paint and spray paint to be the best "sealers" if you don't mind painting.
@@vesgardens thanks for all the info 🙂
It's funny because I have the same. I've been observing these tiny guys for a month and now I see doubled sized guys and moving faster but not jumping. The tiny guys, I had to really focus to see them but these guys are very easily visible. Very interesting.
Omg thank you!! I just saw a trillion I mean a really bad infection 😕 I did everything you did and it worked 💪🏾 thank you! Best advice by far! Just repot really there is nothing else you can do once it gets this bad.
You're welcome! Glad this helped.
Personally I leave them be. I have two indoor pots that I grow a banana plant and avocado tree. I mixed in crushed dead leaves into my soil for better soil conditions and noticed these things all over the soil when I watered my plants. At first I panicked but then noticed, they had no intentions on harming or even crawling up the plant/tree. Also I did notice the crushed leaves were getting smaller overtime, so I figured they were helping to break down the dead material. Both plant and tree are doing just fine.
This is cool, I haven't seen these before, I should look closer and see what's going on in there. I get spider mites all the time, they are definitely harmful! I've never looked close enough to notice soil mites, but I don't want them spreading disease around to my plants or me! That would be really upsetting to have to repot everything.
I can't stand spider mites! I'm wondering if mosquito bits will work on them? I don't want to find out, but it might be a possibility!
Also, about those wild strawberries you found. Is it possible they were mock strawberries? I saw a video on IG talking about how mock strawberries can be confused with real strawberries, and the mocks taste like water like you said. Thought that was interesting!
@@vesgardens yes, they are not the true wild strawberries, but mock strawberries. They really have no flavor. I've never seen real wild strawberries in my area, although I think they do grow around here. They have other names too, but I don't know what they all are. It is also more delicate than a true strawberry along with it tasting like nothing at all, it falls apart easy when you pick it
@@vesgardens I haven't found much of anything that works against spider mites. Most of them are immune to things from the over use of pesticides from cannabis growers. I just try to wash the plants off and remove them manually or use the alcohol, soap, and water spray on them.
I always get spider mites really bad on my elephant ears and bananas when I bring them in. For some reason they are magnets for them. I even wash them well and everything. but about a month and a half to 2 months into Winter, I start to notice them.
Ohh. I had to look up about spider mites.. and mock strawberries lol.. I found out they sell predatory mites that work great on spider mites. I may have to get them for next Winter. I have even tried repotting all them in new soil after washing them all really good. I still get them. Oh, and the strawberries are also called Indian strawberries and Snakeberries!! I have never heard of snakeberries 🐍 I wonder if it is because snakes like to be found around them?
In past years (been a plant mom for 27 years now), I've only ever used potting soil & NEVER had problems with even a single gnat. A bit of an aphid problem with my tropical hibiscus only. Fast forward to summer this year, I decided to repot 95% of my plants to orchid bark+perlite+coco coir+charcoal+earthworm poop, fast forward to this fall/winter...and I'm having a gnat infestation & just noticed tonight these guys! I'm wondering now if this is the result of my repot-soil overhaul. I'm sad, my epiphytes really love my current soil mix but it's been 50x more maintenance & it makes a difference when you have more than 100 plants! Thanks for sharing this video!
You're welcome. If your plants are loving it and repotting isn't an option, I'd suggest roughing up the top 1-2in of soil so it'll dry out quicker. I've also heard of people either watering with mosquito bits or adding a layer of sand on top of the soil. If you can repot, and your plants are loving the mix like you said, just add more perlite. The mix will dry out quicker so it'll create a poor environment for the fungus gnats to live in.
How do you deal with aphids on the hibiscus? I had a huge problem with them. Flowers still bloomed, but there was damage. I've used insecticide, but spraying all the time just became too much. The ants were farming them and the ants are hard to get rid of.
@VESMA I might have to do all those steps if my treatment today doesn't take care of the problem (I'll be giving it a few days after to give it time to work, hopefully).
Lucky for me, the Natria neem oil I use works on my aphid (and one time mealybug) problem. I just checked & there are only a few on just one plant, clustered around the flower buds, I drenched that sucker just a few minutes ago. I'll be checking periodically to make sure it's working. Fingers & toes crossed! 🙂
Sadly it's likely that you bought the mix with the mites already in it. They're a very hardy creature, they just love certain mixtures of soil, mostly the bark content.
Repotting plants is pretty much the only sure-fire way to rid your plants of these bugs.
Hi girl, found them this morning in my culture tent. The day before I had put worm casting, it was crawling all over the soil. I was freaking out and put insecticide right away. I came back in the evening and they looked pretty much all dead... Found a couple in the soil with a 30x microscope.
Thanks because without your video I would make a big deal of it... But finally that look manageable.
Good vid! 😊👍
Thank you. Glad I could help! What insecticide did you use?
That's too bad, they're really good for the soil.
Hey can I ask you what you think of a name oil mix? it’s a quarter of a tablespoon of Neem oil half a teaspoon of soap and 1 L of water all nice and warm so it emulsifies OK. We’ve been fortunate enough to be able to build our own home last year I’ve never had bugs in my plans besides a few fungus gnats that were easy to get rid of. But so far I’ve had with mites! Some white springtails but all I ever found where the little Crawley swimmy guys not the jumpers and now I think I have found some soilmites. Thankful as my plants are spread out into different rooms so different rooms have had different problems. I think it’s because our house was open for so long to the wild…😂😭
I have never used neem oil, but I hear it works. Soil mites and springtails like environments with high moisture levels. If you're seeing them in your plants your potting mix is probably retaining too much moisture. You can add more perlite to your mix to make it well-draining so that it dries out faster and creates unfavorable conditions for them.
thank u so much for this video! i think i do have soil mites but a lot of them are on the leaves… the affected plants do have moss poles so i think this might be why? i’m not sure though…
Possibly. Double check to make sure they aren't aphids!
I've got tiny white perhaps even silver bugs that move fast, not jump. Any ideas?
It still might be springtails. Either way, these tiny bugs love moist environments, which means your mix it staying wet/moist for too long. Rough up the top 1-2inches and stick a pencil or something in the dirt to help loosen it up and dry out a little quicker. Once it starts getting dry, you should start seeing less.
I used spinosad for a soil drench to get rid of the soil mites I had and it certified organic.... avid (abamectin) also works but smells 🤢... soil drenched are the best for dose soil critters a lot easier than repotting 👍🏽🙏🏽🌱
This is good to know. Thank you. How long did it take you to get rid of them?
I’ve had the same issue just this week! They’re everywhere and travel so quickly from pot to pot. I applied Pyrethrin, neem oil, and soapy water, which reduced their numbers substantially, but didn’t kill all of them. I ended up removing the smaller plants and baking the pots and soil in the oven. I’m not sure what to do with my larger plants, but I’ve put them outside for now.
I've read pyrethrin is good for soil mite issues. These things are resilient! Your plants may not drying out enough and for the plants you put outside, get a stick or something and poke holes in the soil and rough up the top layer. That'll allow for some air flow so the soil can dry out.
I’ll try that! I got rid of the orchids bark in my mixes too. They would cling to wet wood - sounds exactly like what you were dealing with. Thanks for the advice, and good luck!
@@jeffreyschen5990 you're welcome!
Always repot. Its worth it, loosing a 200$, 10 year old plant to these little white sheets is not OK!
Hey what Microscope did u use for this ?
It's a clip-on macro lens for phones.
Well then how do you get rid of tbem!!!
Can they be black? I saw some black tiny ones at the bottom of the nursery pot. And have you tried hydrogen peroxide water mix?
It's possible, but it may be fungus gnats you're seeing. I use hydrogen peroxide mix all the time, just not with soil mites or spring tails.
What do you suggest? That's the thing! I had a infestation of fungus gnats and I replanted all the dirt ..I started on washed the pots and sprayed with rubbing alcohol too. Then bought new dirt and now I have soil mites... its like one thing after another. I'm tired now. Other than replanting what do you suggest?
Most of the time, when you find springtails or soil mites, you have a moisture issue. Your pot is retaining too much moisture, because of the lack of drainage.
Make sure your pots have a hole at the bottom, drill a few more if you need to. With your mixes, add more perlite. This helps with your soil mix drying out faster. If you notice a lot of bark, either sift or pick some of it out. That retains moisture as well. Also, examine the location of your plant. If it's in a poorly lit area, with little to no natural sun, it will dry out slower. Try moving it closer to a window.
Since I've repotted and changed the mix, I've been soil mite free. However, I have a plant under glass (attempt to save), in a well draining mix, but since it's under glass, the humidity is very high and I've spotted a few soil mites on that pot. The rest are good.
So a well draining mix is key. Add more perlite. Maybe check the humidity levels in your home if possible. Hope this helps. Good luck!
@@vesgardens Thank you! I will go and buy more perlite and add it in the soil along with digging out any barks. I WILL UPDATE YOU WHATEVER HAPPENS.
Hi You do, the same with my garden. It has a lot red mite and white spider in the soil. Lots of fungus gnats. I change all the soil, wash plant and then a gain. I watch on youtube. They say should STEAM soil. Then i steam. But look the soil omg too much red spider. I do not know how to DISPOSAL this soil. 😪
Hi Vesma,
The compost from food, especially fish will have a lot of insects. So did you through all soil and plants? I do not know what to do with the soil and plant.i think plant we can wash. But soil steam is ok or not i do not know.
Mind is light brown color and is as small as the tip of the needle. Are they soil mite too?
They might be.
What is your recipe for the spray bottle mixture?
Hi, it's usually a 50/50 mix of water and isopropyl alcohol, with about 2 drops of dish soap. Castile soap is another option if you're not comfortable using dish soap.
Succulent saving or trying too. My girlfriend bought a succulent from a walmart. Found so far; snail, slug, these, other silver slim fast bugs, and gnats. The plants are dying due to overwatering so there's a increase in these.
Yes, soil mites like environments with high moisture levels. Always use a well draining potting mix to prevent these.
do they build webs on the soil? i discovered a little white web on my soil. Not on the leaves though.
No. You might have spider mites. You might want to check the leaves again just in case because they are very tiny.
i sas them with my usb mikroskop...little white thinks..however, they only move in and out of the soil. Its not a plant yet, just a cutling. and theres a small web around the stem, nothing on the leaves.@@vesgardens
I keep inverts and saw some dirt I thought it was a soil but then realised it where mites then I realised they where everywhere help
I know how to handle soil mites with plants, not inverts. I did a Google search and ppl have said they've gotten predatory mites to control or they've removed the soil, sterilized it and removed the wood pieces, the environment was too humid causing the population to increase. The might be harmless to your inverts, so if you aren't able to get rid of them entirely, find a way to control the population.
Moisture/humidity and decomposing matter is what attracts mites. Good luck.
my soil mites have long antennae, maybe they were legs not sure never seen it under a microscope pretty sure they were antennae by observing it closly , any ideas ? translucent to white in color
They might be springtails.
@@vesgardens i had springtails , these are def mites , i have both actually, not concerned about the springtails but i am about the mites , they came off a peice of framed wood i stored in the shed that i use for a stand for plants the mites came off the wood ,so makes me think wood mites AKA white mites , which i used insecticide on , potassium salts of fatty acids and pyrethrins, and havnt seen any so far its been 2-3 days . Since they only live in top of soil they are easy to kill , also it dosnt damage my cannibis plants , im just curious as to what wood mite mite have long antennae or long front legs since i couldnt verify under a microscope if they were either or , .
@@norcoatomik1 Unfortunately, I don't know. If you're worried about them coming back, maybe you can remove the wood and seal it, or at least wrap some plastic or something around the end that's in the soil, to keep them from coming back and feeding on it.
@@vesgardens this is a built wooden bench i since gotten rid of, and sprayed plants,soil, and pots/containers with PSOFA and Pyrethrins , not sure im Worried about them coming back lol , but if they do id like to better identify them for future referecne to eradicate them with the proper pesticides or other methods suited to that specific mite /species , when you learn how they breathe how they eat what they eat ,and so forth you can learn how to better understand how tl eradicate them , maybe I'll have to invest in a microscope.
i use 1 tbsp of castile soap with eucalyptus to 2 cups of water to water the plants, seems to help. I sometimes use 70% isopropyl alcohol (1 to 1 ratio with water) for aggressive treatment.
Thanks for sharing. How long did it take to get rid of them completely with the castile soap and eucalyptus?
@@vesgardens took about 2 watering sessions (2 weeks for me.) I didn't have an infestation though, so might be a bit different depending on the situation.
Thank you!
There's some environmental reasons not to purchase peat moss fyi
love the video
Thanks! I only use coconut coir now, for that reason and it's much better than peat in my opinion.
They are the best things that happened to my plants. These are so beneficial to the plants. Keep them there, their excretion can be the best organic manure
Nice. I leave them alone outdoors. I do not want them indoors.
How can DE work if it's going to be damp in the soil?
As the soil dries the DE will too and it will work (as long as it hasn't been washed off). I believe the DE didn't had no effect on the soil mites though.
I hhave these bugs as well. I tried spraying them with alcohol (which works for mealybugs, thrips, spider mites) and I saw them move like nothing happened. I also tried Captain Jack's dead bug brew and it did nothing to them. I tried to squish one with my nail and it was crunchy! These mites are armored!
Right! It's like nothing could kill them! I just made a grittier, well-draining potting mix and they went away.
Yo I love you. Thanks.
Diatomaceous Earth is really good for this I keep using it in between watering. It also adds alot silica to my soil so it seems keep these little guys at bay in small numbers
Yup, diatomaceous Earth is good for most plant pests! I always keep this on hand. Thank you for watching!
Will that kill springtails???
Do you know if they cluster together on plant pots?
They can. For example, If you have terracotta and there's mold buildup, you may find small clusters of them feeding on it.
@@vesgardens i appreciate your quick response. Im almost positive they look exactly like the soil mites at 1:00 . They have that hairy like look , cluster and running all around the lid of the pot. But what worries me is there are a few holes on the leaves like there is a sap sacking bug . But not as many holes compared to howmany of them there are. There is also what I thought were fungus gnats on the fly traps. So I can't tell if it's aphids or not. I ditched my last plants because of the same bug and do not want to start over. 😭
So if you have soil mites, your soil is holding to much moisture. There's not enough airflow, repot and add more perlite to the mix. As for the holes in the leaves, those most likely are not caused by soil mites, or fungus gnats (unless the food source ran out, maybe). For that, I suggest making a solution of 40% water, 60% isopropyl alcohol, and about 2 drops of dish soap. Drench your plant in this mix and wipe down every leaf and stem. Spray in every crevice, nook and cranny of the plant. Once done, spray again and let it air dry. Spray every day, and give your plants quick wipe downs every now and then. Monitor until you stop seeing the holes.
oh my god finally. I thought I had spider mites for the longest time and it made no sense since they did no damage to my plants. I had so much anxiety for a while but realized if it wasnt harming my orchids its prob a soil mite. Since I take care of masdevallia and restrepia they are always moist so maybe its inevitable that Ill always have them.
I guess if the population doesn't explode and they aren't being a nuisance you can leave them be. I'd take these over spider mites!
I just seen these in my plants soil but when I looked it up ot said these are good to have in the soil. So are they good or bad?!
They are good. They are decomposers. With that being said, I personally would leave them be outdoors, but if I find them indoors, in my houseplants, I'm getting rid of them. Good or bad, I don't want anything crawling in my plants. Some people like to have them in terrariums.
Bleach didn't killed them?! Wow. I just found my plants full of those !! I noticed when I watered. They went crazy and out of the por everywhere!!! Thank you. Daunting indeed to change all of my plants 😞
No, it didn't! Those things are resilient! Just add more perlite to your mix for better drainage and that should solve the problem. Thank you for watching!
Thank you :( my best plant has had soil mites for WAY too long and is looking very shabby.....i hope she survives, have done a strong, natural incecticide.
They are def bad, they can have tapeworm and will severe leaves
I am also replacing the soil, that is your best option.
Make sure you spray the roots with your chemicals, I have bought a mix from my local hardware store consisting of Garlic, Chilli, and Pyrethrins.
Your Gollums look lovely BTW, one of my faves...only cuz they look like shreks ears hehe.
You're welcome. I hope your plant thrives!
If replacing soil, just make sure it's well-draining and doesn't hold moisture longer than it needs to. Add more perlite if you can.
All my pots I use heavy use of bark in are infested with soil mites! I also have spring tails in my prop boxes! No idea where they came from. I don't have any in my plants, and my prop box is sealed! But they are everywhere in my prop box! I need to know how to kill both these mites and spring tails! I only have soil mites in my calathea and mirantas... I want them gone because they gross me out!
I have actually put in pesticides and miteacides and neither have worked. I'll try DE... Hard to use some of the remedies in my prop box! Weirdest thing is,I have the spring tails infesting my props of only perlite! I have no rotten plants or plant matter, I don't know what the little bugs are feeding on!! But they r nasty and make me itch! Lol
Spring tails and soil mites show up when there's a lot of moisture. You may have to let your prop box dry out a bit. I know calathea and maranta needs a lot of humidity! You may have to figure out a way to let those dry out too. The only way I got rid of soil mites is by making the soil mix more well-draining so it dries out faster. Good luck!
where do you get "clean" soil from?
If I said clean, I was probably talking about sterilized or sterilizing soil. You can do it a few different ways. You can leave it in the sun to bake for a while. Some people like to put it in the oven or you can use hydrogen peroxide.
@@vesgardens I never knew you could leave it out to bake in the sun!
I have these things on my pot , they usually become very active during day , it looks like a white patch on the soil. They usually nest near my plants that are alive. My soil does have bark and other organic matter. There populating is growing and I’ve noticed them setting my on my window area, they do not die . I sprayed bleach , hydrogen peroxide, everything possible that would kill normal bugs. I cant get a new window replacement. There is no water on my window. Please give advice im tired of them
Is your soil always moist? If so, that might be why they're sticking around. Let the soil dry out. Poke holes and mix up the first couple of inches to help it dry out faster. See if that helps. Good luck.
@@vesgardens update, they are breeding at a faster rate than they can die
Honestly, if it were me, I would change the potting mix and make sure the new potting mix is very well draining so it's not an ideal environment for them. If you want to keep the old potting mix, spread it out on a tray outside and let it dry out, sterilize and add a bit more perlite or something. I actually have done this and it has worked for me, other times I just let it dry out. I hope you find a solution.
Will these tiny slow moving dots harm my pets in vivarium :( ?
I'm not sure. You'll have to research 'soil mites + type of pet', but if the conditions are right the population might grow out of control.
So will they hurt my indoor house plant?
They won't hurt them, but they will become a nuisance, especially if you have any decomposing plant material around.
Any soil or repotting just temporarily resets the cycle. Soil gets wet, needs to be wet. What's good for the plant is good for the insect...that's the problem. Letting the soil dry to the extent needed to drive these things out hurts the plant....and even if successful, the return to the water cycle merely draws new soil mites. Some plants are sensitive, and repotting and messing with the soil at a rate this frequent will eventually stress the plant to death...which really only thrives in a stable environment. Decomposing material just needs to be in soil....and fungus helps break things down for the plant as well.....sadly, decomposing material and the funguses that colonize draw a wide array of pests. The soil should be the constant....being replaced or tampered with in longer cycles....the treatment of the soil has to be the variable. Plant-friendly poisons or deterrents are really the only option. You'll get the illusion of success with a repot or soil swap....but doing this constantly? Yikes.
It's not a temporary reset. I've been soil mite free since repotting. No constant soil swaps. No illusions. The problem that attracts soil mites is a poor draining mix, meaning the soil is staying too wet for too long, which could also lead to root rot, which results in the plant dying. THAT is why people get soil mites, springtails, and fungus gnats. The best and logical way to fix that is by changing the potting mix.
You only need to repot once. It's not something being done over and over again. You CAN add decomposing material as long as the mix is well draining and doesn't stay wet for too long.
In my case, the soil stayed wet for too long and the soil mites were feeding on the bark. I chose to repot in a 50/50 mix of coco coir and perlite and my plants have been mite free since and will continue to be since I've changed the soil conditions. Decomposing material is not needed. A 50/50 mix like this is the same as commercial growers use.
Again, repotting is not a frequent thing. Not sure where you got that from. The return of water doesn't automatically attract soil mites because with a well draining mix, it wouldn't be the ideal conditions for them to live in.
Also, I mentioned this was targeted for indoor plants. Soil mites would be more beneficial for outdoors. As far as deterrents/plant friendly poisons, Diatomaceous Earth didn't work for me. Repotting was my best option. If you have any suggestions please list them for the people who come across this comment and may want to try.
Thank you for watching!
I use leca and I have these. It's not all about decomposing material in your substrate. you're right about the temporary reset. I have been trying to get rid of them for the past 9 months. Constant flushing and repotting. Multiple pesticides used and nothing works. It's truly a never-ending battle with these.
Decomposing materials is what springtails and soil mites feed on, especially in a high moisture environment, whether that be in soil or LECA. So just because you're using LECA doesn't mean they won't appear. And if you don't have any decomposing material, they may just eat at the roots instead.
In my experience, it was all about the decomposing material because that's what they were feeding on, got rid of it, and have had no issues since. So it wasn't a temporary reset for me.
If you're still getting springtails/soil mites, then the root of the problem hasn't been eliminated.
There could possibly be some sort of mold or mineral buildup that develops on the LECA that's attracting them, or even in the water too. They will feed on and dying roots/plant matter OR again, they can just eat at the roots since they're constantly wet.
I don't use LECA, but I did read that some people boil theirs to get rid of them and rinse with hydrogen peroxide. Some even just replace the LECA altogether. Maybe you could test using less water with some of the plants and see how that works out, boiling/replacing the LECA, or maybe even go back to soil if possible.
Hope this info helps in a way that you're able to find a new solution and get rid of them. Good luck.
@@nguyenam1 I just learned about soil mites but overall wether using leva, coco, soil etc there is a lot that can cause it if that's what they feed on.. Do you mean only leca or how? If so, Are you using fertilizer for hydro and nothing else? Nothing organic? Do you flush enough as in every few weeks as needed? Dead roots? Because there shouldn't be anything organic if using only Leca. Nothing should be decomposing. About soil mites, how can they survive if there is nothing to feed on?
@@angiiez86 they feed on mold
I used hot water for the soil mites in my marijuana and it worked. I poured 2-3 cups of hot water...waited for it to drain. Then I used warm water to see if anymore were alive...saw a few stragglers and hit them with more hot water which did the trick.
Glad that worked for you. Thanks for sharing. I'll keep that in mind!
The hot water wouldn’t damage the roots of your plant?
sounds like a terrible idea
So its peat moss and perlite, no sphagnum moss? I got a huge problem going on inside my indoor garden with these things, and the soil I used is sphagnum based
I personally don't use sphagnum or peat moss anymore because I haven't had good experiences with them. I make a well-draining mix of perlite and coconut coir with shale added, but not necessary.
Your soil is probably holding too much moisture, which create an ideal environment for soil mites and springtails. Let it dry out a but and see if the problem dies down. To help your soil dry out faster get a pencil or something and rough up the top inch of soil and poke some holes as far as you can.
Please suggest a natural option also, garlic, chili and cinnamon is well known to be a great incecticide
Dont boil the mediem in my case it didn't work for my soil mites or nematodes. The only thing that i found that worked was completely throwing out the medium and BAKING my nxt planting mix and treating it with cold pressed neem oil all organic solution...
the most natural way would be something higher on the foodchain. i.e. ladybugs kill aphids and lice...
YOURE AN ABSOLUTE BREATH OF FRESH AIR
I'd say that they're not bad because they serve the same purpose of springtails and isopods.
Assuming you aren't playing with your plants and not washing your hands, then you're good. Which... If you're handling plants like omg wash your damn hands lol
But yeah, they're important for the health of your soil like the other buggers are. Especially when you've got a lot, they break down decay. And, they do feed on fungi btw.
They're only there to clean, so if they're hanging around you plants because of your soil, you're more than likely watering way too much.
That's just a theory I guess.
Idk! I've got vivariums and basic terrariums and they're incredibly important in my ecosystem alongside my rollie pollies and springtails. I've had zero issues with mold or harmful fungi, and everything I have is healthy and strong. And my terrariums hover around 70% humidity.
I agree with you and I'm aware of their benefits, however I personally would only prefer them or leave them be if they're outside or in some sort of terrarium/vivarium. You're right about your theory. In houseplants their populations can explode in the right conditions and depending on the plant is a sign that it's too moist and can lead to the death of the plant in the future. Again, I agree with you, but only for outdoor and terrarium/vivarium circumstances! However, rollie pollies have been getting on my last nerve this year outdoors in and around my potted plants lol
@@vesgardens LOL, okay that's interesting! I see how they could be quite annoying, afterwards I had looked up what an infestation looks like and wow. Crazy!!
I get very concentrated spots on decayed objects and underneath some of my wooden pieces. Besides that I really don't experience it too much.
And since I don't really keep many house plants I don't necessarily encounter it too much. That and the fact that in my part of Texas we don't tend to deal with stuff like that, we usually have fairy aphids outside!
@@vesgardens hey, if you're trying to keep anything off your plants I have a suggestion from the 80's. Diluted caffeine! You can very lightly spray on your plants and it's a natural and effect pesticide. Works like a charm.
I've got large beds of squash and peppers outside and I've had the entire thing go dead because of pests, mostly aphids...
Tried soapy water, tried borax, all kinds of stuff.
But my caffeine spray seems to pretty much kill everything, so idk! Maybe try that? It's toxic to bugs, you just gotta be light with it or you'll hurt the plant eventually.
Good luck 🤞
Thanks for the suggestion!
My bonsai got these bugs but their color looks like brown/ black 💔💔
Maybe it's scale? If so, use a 50/50 mix of isopropyl alcohol and dish soap, test an area first, and you'll have to pick them off.
these bugs are mazingy indetructable. i douced them in dawn, peroxide, even windex and it stunned them for a minute or so, then just went back walkinig
walking around. im not clear if they just compost or if they will eat thte plant. i saniized thhe soil completly wih boiling water. that did the trick. if theycome back ill jut leave them alone and see
They just eat decomposing matter.
This is tricky because I have bonsai trees and they have to be watered every few days, I think these guys are my issue. They move once I move the top layer of soil.
You may want to try this, after watering, take a toothpick or something and run it over the top layer of soil. When you do that, it dries faster, and if possible, poke a few holes in the soil to also help it dry faster. If that works, you may start to see less and less of them.
I will try that! Do these guys ever look silver ? These are like silver little bugs that run around once you disturb the soil some.
@@davidarden6942 yes, you might be dealing with springtails. Springtails are basically like soil mites, but quicker.
@@vesgardens it was springtails. I saw one jump when I took it out of the plant. Going to bottom water from now on, I also busted out seem Neem oil on their butts.
The diameters Earth only works if it's dry
They are a good sign it means your soil is alive some of them actually eat other pest
Can you PLEASE check out my video and see which mites are on my scorpion? Can u please tell me if they are bad or harmless?
I only know of soil mites. You should try searching some arachnid forums on Google, even Reddit.
I mixed neem oil, dishwashing gel, and apple cider vinegar. I sprayed it all over. But it could not kill these mites!!!!!
Thank you for watching. Repotting may be the best solution and add more perlite to the mix.
I've never used neem oil, but I do have a question about you using apple cider vinegar. Did you use that on the plants, in the soil or just on the pot? I'm wondering about the effects on the plant itself because I'd assume apple cider vinegar would burn the plant.
An they infest fabrics and clothing?
No.
@@vesgardens good to know! Thanks for replying!
You're welcome. Thanks for watching!
IT WORKED FOR ME: Disinfesting spray, but it has to be a spray that says it also KILLS insects and their EGGS
The killed my apple tree though it was aphids but know I really know thanks for ur video
Glad it helped
theres a white tiny fly flying in my house and im doing so much research-
Then it might actually be a white fly which requires different ways to get rid of. Those yellow sticky papers may help!
@@vesgardens kk
TYTYTYTYTY!!!!!!!! Phew, so helpful.
You're welcome!
I think thats, what i have in my plants currently. Im not sure bcuz they look kinda brown or light brown. They move slow too. I was in my washroom, watering a plant and i tapped the bottom of my plant pot in my white sink. Thats how i noticed them. Today i picked some out w/ tweezers and i wanted to see if neem oil, Safer's insecticidal soap, 3% peroxide, and organic soap, would kill them. They were still alive. So I tried rubbing alcohol...it didnt work. I also tried mixing organic soap w/ neem oil.....STILL didnt kill them. Then i heard peppermint can be used on plants. So i put 1 drop on a mite and it died!!! HALLELUJAH!! LOL 😁 omg. They are super resilient little buggers. I dont have or use bleach bcuz i dont like the smell. I basically mixed evrything i just mentioned above and added some peppermint oil in a spray bottle. I only put a few drops of neem, organic soap and some peppermint oil for the mixture (i also diluted it w/water). DE powder works best and works faster at killing them. I let the top soil dry and sprinkled DEpowder on top and on the bottom (outside) of the plastic pot. They also crawl out from the holes in the bottom. I keep getting pests so im almost ready to throw my plants out.
Glad to know peppermint worked for you! I don't know what other plant pests you're dealing with, but I found that mixing some DE in a spray bottle of water works really well for applying. Once it dries it leaves a thin layer of DE on the plant that the pests will work all over as opposed to the little piles from sprinkling it on. I got rid of thrips that way.
@@vesgardensI keep getting fugus gnats. Lately I've gotten "black winged fugus gnats". They are bigger and they fly around all my windows. I killed them and I kept track lol, in one day I killed about 87! That was on December 28th 2023.
Since Jan.1st/24, I found 40 and that's a huge improvement lol. I still find some but not as many. I think they are coming from my bulbs I planted on my balcony. They won't land on the yellow stick traps in have inside I don't think they are sticky enough. Anyways I will try the DEpowder in a spray bottle. Thank you for all your help. I appreciate it 🙏
I also put DEpowder around my windowsills, that has been helping too. I can see a bunch of dead carcasses in the white powder lol.
If you keep getting fungus gnats it's likely because you're overwatering or your potting mix is holding too much water. Whenever that would happen to me, I would uproot the plant and add more perlite to the mix and repot. If you don't want to do that then take a pencil and just rough up the top few inches of soil to make it dry out faster. You can also use hydrogen peroxide to kill them. Others have said mosquito bits helps too.
The could also be cyclamen mites? Seeking solutions for these poor plants.
I'm not all that knowledgeable about mites, but I will say these mites like moist environments. You can let your plants dry out completely to reduce their numbers or add more perlite to the potting mix so it'll dry out faster and make it an unfavorable environment for them. Good luck.
Are soil mites harmful
In my opinion, no. They can be very annoying though.
They are taking over my house
After changing the way I make my potting mixes, I don't have soil mites anymore.
Really good video! Alot people are avoiding this issue because they think the soil mites are Springdale or they just don't know what do about it.i also use beneficial nematodes once a grow cycle indoor. It helps keep all unwanted soil bugs away. Cheers
@@coolbreeze8572 Thank you! I agree, some people can get confused, but hopefully this video helps. I haven't gotten around to using beneficial nematodes, or bugs, yet. Good to know they're very effective.
I was growing canibus in peat moss and I had a infestation of these lil bugs I didn't know what they were until now thanks for the information
@@antoniodominguez7862 you're welcome
@@coolbreeze8572 Hey did that work for your plants? Which ones did you buy?
Why get rid of them? They also feed on the dying plant material - they're good.
These don't feed on animals do they. I have these in my snake collection
I don't think so. I'm not 100% sure. I haven't read anything about them feeding on animals, just decomposing matter. They can spread harmful bacteria/parasites if infected with it, so that's something to be mindful of.
These are vital for soil health!!! Don't kill the things that make soil healthy!!!
The benefits of these have been stated in the video, however there are many people who do not want these indoors no matter how beneficial. Soil mites and springtails are an indicator of too much moisture, whether that be from poor soil quality, overwatering, etc, which can lead to the death of a plant.
Oh my gosh.....hard to watch! So grooooooossssss! I got so itchy.
I have a Terrible case of this, the worst case Ever
I'd recommend repotting and making a better draining potting mix. Good luck.
Those are beneficial mites that eat bugs that eat plants. 😢😢
I believe hydrogen peroxide is good. Kills the mites but does not harm the plants and roots...
Yeah, I use hydrogen peroxide sometimes. Thank you!
How much?
Lol soil mites arent an 'issue', theyre healthy for the soil food web, they cycle nutrients. I literally buy these to put them in my soil.
Not to mention there are many many species, and there are many that are predatory to bad bugs such as fungal gnats. Those ARE actually bad for your plants because the larva feed on roots. Also you wouldn't be able to identify what your looking at without sending it to a lab for analysis.
I'm aware of the benefits of soil mites, that was addressed in the video. Personally, idc for their presence OUTDOORS. But, there are people who don't want soil mites or any other insects, beneficial or not, in their homes. It's great that you purchase them for your soil, but a lot of people don't want them, especially indoors, and that's okay. Also, the presence of soil mites can also be an indication of high moisture which can have a bad impact on houseplants. Thanks for watching!
😫 They're all accumulated at the water line of my beautiful Mint plant's potting plate(Water catch). They're white and remind of ticks 🤢 Gross. The one plant in which I used cypress mulch as a bottom drainage layer.
If your plants are in well draining mixes, it may be as easy as just removing the cypress mulch and problem solved. Remember to make sure there's no standing water in the potting plate. Thanks for watching!
Soil mites are beneficial not harmful.
Soil mites are good for decomposing matter, but they can also carry harmful bacteria and tapeworms, which can be harmful to people if it happens to be transmitted.
I just ran into these guys for the first time today. They're accumulated by the water line in the water catch of my mint plant. I actually spent about an hour reading about them. They definitely are beneficial and the only thing to the contrary I read is this tapeworm egg carrying These bugs like just stay in soil (unless flushed out) so I don't think they're much of a threat. That and I wash the hell out of all my herbs before use. I'm going to let them be. I agree with you. The articles I read on agricultural research deem them as essential and important to healthy soil. The only thing I could find about them carrying diseases wasn't even on soil mites. It was on plant and animal mites. The only time I found information about soil mites carrying diseases was on advertisements for people wanting to sell poison.
@@manwithaporpoiseYTsucksD Yeah, I've stated they are beneficial. At the end of the day, whether these bugs are beneficial or not, a lot people do not want them in or around their plants, especially not in their house. And for some people, knowing they can carry tapeworm eggs doesn't make it any better. Again, I've addressed the benefits of these plants, but for those who have houseplants, it's just not ideal, but when it comes to the garden, if I see them, I leave them be. My goal is to build healthy soil outside and they help with that.
Also, flushing them out doesn't help. I tried. They just come right back, especially if you haven't changed the contents of the soil. Thanks for watching!
@@vesgardens I can completely understand not wanting them in your house.😳 Luckily all my plant ʕっ•ᴥ•ʔっfrenz are on the porch. I'd be losing my sht if they were in my house. 🤣 You are absolutely right about the drainage layer harboring them. This is the only plant I did a cypress mulch drainage layer at the bottom. Over filling it flushed them out. I also have an open top natural aquarium with orchids growing on the top and coontail lake plants growing at the bottom and wondered why the fish were so fascinated with the orchid bark at the water line. I'm thinking they may be feeding off of these mites.
@@manwithaporpoiseYTsucksD I've haven't read good things about cypress mulch, how has it worked for you, in general? Also never heard of growing orchids in an aquarium. Sounds cool! That would be very interesting if the fish were feeding on the mites...
Have you thought of treating the soil with hydrogen peroxide?
I do that sometimes to sterilize soil, but it doesn't work to get rid of soil mites.
As a soil biologist I must gringe...
Ok.
And I mean if you seriously don't want any bugs in the process, you might be better off going hydroponic only. Bugs, fortunately, are just a part of nature.
Hydroponic growing isn't a bug-free way to grow either. People still deal with spider mites, thrips, etc. Pest management is key.
And I have these in my semi-hydro set up. They’re resilient. I’m fuming
Have you ever thought about cleaning your clay pots with an organic product called Thieves? I have had amazing results with this product in many ways. If you would like me to explain my process with you please let me know. I’ve been blown away by my experience. Lol I thought I was the only person dealing with all these different issues due to i moved to a different start. Boy have I learned I was wrong. Lol
I have African violets with these bugs -