Battle of the Bugs: Conquer Soil Mites and Save Your Houseplants! 🌱🐜🪴
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- Опубликовано: 14 окт 2024
- Soil mites are annoying to begin with. But soil mites in plants? That’s a whole different battle!
In this video I’ll share advice on how I was able to eradicate soil mites from blanketing one of my philodendron within 24-72 hours.
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The impact of soil mites on houseplants can vary based on the species. While some soil mites are harmless and contribute to the decomposition of organic matter, others can be detrimental to the health of your plants.
Harmful soil mites, such as root-feeding species, may damage plant roots by feeding on root hairs, leading to stunted growth, wilting, and nutrient deficiencies. Identifying the specific type of soil mite is crucial to determine the potential harm it poses to your houseplants.
🌱 Preventing Soil Mites in Houseplants:
Use Well-Draining Soil: Soil that retains excess moisture can attract harmful soil mites. Use well-draining potting mixtures to prevent waterlogged conditions that favor mite infestations.
Avoid Overwatering: Overwatering creates a damp environment ideal for soil mites. Allow the top inch of the soil to dry out before watering again, and ensure pots have drainage holes.
Quarantine New Plants: Before introducing new plants to your indoor garden, quarantine them for a few weeks to monitor for any signs of pests, including soil mites.
Regular Inspections: Routinely inspect your houseplants for any signs of pests, including soil mites. Early detection allows for prompt intervention.
Clean Surroundings: Keep the area around your houseplants clean. Remove fallen leaves, debris, and excess mulch regularly to eliminate hiding places for pests.
Proper Ventilation: Good air circulation helps maintain a healthy environment for your plants and reduces the risk of soil mite infestations.
🌱 How Soil Mites Enter Houseplant Soil:
Contaminated Soil or Plants: Soil mites can be present in the soil of newly purchased plants or in contaminated potting mix. Inspect new plants thoroughly before bringing them indoors.
Infested Gardening Tools: Soil mites can hitch a ride on gardening tools or containers that have come in contact with infested soil. Clean and sterilize tools regularly.
Infested Water: Water from an outdoor source or collected rainwater may contain soil mites. Consider using filtered or treated water for your houseplants.
Introduction by Pets: Pets may inadvertently bring soil mites indoors on their fur or paws. Minimize this risk by keeping pets away from your indoor plants.
By adopting these preventive measures and staying vigilant, you can reduce the likelihood of soil mite infestations and promote a healthy environment for your houseplants.
🌐 Learn more about plant care and green living on my website: PlantsWithKevin.com
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Thank you so much for this info - I felt the exact same way when I saw these gross little things on my soil. Will be ordering that mite murder powder today - thank you!
I’m glad my video was helpful! :-) this is a good one: amzn.to/3Zypo5j
Thank you. I just noticed them and will handle this immediately.
You got this!
So glad you were able to save such a beautiful plant! Ceramic pots and too much orchid bark can cause problems. I use systemic insecticide and neem, but spider mites laugh at both sometimes. My Fiddle leaf Fig is under attack right now with some kind of bacterial infection thanks to winter, so giving it Neem drenches 😢. Something is causing deformed leaves on some of my climbing Philodendrons right now, but no signs of pests??? I also now have fungus gnats on my moss poles since it got cold...fun times!❤ Have a Merry Christmas Kevin. Enjoy your time with family!
Oye!!! :-/ i wish you the best too!!!
I lol when you asked why your plants love Pedro; it’s because Pedro probably leave them alone to grow…unlike daddy. My plant bane happens to be spider mites. Thanks for sharing Kevin!
🤣🤣🤣
Good morning to you vary nice plants thank for sharing beautiful and amazing I love watching your video your place looks so beautiful have a blessed day
Thank you so much!
Kevin I have to wonder if maybe we are actually bringing them in to our plants whenever we put the orchid bark in our mix.. maybe they have dormant eggs that are inside those bark nuggets and then when it gets saturated with water it activates them... Just a thought
That’s actually a good possibility from what I read!
Thank for the information for a great way to get rid of the pests
Very welcome! 😃
I always struggle with spider mites and mealy bugs, and fungus gnats since I transitioned to moss poles for several plants. I know which plants are prone to what based on past experiences so I always inspect my plants weekly and wipe down leaves. I think I will transition to the moss poles you showcased in one of your episodes. I thought about going to PON soil, but I have so many plants that would quite the investment, gnats are one of the worst.
People have had a lot of success with pon!
I ❤ D. E. I use it to keep my chickens bug and worm free. Also for house plants, when I bring them inside for the winter.
So good!
I completely understand. My worst pest I deal with are spider mites AND thrips during fall and winter🙄🙄🙄😤😤😤😤
Ugh!!! Lol
Phew that pot didn't have to meet the hammer 🔨😂 I think I will stop adding orchid bark to my soil mix since it can contribute to having soil mites?! It's not the first time I hear that about the bark. I have thrips that I have to deal with the most but my way of treating used to be to throw the plant!🤦😅 I have since evolved! Thanks for sharing the info!
Thank gosh lol i believe diatomaceous earth works on thrips too!
@@PlantswithKevin good to know!
this vid title made me jump cause i am very used to soil mites being friends in bioactive setups LMAO
🤣🤣🤣
I have mostly rare Anthuriums and I have these in soil and leave them. I've been told they are healthy and I've never had any damage because of them.
It's wonderful to hear that your rare Anthuriums are thriving! Proper care really makes a difference, and it's great that you've found a method that works for you.
Thrips are the worst. Seems like I’m battling a ghost in trying to get rid of them. After I’ve treated, I can’t tell if they are actually gone and then I see more damage on my plants. I really don’t want to throw my plant away. But thrips are the worst.
That’s what I hear!
THANK YOU FOR THIS 😩
you're so welcome! glad it can help! definitely wished I had found a similar video when I first dealt with the problem a couple years ago lol
Wow. I thought my soil mites were bad, lol. I cant believe how many there were...i always get itchy when i see them lol. I actually have soil mites too and its hard for me to let my plants dry out bcuz i dont want them to die (even though i almost killed my monstera). I tried using neem oil, peroxide, insecticidal soap mixture and rubbing alcohol too. They just kept moving then i tried peppermint oil and that killed them too. Peppermint oil is too harsh for plants so i only use a few drops in my spray mixture. I still have them but not as many. I also keep getting fungus gnats and black winged fungus gnats. I went away for Christmas to my parents and i came back a week later and i had in infestation of black winged fungus gnats. I think they came from my bulbs on my balcony im trying to grow some flowers for summer and they are in peat moss. Im seeing less & less of the gnats but i meed to use the DEpowder for the mites now.
They’re definitely an annoying pest!!!!
Salute Brother
Salute! Thanks for watching and supporting the channel!
By far spider-mites are the worst for me! Every fall every spring and some during the summer. Thinking of removing philo glorious and gloriosum from my collection due to consistent SM issues 😢 Also flat mites on my maranta and jewel orchids. Actually lost those plants & have a maranta battling them now. And I do see soil mites occasionally as well 🙈
This powder will definitely help you!
Yup im dealing with some mite no idea wish one but they are in my spagmoss and stratum
😑😑😑
Hi, off topic, but I just want to know if I should put my Bob Cee on a mosspole.
Great question! A Philodendron Bob Cee is a vining plant that loves to climb. Definitely consider putting yours on a moss pole. It will help the plant grow taller, healthier, and develop its beautiful, large leaves. Plus, moss poles add a nice touch of vertical interest to your plant collection.
Just make sure the moss pole is sturdy enough to support your plant's weight as it grows. 🌱
@@PlantswithKevin
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my question. Hope you have a good visit with your loved ones. I love you too! 😁🥰
Kevin, no matter what I do. I can not seem to get rid of fungus gnats 😢 What do you do to keep them away?
It sounds frustrating! I recommend trying to let the soil dry out a bit between waterings and using yellow sticky traps to catch those pesky gnats. Keep experimenting, and you'll find the right solution!
Get a puffer and mist lightly. Too thick and insects can just walk around the power. Ive seen this!
Just had a similar experience, high humidity ikea cabinet..boom mites! I grow in PON but i also grow carniverous plants so I will never know which started the issue. Alas, i SHOULD have started with DE, but i didnt. Effectively damaging and killing quite a few expensive anthurium. The good thing is im crazy and have multiples LOL but still quite sad. Anywho finally got DE because of this video (where was it hiding!!!) Wish me luck, i cant stand seeing them, it makes my skin crawl
I’ve only noticed them in the fall and winter months! Never have seen them in the spring or summer
@@PlantswithKevin yea who knows how long they had been in there. I didnt have quite as many as i saw in your video, but enough to see them when finally SAW them LOL. do you use DE as a preventative now? or just when they pop up? My plants look so dumb covered in all this powder but i need em GONE 😆
Is there a link for the diatomaceous earth and where to get it?
Sure is! Here you go: amzn.to/3Zypo5j 😊
Do you have to scoop out the diatomaceous earth before you water your plants? Or can I just water on top of the earth and let it dry out?
You can water on top of :-) I then add more DE to the top layer of the soil once the soil has dried out from the watering.
Scabies can live in soil too. Can I use this to kill possible mites in oneof my fav camping site? (After raking & burning leaves?)
sure can!
I hate to tell ya but soil mites love all sorts of material, not just orchid bark. I have them in PON! 🙃🙃
Ooo didn’t realize they could exist in pon!
I have them in lava rock! I didn't think that was a thing but it's apparently possible
Same 😪
OMG, I would throw my plant away immediately if I see a bunch of white spots crawling all over it. I only have common plants, so it doesn't bother me to throw it away when I need to. My skin crawls just seeing the image.
That’s what I did a couple years back lol not anymore tho! Diatomaceous Earth is a game changer!
Did u apply wet or dry?
dry! I refrained from watering the plant for a while since the moisture attracts the soil mites
What is a good brand of Diatomaceous earth to get? I keep seeing food grade or insect killer like spiders, ants and cockroaches but it doesn’t mention if it will kill soil mites.
Glad you asked! 😃 Here is the version and brand I used:
Safer Home SH51703 OMRI Listed... www.amazon.com/dp/B01D60GAW2?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
@@PlantswithKevin thank you so much! Gonna give a try and see if it will kill of the mites of my peace lily plant. It was gifted to me when my father died 2 years ago and I feel like it’s what is left of him and I don’t want to lose the plant too😔
Bought 2 plants from home depot the other day and turns out that both have soil mites😭 definatley gonna get some diatomaceous earth!!!
You definitely should. Always a good idea to inspect each plant you're about to purchase the store before buying it. I've gotten into a better habit of it lately!
Help. Something is chomping on my Hoya and Pothos leaves. I cannot see any bugs. I routinely treat them with systemics every 3 months and lately have been spraying with sulfur every 2-3 weeks. I’m not seeing any shiny stuff that comes with hardscale but I never saw that on my monstera. Any ideas? I had those clear looking bugs in my soil of a Hoya I bought and I got rid of them using systemics but yes damp soil they thrived
Always good to swap out the soil too! Glad you did!!!
Is it safe for vegetables and mint plants to? Please answer me it is very urgent
Yes, I believe so. I would Google it just to be extra safe.
@@PlantswithKevin You made my day,Thank you very much. I appreciate your effort ☺️
If you have plants you will inevitably get pests. Don’t panic!
Oh definitely. Having plants means having pests. It’s all about staying ahead of them :)
I started getting into houseplants about 3 years ago, I don’t know much about them at all. After killing a few I found some I could manage and was especially pleased with my Mother In Laws Tongue. I’ve had it 3 years and it’s now quite an impressive size. I got to thinking, it was time to change the pot and soil after a friend told me I should do so every couple of years (I had no clue it was even necessary unless it was pot bound and it looked fine so 🙈). Anyway, turns out the soil was infested with mites. I had no clue. There were no outward signs at all. Just loads of tiny little white things crawling around in the soil. I’ve changed the soil, washed and changed the pot and also washed the plant with water and bicarbonate of soda. That was 5 days ago and so far all looks good. This plant sits in front of a fireplace touching brick work. The fireplace is sealed off but I’m wondering if the mite is possibly from the brickwork though I can’t see anything. I’m freaking out here, I’m really not use to this stuff. I have two large 6ft Dracaena plants, I just repotted one and all looks good, no sign of any mites or pests there. I still have a few other plants to repot and I’m hoping there won’t be any further issues. I now realise the Mother In Laws tongue didn’t have very good drainage so maybe this was part of the problem. It was shocking bc it was actually thriving so an infestation was the last thing on my mind. I might just give up this hobby and stick with Orchids which for now I seem to be having luck with. 😩
Idk if I have springtails or soil mites they don’t really leave the dirt and they look silver idk what to do 😭😭
Diatomaceous Earth will do the trick!
Damn dude how do u get rid of mites in soil????
Hydrogen peroxide or diatomaceous earth
make sure you use gloves and a face mask when using diatomaceous earth. although it is safe, it can be harmful if inhaled and if you have skin problems, such as eczema--it can irritate the skin.
For sure!
Do you have to repot???
🙏🏼 I need answers😩. I just recently repotted my palm and pothos. 1st time ever repotting, was happy about the experience now😢 my palm has this. It’s been less than a month since I repotted. I’m scared 😱 my plant had it while repotting and I wore no gloves😭🤢🤮. I didn’t see any though🤷🏻♀️.
Now I noticed some mold disturbed the soil and 😮there they were.
Do I have to repot or can I continue watering as normal?
I would highly recommend it in case any soil mites are still buried in the soil :-/