Bug identification

16 years ago

Ok, so ive stumbled upon a potential problem I havent been able to solve, so I hope you guys can help me out. In the soil of my plants (inside and out) are many little tiny grey bugs. They dont APPEAR to have any obvious wings, but they are too small to tell. Just small, oval shaped bodies with no clear head that can jump in a flash if you try to poke em with a toothpick (I was curious). They dont SEEM to have any negative effects on my plants, but one of my nepenthes developed a mutant trap that never developed a full lid. I cant tell if its just a harmless bug family eating the decaying matter in my soil, or an infestation screwing around with my plants roots. Please give your opinion. I cant take a picture because they are too small and my camera isnt that advanced, but if you leave the name of the insect you have in mind, I can google it and find out if someones hit a match.

THANKS,

Squim

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Comments (9)

carnivorousplants
16 years ago
Greenfly? Whitefly? Maybe even thrips or mites or springtails if they don't really have wings.
All of the bugs listed above WILL harm your plants.

- Adrian
squim4
Original Author
16 years ago
yea, im pretty sure it is springtail, just because of how they can "hop" away when disturbed. what ways do you think I can get rid of them?
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petiolaris
16 years ago
Adult springtails are CP food and harmless. Larval springtails can eat away at CP roots.
squim4
Original Author
16 years ago
Im pretty sure they are multiplying, so that means there must be larvae. How can I get rid of them?
petiolaris
16 years ago
Repot the plant into totally fesh media and toss the old material.
gigi51
16 years ago
OK.....let's say I catch a bug in my house or outdoors or where ever......what bugs are safe for my plants??
carnivorousplants
16 years ago
CP's eat most bugs except live wasps as they somtimes chew through the pitchers, causing horrible damaged.Don't feed it any bug that has been killed by chemicals or bugs that have been dead for a long time.

- Adrian
petiolaris
16 years ago
Don't use slugs or beetles, though.
the_mikado
15 years ago
Yeah, slugs seem wrong, but my pitchers have caught beetles on their own...