Tiny little bugs in my G/H

[orchidlover55]

I think I seen a bug!!!! I did I seen a lot of bugs They are all in my mixture ... I have not seen them on my orchids but they look like little mites. They are crawling all in the mixture , what can I do ??? I would send pics but I can' hardly see them myself. They are so tiny. The only reason I seen them is I turned over one of my pots cleaning the G/H .I have around 100 and as far as I could tell they are in almost everyone of them . I have looked in the thread sections and I can't find anything that has bugs only in the mixture. Am I missing something? Can anyone help me with a solution? I don't want to loose my orchids

[dounoharm]

douse the little boogers with POISON!! i believe in using a systemic insecticide periodically.....after all, there isnt any point in trying to be organic with my orchids, and I HATE BUGS! most the time i use neem oil and safers insecticidal soap mixed together as a preventive, but when i see BUGS i poison the little devils....the systemic takes care of anything that chews on orchid flesh....the little boogers in your mix are probably springtails and not actually harmful to your orchids, but they will inhabit and encourage decomposition of your medium....so out with the boogers and bugs! another idea if you are intent on trying to be organic minded is to get in some insect eaters....ie praying mantis....but then you cant use chemicals....another good mix is safers soap and liquid seven....death to bugs!

[orchidlover55]

dounoharm, thank you so much for the advice. Your right , I haven't noticed any harm to my plants. I will get some liquid seven, I seen a praying mantis in the green house this morning that may be what it was after was my bugs LOL. I would prefer not to be organic because like you said , then I couldn't use chemicals when I really wanted to be serious .. LOL .
I love the picture in your profile that is beautiful. Just wanted to add that , I hope it was ok.
Thank you Debra

[mehitabel]

Yuk! Tiny bugs teeming in your mix is a real gross-out.

Safer's insecticidal soap (it has a slightly different name now-- I think it's Safer's Insect-killing Soap or something like that) can safely be used as a drench on Orchids. Make up a solution in a bucket and just dip the whole pot in. Use rubber gloves, and keep the pot submerged til it quits bubbling. Or if the bugs are in your unused mix, wet that, too. That should do it.

*Be sure to water your orchids first.* Never apply any chemical to a dry orchid.

If necessary, repeat in a couple of weeks.

Safer's is a quite mild insecticide, IMO. Most of the killing is done by the soap, believe it or not. Destroys the exoskeleton, and they drown. (I love the thought of drowning them).

Used as a drench instead of a spray, it will have the detergent effect of super-wetting the medium, so be careful watering for a while so as not to over-water.

Keep the plant out of the sun while it is wet.

[orchidlover55]

Thanks Mehitabel, that sounds really cool gettin to kill those little critters like that . I guess it could be called a slam dunk LOL I would feel alot more secure getting something that I knew wouldn't hurt my little babies so Safers it is . Tomorrow I am going to Lowes I will pick up some Safers and I am hoping they will have a good deal on orchids too. Maybe I can come home with another rescue orchid or two.... or maybe even three ....

[digitalgate]

sound like fungus gnat to me but who care the treatment is the same. Malathion ya!

[katrina]

WHOA! Hold up for a second. IMO...the wisest thing to do is first try to figure out what you've got before you go spraying poison everywhere.

Here's the problem...as I see it. Spraying insecticides can become a vicious cycle. Once you spray...you kill not only the "bad" bugs but also the good bugs...like that praying mantis. If the good bugs are gone...you will begin to see more bad bugs. And on...and on...and on...which means more and more and more poison.

I would first try to determine what you got there and then proceed w/the APPROPRIATE control measure. IF it's something that needs controlling.

Based on your saying they are running around when you pick up a pot.. google Springtail. It's a very common...and harmless...insect. And chances are you could spray for the next year and never get rid of them anyway. They are everywhere and they are typically a sign of a healthy eco system.

If possible...try to get a pic...or give a better description of what it looks like so we can see if we can help you figure this out.

Just remember...not all bugs are bad and when you grow plants...you're going to have to put up w/some bugs from time to time.

[kid a]

I have those in my frogs terrarium and had tried by replacing the substrate several times and they kept coming back so I just leave em lol. They seem to eat detrious type stuff They aren't eating the plants or bothering the frog.

[LouisW]

I agree with Katrina. Those chems are pretty nasty and I think there is a good chance that the bugs are harmless. In addition to springtails, they could be mites like you say, but not all mites are bad by a long shot.

Even if they do prove to be a pest i think that physically spraying them away with water and a little soap is the first line of defense. Again like Katrina says, depending on the nature of the critter.

[mehitabel]

Safer's *soap* does its killing as a soap. It's not one of those "nasty chemicals". Bob Gordon discusses it-- it's a lye-based soap. Read the label.

As to whether just live with insects teeming in the medium-- it would be a complete gross-out for me. I would drop the pot when I saw that. Why should she live with it if it's disgusting to her when there are perfectly safe alternatives?

[katrina]

The soap based products ARE safer than something like malathion BUT they still have the ability to kill beneficial insects in conjunction w/the nasties. Which could turn into that vicious cycle I mentioned.

I stand by my original comment...it is best to know what you're dealing with before attempting control....be it a "toxic" pesticide or a insecticidal soap. I'm not against using control measures where warranted...and I'm not saying anyone has to put up with a pot teeming w/insects. I am saying it's best to know what you're going after so you know how best to approach the situation.

FYI...even soaps...especially lye-based...can be harmful if not used properly. As a matter of fact, soap based products have been known to burn plants when not used properly.

[orchidlover55]

Thanks for all your advise I couldn't make this journey without my friends at orchidgeeks. I went and bought me some Safers and sprayed it and I haven't seen any little pest lately. After I sprayed Safers I sprayed the soap mixture. NO MORE BUGS

[mehitabel]

ok. point taken, katrina. Guess we're all correct LOL

[katrina]

[jay]

I had a problem with fungus gnats in my seedling house. I felt that they were too small and delicate for a heavy insecticide and went a natural method. I bought some Drosera (sundews) and Pings (butterworts) from Lowe's. They really helped control the gnat problem to a point that I didn't have to worry about them. I keep a few Drosera in my seedling house still. They seem to love the gnats and really thrive. I get to have fun with both the orchids and the carnivorous plants.

[mehitabel]

Jay, fungus gnats are controlled by the same thing that is used on mosquitoes-- bacillus thuringensis, aka "BT".

This is not an insecticide at all, but bacteria that is completely harmless to humans or animals, but deadly to mosquitoes (and fungus gnats).

If you can't find BT in powder form in hardware stores, get some mosquito dunks and soak them in water for a few days, then water the medium with the dunk-water. In sphag, I found it took several waterings to get every last one. In other media, it may take less.

I have also read that fungus gnats appear when conditions are too moist. Just a thought. In sphag, Bob Gordon says they are "inevitable" as they feed off the algae that "inevitably" occurs in sphag.

[orchidlover55]

That is some real good info !! I have never heard of fungus gnats but that sounds like what I may have. I haven't seen any bugs in a couple of days but it rained real hard today and they normally get bad after a rain for some reason so I am going to look tomorrow and see if they are peeking out I will go to Lowes and see if I can find some BT.



Debra

[katrina]

Originally Posted by mehitabel

This is not an insecticide at all, but bacteria that is completely harmless to humans or animals, but deadly to mosquitoes (and fungus gnats).

Not to contradict you again...really I promise I'm not trying to be difficult..but I want to make sure people understand. BT is very safe when used according to the label....it's definitely much safer than an "insecticide"...BUT...it's not "harmless". In it's concentrated form (I have the powdered form, it also comes in liquid) one wants to be careful because it has been known...in some instances...to cause acute skin irritations so wear gloves. As well as respiratory troubles if inhaled by accident. So...yes, much safer than most insecticides...but still be careful. I always say if it can kill an insect...then it has the potential...if not used as directed/explained...to be dangerous to every living thing including humans.

I'm a big "green" and "organic" advocate but I often see where people hear that something is "natural" or "green" or "organic" and they automatically think "safe". Unfortunately, this is not always the case. As a matter of fact, there are many "natural" things out there that can be even more dangerous than the synthetic stuff many of us look to avoid.

I hope I'm not coming off as antagonistic...just trying to be informative. And I'm definitely not trying to pick on you mehitabel. PROMISE.

[mehitabel]

Not to worry Katrina. Your apologies are fulsome, and it's obvious you didn't mean to be offensive.

I guess I'm not so lawyerly in my language. I'm not likely to change, either, so you'll just have to keep supplying the warnings.

Most people read the label, use common sense handling stuff and are careful not to rub anything in their eyes. Cautioning adults to be careful seems excessive to me given that every label has been written by 42 lawyers these days. I wonder if you can buy a fork today without a caution not to stick it in your eye or stab someone with it. Sorry, couldn't resist.

[katrina]

As much as I hate to admit it...I WAS one of those people who used to hear "natural" and assume completely and totally safe. I was also one of those people who experienced some skin irritation due to being stupid and getting BT my hands. I am allergic to everything under the sun so I should've known better...alas...I had to learn the hard way. Anyway...I'm now always floating on the side of caution.

Thanks for being so gracious and understanding about my need to be "lawyerly" when it comes to these things.

[orchidlover55]

I just love everyone on this forum they are fantastic people .

[orchidenvy]

hi... unfortunately, i don't see an id of the little beast, which, from a logical standpoint, would lead to the best solution.
i think i may have the same... a dark speck - in an 8x loop is round, shiny, hard-shelled, almost like a little beetle! just noticed today when watering. any ids? (pun intended)

[BluPeaches]

Originally Posted by orchidlover55

I just love everyone on this forum they are fantastic people .

I have to agree with you. I learn something new everytime I open a new thread.

[Joe Geoffroy]

Orchidlover, just anothe rlittle hint I know you have gotten many....... I would take that pot or any other outside and spary with whatever has been recommended, because those little buggers will run all over the place., I have seen this at a friends g/h.

I am growing all my chids in s/h now partly because of those nasties.......

joe

[davetheorchidaddict]

In my gh I use neem oil and spray it randomly on different plants, it causes chewing insects to loose their urge to eat thus my plants are safe. My second line of defense is lizards which eat any large insects that try to invade and dine on my plants. I DO NOT dip my plants because that is the best way that I know to spread anything bad in my orchids.