Pest ID help

[GreenGuySF]

Hello Everyone!

Just found some mite-like creatures in the soil on my plant, does anyone know what this is? I picked up a handful of soil, and see few of the pieces moving around! WTF!?!? Sheeeeeit!

So what are these: soil mite, fungus gnat juvenile, root aphid?



THank you!!!

 

[GreenGuySF]

So another person mentioned Hypoaspis miles - what do you guys think? Anyone seen this before?

I think it's correct ID , look at the inversely trangular anal shield: http://m0.i.pbase.com/g1/01/12401/2/104370200.MtMpGnuJ.jpg

 

[GreenGuySF]

Nobody has seen this??? Look at the triangle on the ass. I am worried, there is a lot of them.

 

[Holdin']

I have had the same exact critters roaming around my gardens for a while now.... I have had some problems at times but I believe it to be unrelated. Sometimes there is a shitload of them, sometimes not.

The closest I've thought mine to resemble is H. Miles, and from the looks of it mine look exactly like yours.

If it is really H. Miles, then they must also feed on either organic matter or a sort of fungus, because for example right now there are tons in my veg room and I've not seen a single pest. But I am using a fairly hot amended organic mix.

Either way I don't feel they are a "pest", if they aren't H. Miles. And I DO know that I haven't seen a single fungus gnat since these little guys have came around.

 

[medicalmj]

Soil mites are darn near impossible to ID even by pros. because there are more than 40,000 species. The good news is nearly all are NOT harmful to your plants. They do eat fungus, bacteria and decaying matter so they can be a sign that you have plenty of those things. That can be fine or it can be an indicator of root rot for example, which is often spread by FGs.

 

[TripleDraw27]

Yea those are good little guys. Several threads regarding this exact mite a page or so back.

In those threads, good info, if you even search the dude above me, he mentions good stuff about them , at least I think its him haha, anyways, its cool man....good guys

 

[GreenGuySF]

Thanks guys! I will check back a few pages for those other threads & read up. Good to hear it seems like they are harmless though. For once a insect that I don't have to loose sleep over!

 

[GreenGuySF]

You know what I just thought of. I reuse my coco. So I bet they're eating the dead roots left behind from previous rounds!

 

[blaze02]

Ive had these things for a few months now.. They look kinda like hysposis but smaller pure white and the move fast and like ants always weaving in and out of the coco.

Im not sure their causing issues, but i feel like i have to work extra hard to keep my bitches happy..and some plants in the room will be perfect and some plants maybe affected though (just not as perfect/happy)?

good or bad i want them gone. i just get too paranoid about them, its just another thing to worry about.

--i notice more of them if i let a pot stay drenched for a little too long
--i noticed all fungus gnats instantly disapeared once i got the soil mite things.<<like an above posters experience>>
--their mandables look alot like hyposis, and they arnt slow like you would expect a root sucker to be so it makes me thing they are likely beneficial eating fungus and fungus gnats.

i cant find any pictures of these things on the web..going to see an entomologist soon. Will share my findings..

o yeah i use pure canna coco only. no incoming clones for at least 6 months before i got them so maybe they are in the coco?

 

[GreenGuySF]

Yea let us know your findings. Mine are fast too, but more of a brown color, they look like a piece of coco dust. I don't know if it's related, but my plants seem using less water.

 

[medicalmj]

Yea let us know your findings. Mine are fast too, but more of a brown color, they look like a piece of coco dust. I don't know if it's related, but my plants seem using less water.

Well the fact that they're that small is probably good news and they are in fact a mite. As far as getting a positive ID, well you just may be naming a new species. That's how many species there are and how many more are unknown. And it is quite possible someone will find an previously unknown soil mite that does in fact eat roots, other than the bulb mite.

Mites are a creature that have disproved a long held theory in evolution, that animals don't "devolve" to a previous state.

The dust mite went from free living to parasite back to free living. Mites are the most pervasive creature on earth.

 

[GreenGuySF]

Thanks for the info. Very interesting facts about the mites devolving. Wow.

Actually I am more worried now they ARE pestiferous, because my plants are using less water. Where I would water every 2 days before and the plants would be nice & ready for it, now after 2 days it seems like they could go longer

 

[intotheunknown]

definitely post in this thread what exactly it ends up being if nobody can ID it and you end up figuring it out... I would like to know the answer to this as well.

What type of soil are you currently using?
also, are you seeing any ill effects from them?

temps/humidity probably have a major factor in the water usage... I would not worry too much about that... well... depending on where you are at in your cycle.
there are many factors to consider when talking water usage...

 

[ballplayer 2]

These soil mites are trouble. They are either trouble themselves, or are an indicator of trouble. All I know is that since these guys have been around the garden has been worthless. I think these either show up accompanying root aphids or ARE root aphids. If you get an ID or find a way to get rid of them I'd buy you a dinner.

BP2

 

[GreenGuySF]

I am using 100% coco, I threw it out after the last round and gonna start with fresh stuff. What I was using was around 1 year old.

I can't say definitively if there were any ill effects, because around the same time I also discovered I had broad mites. I got the broads under control (as far as I can currently tell) and there seems no other damage, so I lean towards answering "no".

Right now they are only on my Mom and that plant is doing 100% fine, whenever I chop it back it grows back quickly and it looks super healthy, so that is another indication they may not be causing any harm.

However, I am keeping my eye on it since any symptoms could have been masked by broad mite infestation.