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Root Aphids

S

Sativan

Member
So I was looking at my potting soil earlier and I realized there were billions of these tiny white nymphs crawling in the soil and moving around rather fast.

As they grow they develop into tiny thin white worm-like things.

Does anyone have experience with getting rid of root aphids?

I've never even seen them before.

Also, am I right that these are root aphids?
 
D

DocTim420

The Doctor is OUT and has moved on...
Sounds like fungus gnats to me...especially if they are one-eyed wormy nymphs. If they are tiny critters scurrying around in a non-docile way, then they might be RAs. Check your drain holes...see em there? Do the run to the container edge when you water?
 
H

HqFarms

Member
You definitely don't have root aphids. Most likely they are springtails. Do they jump around after you water? Do they clump together inn your run off?
 
S

Sativan

Member
They aren't springtails. They aren't that big. I'll have to take a pic if I can figure out how to post it.

I used Microbelift BMT first and then applied a neem oil root drench. I figure I should treat the soil with both so I can't go wrong.
 
S

Shasta_Lake_Ca

New member
I agree the description sounds like gnat larvae. Do you have little black gnats flying around your medium? A couple inch layer of perlite will keep the fungus gnats from laying eggs because they need moist medium (I've had them in rockwool and they suck the life out of large plants).
 
oldbootz

oldbootz

Active member
Veteran
I have been adding compost to indoor beds for years and 2mm under the soil there are a plethora of different tiny insects crawling around and my plants grow great!

Not all bugs are bad, just the bad ones :)
 
D

DocTim420

The Doctor is OUT and has moved on...
Shasta_Lake_Ca said:
Merit 75 will kill all root aphids, thrips, and fungus gnat larvae. It kicks ass.
Click to expand...

And, the active ingredient of that pesticide will stay in your grow medium for almost a year. Do investigate the half-life on Imidacloprid, especially in an organic grow medium. It may shock you--it did me.
 
H

HqFarms

Member
Sativan said:
They aren't springtails. They aren't that big. I'll have to take a pic if I can figure out how to post it.

I used Microbelift BMT first and then applied a neem oil root drench. I figure I should treat the soil with both so I can't go wrong.
Click to expand...

Springtails aren't big at all and are very tiny. But since you think they might be fungus gnat larva or root aphids cut up some potatoes and put the slices on top of your soil. They attract the larva
 
S

Shasta_Lake_Ca

New member
Although I don't use organic medium indoors, I use rockwool. And my plant cycles are usually 75-90 days maximum before a new crop enters clean, fresh rockwool. The only time I have had to use the root aphid stuff is when I was trying to regenerate a crop to put into soil containers for outdoor transplanting. The crop was done, and gnat larvae was present. It took about 4-6 weeks for the bloomed out plants to reveg and in the mean time the larvae were going insane.

But as soon as I hit the medium those little bastards were dead and never came back.
 
S

Sativan

Member
DocTim420 said:
Sounds like fungus gnats to me...especially if they are one-eyed wormy nymphs. If they are tiny critters scurrying around in a non-docile way, then they might be RAs. Check your drain holes...see em there? Do the run to the container edge when you water?
Click to expand...


I've had fungus gnats several times and I'm very familiar with their physical characteristics.

Thanks anyway, after removing the top 2-1/2" of soil all is well. So far anyway.
 
S

Sativan

Member
Shasta_Lake_Ca said:
Although I don't use organic medium indoors, I use rockwool. And my plant cycles are usually 75-90 days maximum before a new crop enters clean, fresh rockwool. The only time I have had to use the root aphid stuff is when I was trying to regenerate a crop to put into soil containers for outdoor transplanting. The crop was done, and gnat larvae was present. It took about 4-6 weeks for the bloomed out plants to reveg and in the mean time the larvae were going insane.

But as soon as I hit the medium those little bastards were dead and never came back.
Click to expand...

So what did you use to "hit" them with?? I'd love to know!
 
H

HqFarms

Member
With out a picture everyone is just guessing. Do my potato slice idea and you will be able to identify them. How do they react when you water? Are your plants harmed in any way?
 
D

DocTim420

The Doctor is OUT and has moved on...
Sativan said:
I've had fungus gnats several times and I'm very familiar with their physical characteristics.

Thanks anyway, after removing the top 2-1/2" of soil all is well. So far anyway.
Click to expand...

If you know that...then you probably also know that majority of RAs in the cannabis world do not come from "eggs". Rather female RAs are asexual (do not need a male to reproduce) and give birth to live female RAs already at the first instar stage (some say the baby RAs are even born "pregnant") and have about 100 offspring in their short 3 week life cycle...with most becoming "mature adults" in 7-10 days

Most of this activity is down under where the roots are, not in the top few inches of the soil..which means if you see "nymphs" on the soil surface, then you are probably not seeing RAs.
 
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H

HqFarms

Member
Notice the only advice listen to on this thread is about chemicals. Any advice this goes against the OP original thought is completely disregarded
 
D

DocTim420

The Doctor is OUT and has moved on...
HqFarms said:
Notice the only advice listen to on this thread is about chemicals. Any advice this goes against the OP original thought is completely disregarded
Click to expand...

Could it be...because there are very few options that consistently provide 100% RA annihilation?

For a good unbiased article regarding RAs and various treatments, this is a good article to start, and what instigated me to try Botanigard (Beauveria bassiana) with good success, but was the most expensive and not a "contact pesticide".

https://www.bioworksinc.com/products/shared/root-aphid-control-article.pdf

For IPM purposes, the best control soil/root drench I have experienced was a simple mixture of pyrethrin/PBO and diatomaceous earth with a tiny bit of water soluble 16-16-16 fertilizer.

IMO, for 100% annihilation--hands down the best nuclear option was acephate. It has the tiniest half-life compared to all other synthetic options, causes no harm the growmedium's microherd, and just happens to be the lowest price chemical solution: gram or two per plant and 97% acephate is available for less than $20/lb.

Other expensive options are available and each seem to have limited success but all share a similar characteristic...they cost a lot (can you hear that cha-ching sound?).
 
H

HqFarms

Member
Imid and what ever is in talstar have been proven not to be the best options and can create super ra's. Beneficial insects are a better route and biofungicides like B.B. like you mentioned which is in bontigard and the organic version myctrol. Met52 works as well
 
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