Help! Little White Bugs Popping Up

[Gone-and-Back]

I have a seedling that is about a week old at the most. It currently has the first set of leaves that are there upon sprouting, and the next set has grown in as well. It seems to be doing very well, except for one thing...

I noticed some little white things crawling around in the soil. They don't fly, just crawl. I know my soil has things in it like mychorzial fungi to help the absorption and growth of the roots, but that wouldn't be causing this no? The soil is Happy Frog organic potting soil. This was freshly opened for this batch of seeds.

Three others didn't germinate, and I noticed the white things in those first and immediately tossed them thinking it would be ok since the one seed that did germinate showed no signs of the things. However, upon checking today, I saw two of them crawling around the soil!

What could these be and how can I possibly get rid of them?

 

[ScientificMethod]

Sounds like you've got spider mites. Good luck man... I never had to deal w then, but I hear they are terrible! If it's a seedling, then I'd start over and clean the heck out of your space. Good luck.

 

[Gone-and-Back]

I already did a deep clean on that whole, and scrubbed the closet down with bleach. How the hell did they get there?

Can I use neem oil with the plant being this young?

 

[Gone-and-Back]

Also, don't spider mites eat the plants? They seem to be avoiding the plant and crawling around the soil...

 

[Spaced Out 2]

Spider mites will devastate a plant if you don't catch them quick enough. Never bring outdoor plants inside to an indoor garden. This is from experience! They are crazy hard to get rid of. But it doesn't sound like you have them, just sounds like some little dirt bugs of some sort. I use same soil and have never seen them. Weird

 

[ScientificMethod]

Spider mites will devastate a plant if you don't catch them quick enough. Never bring outdoor plants inside to an indoor garden. This is from experience! They are crazy hard to get rid of. But it doesn't sound like you have them, just sounds like some little dirt bugs of some sort. I use same soil and have never seen them. Weird

That's probably more accurate. I've never had 'em, so that was really just my first guess. Let's pray to the elves that they aren't mites.

 

[Gone-and-Back]

I dont think they are mites, for I had mites once and it looked different. Plus they were all over the plant, not in the dirt.

Any ideas on ways to get rid of whatever it could be? The plant is so healthy and growing pretty quickly so I would really like to be able to save it if possible.

 

[Spaced Out 2]

Mites are hard to see hence the reason they are rarely caught early. They will suck your plant dry and leave little yellow and white specks on the leaves where they have inserted their little probe thingy, for lack of better term. I would say let them be if they aren't harming your plant and it seems to be ultra healthy, never know they might be breaking down some stuff that the plant can use like bug poo. I would just keep an eye on them.

 

[Gone-and-Back]

Last I looked I only saw two of them. I plan to check on it again in about an hour before bed. I'll update if there is more of them or not, or if they have moved to the plant etc.

Apart from speculating what they could be, what are some ways to get rid of things like this when the plant is so young?

I know there is always ladie bugs, but I'd rather not have to do this due to it being indoors.

 

[Spaced Out 2]

I'm sure they are probably harmless otherwise they would be attacking your plant. If all else you could get a pic of them if possible and head to local grow shop and see what they recommend. On the other hand I can't give you any recommendations either because I haven't had that problem and if you add something to the soil and it affects the roots it's hard to get it to recover. I don't want to be the one that tells you to do something that kills your plant. Personally I would just watch them and in mean time let the plant grow and get healthier before doing anything detrimental to it. Lady bugs aren't worth a damn when it comes to getting rid of pests. I've tried them when I had mites.

 

[--Shadow]

You could try using some Diatomaceous earth on the top of your soil.

I used with some success dealing with fungus gnats, but watering the plants then becomes a pain...

 

[Pup Tentacle]

IF they are spider mites... I've had great success with this stuff...

http://generalhydroponics.com/site/index.php/products/maintenance/azamax1/

 

[pitubo]

Cannabis is a remarkably sturdy plant. It has one weakness... it hates being held indoor. Maybe keeping the seedling outdoors for a week or a few weeks will help it fend of the critters.

 

[Gone-and-Back]

So I just checked on it again today after getting home. There is still only two of them that I saw crawling around, and again they seem to not be attacking the plant. One crawled onto the stem, but seemed to immediately hop back to the soil once crawling up it a few cms.

Pup- is that just neem oil? Or more like neem oil on steroids. I see it's made with neem.

Pitubo- it is currently winter here. The only choice at the moment is indoors.

 

[DiMoiTou]

When I hear little white bugs, I think thrips...but on such a young plant, I don't know...
In any case, spray with neem oil if you have. Lower room temperature a bit if you can. Pick the bugs manually if there aren't many.
With a bigger plant, I would recommend a quick clean-up of the plant with a vacuum cleaner (with a brush endpiece and on low power, if possible) and a couple of minutes under a shower.

 

[GOD]

Before we murder things we should find out what they are ? Maybe they are doing the plants or soil good ?

Spider mites on safari on soil but not the plants = NOPE . Get a magnifying glass and look at the plants . Especialy under the leaves . Spider mites make webs and you can see them , the webs and their eggs .

Do the things your talking about move fast and jump ? = Spring tails

Neem doesnt work . Read the instructions on the packet . It doesnt kill them all and helps breed resistant mites .

 

[Pup Tentacle]

it is made from Neem

 

[pitubo]

Pitubo- it is currently winter here. The only choice at the moment is indoors.

You would be surprised how hardy the plant is. Here it is winter too, but the sun is shining. If I had any plants now, they would love it outside. I have in the past had cuttings, sitting in plain rockwool only, survive outdoors in night frost with no problem.

 

[Gone-and-Back]

Frost is one thing, but it is currently 5 degrees out with the sun shining. I doubt they can survive that.

I will lower the temp in the room and see if that does anything. It is currently being kept at 75 degrees. 65-70 should be ok, yes?

I know neem doesn't kill the bugs, but it messes with their hormones causing them to do things such as stop eating due to lack of appetite, messes with their fertility and desire to mate, amongst other things. I don't see how this isn't effective. If you use it early enough, at the first sign of pests, those first few won't live long enough to breed or lay eggs. And if they do, that next generation is going to be born being sprayed with neem, thus eliminating the possibility of that generation breeding and laying eggs.

I ended up killing one of whatever they are. It was crawling on the rim of the solo-cup that I started the seeds in, so I flicked it off. I'm sure something of that size didn't survive the flight it took after that

 

[steppa]

It's hard to say what kind of pest it is without pics. When I hear little white bugs I think of thirps too. I have to fight against those sometimes too. IF they are thirps neem based products do work.

But when they leave your plants alone, I'd just wait and see what happens. If you find traces on the leafs that look like little paths (sorry I can't find the right translation) I'd guess them to be thirps. Tose traces begin on the lower leafs and spread from there. But as Long as they do no harm, I don't see a reason to fight them. Good Luck!