Thrips or Sringtails? Infested, help.

I was thinking I had a few thrips hiding when I saw a single one of these. Now when I water this happens. Are they thrips or springtails? I haven't seen any noticeable thrip damage is the thing, and they only want to stay in the rootzone. Havent seen a single one on the plant, and id think if they were thrips, idve had lots of damage by now.

Sorry bout the low res, my phone wouldn't focus on such tiny things. And the fact that theyre floating in some water doesnt help. Also couldn't get scope to work. Eventually looking to get an eyeclops or similar.

Cant see a thing there.

Alienwidow said:

Cant see a thing there.

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What's your gut instinct?
They washed out of a pot in that amount, none seen on plant or in surface soil but seen at drain holes.
No visible damage either.

I can't get a better shot. I was hovering my phone like two inches away and

Sorry but a fucking mountain lion just started screaming like 10-20ft from my house and must've been scared by the neighbors guard dogs and took off holy shit. It took a second to remember what that scary as shit sound was. I must've jumped 10 feet. I hope it wasn't hunting the neighbors cat.


Anyways I was holding my phone an inch or two above them, they're that tiny. The big white blob on the top left is a barely a regular sized chunk of perlite.

Basically I put the pic up for quantity. That was one 8 inch pots runoff. But I haven't seen damage anywhere.
In that quantity and after several days if not weeks, would I not expect to see damage? Or poop?
Maybe they're not springtails and are doing something else I can't see but my gut says springtails.

I'm pretty much looking to get gut feelings. I don't want to accidentally exterminate springtails.

are they moving around or kindo of jumping

thumper60 said:

are they moving around or kindo of jumping

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Little of both it seems. They were definitely jumping at first but now not so much. When its dry they seem to crawl. They also seem to motor boat around the water a lot. And if I bump the plastic they seem to pop up with excessive energy.

cant c but my money on springtail realy not a problem unless u have millons give them a little taste of neem it will slow em down

If they're springtails I'll feel bad for all the dawn soap I've been using. That'll be the second bug this season that's a beneficial that I've tried harming. First was a damn pirate bug. I wish that had bred. But I think it starved lol.

I actually had the hope of getting springtails when I started this season. Now to confirm, then spread them, then cultivate them, have them analysed, yada yada yada make da money!

Springtails!

Springtails. They do good things in the root zone for you. If you want to control their numbers let your medium dry more they thrive in damp conditions