tiny little wite bugs? what the hell are they?

okiestoner

Member
ok heres the deal. the last three times iv started some seeds about a week in, when they start showing their first set of single leaves they stop growing. and all have eventualy died. under inspection i found these tiny ass white bugs, a few crawling on the top of the soil, but a hole shitload around the roots. Also i had one seed that didnt come up at all. when i dug it up i found the shell of the seed with hundreds of the little basterds inside like they were eating it, and the root that had germinated was gone? Dose anyone know what the hell these are or how to get rid of them? Im using 8 double tube floro shop one warm one cool lights and a 50/50 mix of mirical grow organic potting mix and perlite. anything helps thanks........
 

lighthouse

Active Member
You mentioned the last three times. Are you talking about totally separate times with different strands?
 

FuZZyBUDz

Well-Known Member
ok heres the deal. the last three times iv started some seeds about a week in, when they start showing their first set of single leaves they stop growing. and all have eventualy died. under inspection i found these tiny ass white bugs, a few crawling on the top of the soil, but a hole shitload around the roots. Also i had one seed that didnt come up at all. when i dug it up i found the shell of the seed with hundreds of the little basterds inside like they were eating it, and the root that had germinated was gone? Dose anyone know what the hell these are or how to get rid of them? Im using 8 double tube floro shop one warm one cool lights and a 50/50 mix of mirical grow organic potting mix and perlite. anything helps thanks........

no idea, get sum new soil fer sure tho, dont take any chances they sound like mean lil basterds
 

lighthouse

Active Member
I bought miracle grow organic soil one time. I tested it with my soil tester. The PH level was 6. I found some good natural dirt outside and my seeds did better with that. Have you used the same dirt each time? You mentioned "the last 3 times".
 

Leothwyn

Well-Known Member
Search for pics of soil lice. Do they look like that? If so, you might have some other problem - I'm pretty sure that they are harmless (just eat decomposing matter, not roots).
 

okiestoner

Member
yea iv use the same strain and the same soil eveytime switched closets once though seemed to help at first but they came back.. ill try some new soil though i herd of people haveing alot of problems with mir gro hopefuly that dose it thanks peps
 

big happy

Member
Insects, mites and maggots slither into grow rooms, eating, reproducing and wasting weed. Outdoors, they live everywhere they can. Indoors, they live anywhere you let them. Fungi are present in the air at all times. They may be introduced by an infected plant or from air containing fungus spores. Fungi will settle down and grow if climatic conditions are right. Pests, fungi and diseases can be prevented, but if allowed to grow unchecked, extreme control measures are often necessary to eradicate them. PreventionCleanliness is the key to insect and fungus prevention. The grow room should be totally enclosed, so the environment can be controlled easily. Keep the floor clean. Keep all debris off soil surface. Do not use mulch. Insects and fungi like nice hideaway homes found in dirty dank corners and under dead decaying leaves or rotting mulch. Growers and their tools often transport many microscopic pests, diseases and fungi that could ultimately destroy the garden. This does not mean growers and their tools have to be hospital clean every time they enter a grow room, even though that would be nice. It does mean normal and regular sanitary precautions must be taken. Growers that wear clean clothes and use clean tools reduce problems immensely. A separate set of indoor tools is easy to keep clean. Pests, diseases and fungi intrinsically ride from plant to plant on dirty tools. Disinfect tools by dipping in rubbing alcohol or washing with soap and hot water after using them on each diseased plant. Another quick way to sterilize pruners is with a hand-held torch. A quick heating with the torch will sterilize metal tools immediately. Personal cleanliness is fundamental to prevent pests and diseases. Wash your hands before touching foliage and after handling diseased plants. Smart growers do not walk around the buggy outdoor garden, and visit the indoor garden; they do it vice versa. Think before entering the indoor garden and possibly contaminating it. Did you walk across a lawn covered with rust fungi or pet the dog t
 

big happy

Member
that just came in from the garden outside? Did you just fondle your spider mite infested split leaf philodendron in the living room? Avoid such problems by washing your hands, and changing shirt, pants and shoes before entering an indoor garden.Once a crop has been grown in a potting soil or soilless mix, throw it out. Some growers brag about using the same old potting soil over and over. Unknowingly this savings is repaid with a diminished harvest. Used soil may harbor harmful pests and diseases that have developed immunity to sprays. Starting a new crop in new potting soil will cost more up front, but will eliminate many potential problems. Used soil makes excellent outdoor garden soil. Warning!Growers in Eugene, Oregon tossed their outdoor soil out in the back yard for many years. The soil was about 50 percent white perlite and had a distinctive color. This oversight eventually got the growers arrested.Once potting soil is used, it loses much of the “fluff” in the texture. Compaction becomes a problem. Roots penetrate compacted soil slowly and there is little room for oxygen, which restricts nutrient uptake. Used potting soil is depleted of nutrients. A plant with a slow start is a perfect target for disease and worst of all, it will yield less!Companion planting helps discourage insects outdoors. Indoors pests have nowhere to go and companion planting was not viable in the grow rooms that I have visited.Super Size Secret:Always plant about 10 percent more plants than you plan to harvest. If one in 10 plants can become infected or sickly, remove them from the garden. Removing entire plants is the easiest way to isolate and control most pest and disease problems.Plant insect and fungus resistant strains of marijuana. If buying seeds from one of the many seed companies, always check for disease resistance. In general cannabis indica is the most resistant to pests, and sativa’s more resistant to fungal attacks. When choosing mother plants, inspect them regularly for pest and disease resistance. I am always amaze
 

big happy

Member
when I see infested plants alongside healthy ones in the same garden.Keep plants healthy and growing fast at all times. Disease attacks sickly plants first. Strong plants tend to grow faster than pests and diseases can spread.Forced air circulation makes life miserable for pests and diseases. Pests hate wind. Holding on to plants is difficult and flight paths are haphazard. Fungal spores have little time to settle in a breeze and grow poorly on wind-dried soil, stems and leaves.Super Size Secret:Preventing pests and diseases is much easier and more productive than eliminating an infestation.Ventilation changes the humidity of a room quickly. In fact, a vent fan attached to a humidistat is often the most effective form of humidity control. Mold was a big problem in one of the grow rooms that I visited. The room did not have a vent fan. Upon entering the enclosed room, the moist humid air was overpowering. It was terrible! The environment was so humid that roots grew from plant stems. The grower installed a vent fan to suck out moist stale air. The humidity dropped from nearly 100 percent to around 50 percent. The mold problem disappeared and harvest volume increased.Indoor horticulturists that practice all of the preventative measures have fewer problems with pests and diseases. It is much easier to prevent a disease from getting started than it is to wipe out an infestation. If pests and diseases are left unchecked, they could devastate the garden in a few short weeks.
 

Viceline

Member
Id switch to some kik ass expensive grow shop soil. I went with this cheap organic crap because I was on budget and ended up with whiteflies, silverfish. Just read on another thread something about sterile soil. DOnt know much about it but sounds like the crap me and you need. Bugs suck.
 

IAm5toned

Well-Known Member
yea iv use... the same soil eveytime...
therein lies the problem....
get some different soil.. and different pots.
use a 10% bleach and water solution to wipe down the closet before you start another.

ps/edit:

you can sterilize soil by baking it in an oven @ 325 degrees for 90 mins.
just dont forget to add some moisture to it before you transplant or plant into the sterilized soil.
perlite shouldnt go in the oven tho.....
 

okiestoner

Member
ok im tryn to find some quality soil, but im havin problems. i live in oklahoma city, ok and i cant find any place that carrys fox farm or some other hq soil. anybody out there from okc or know where to get some good stuff. dont relly want to order from the net shipping charges will be crazy
 

bigsourD

Well-Known Member
American Plant Products & Services
9200 N.W. 10th, Oklahoma City, OK
(405) 787-4833

I'm sure you can fin fox farm soil there
 

Viceline

Member
Ive been using Ortho Eco Max its an oil based spray that I havent heard anyone else using for this yet and its been very effective. Been misting in front of fans every 5-6 days for three weeks(plants still happy) and has reduced white flies by 90%. >>>>> IAM5ONED..... Good advice one making soil sterile. Thanks man.. Great advice!!!!!!
 
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