Yellowish/White bugs walking on the surface of the medium. APHIDS???

crespo

Member
Hi,
Noticed yesterday a bunch of yellow/white little bugs walking on the soil of my plants. They stay on the soil and don't go on the plants. Assholes look like aphids (?) but are they ROOT APHIDS???
Plants look great on the veg. stage 2ft tall except 3 that start showing clear yellow leaves.
Neem oil doesn't work.
Any help please....
plants ready to go into flowering and i don't want bugs!!!
Thankyou!
 

crespo

Member
they stay on the surface... not on the leaves. so you say take ciggarets mix with hot water and spray when it cools down?
 

alonefarmer420

Active Member
Hi,
Noticed yesterday a bunch of yellow/white little bugs walking on the soil of my plants. They stay on the soil and don't go on the plants. Assholes look like aphids (?) but are they ROOT APHIDS???
Plants look great on the veg. stage 2ft tall except 3 that start showing clear yellow leaves.
Neem oil doesn't work.
Any help please....
plants ready to go into flowering and i don't want bugs!!!
Thankyou!
Root aphids colonize and suck juices from roots in many mediums including horticultural pebbles, rockwool and planting mixes. They are persistent, so it requires some discipline to eliminate them. There are several organic products that can be used without affecting the plant, the buds, or the safety of the buds for later human consumption. The first is organic pyrethrum. This is a natural insecticide gathered from a chrysanthemum-type flower. There are several brands of liquid concentrate. If pyrethrum liquid is not available at your local nursery or garden shop you can order it on the internet.

Botanigard is an insecticide that is composed of a living fungus, beauveria bassiana. This fungus seeks out aphids and infects them, causing death. Then it releases spores waiting for more victims. It also works to control whiteflies and thrips. You can order it at many garden stores or through garden websites on the internet.

Neem oil and citrus oil have also been used to kill aphids, but they sometimes affect the roots. Test them on a sample plant before using either of them in the garden.

The aphids should be treated every other day with a minimum of six treatments. Rotate the insecticides. Botanigard can be combined with pyrethrum. The neem and citrus oils can be mixed with each other as well as pyrethrum. The idea is to totally eliminate the pests.

Beneficial nematodes are microscopic carnivores that attack all kinds of insects in all stages of growth. Once the nematodes come in contact with the insect, whether adult or pupae, it is walking dead. After the feast, the nematodes do just what you'd expect, so thousands more hungry nematodes enter the scene looking for a good meal. They are available in both garden shops and on the internet

If the plants are growing in a hydroponic system, rather than mixing the treatment in the reservoir, make a special batch of water. Turn off the hydroponic system and water the plants using a watering can. Let the insecticide water stay in the root area for at least an hour before turning the hydroponic unit back on.

Once the aphids are gone, it is difficult for them to reinfect. They were probably introduced to your garden by a new element such as a clone or infected planting mix.
 

crespo

Member
i am not growing hydro, i grow soil does it make any difference?
the clones are in rock wool 2 inch above the soil and the bugs are going into the rock wool and out and also on the surface of the soil.
 

sfttailpaul

Active Member
Man, what is it? Seems like a heck of a lot of people are experiencing the same thing. Some descriptions sound like total loss infestations :cry: so I guess that the faster one tosses, cleans and starts over, the faster one will be on track again. I HAVE to listen to my own advice:hump: Last night, I found my Microscope that also has a computer eye piece. Unfortunately, it is older technology. I was thinking I'd post pictures. I am not sure if it'll work. It is in USB 1.0 and I have a 2005-6 Lap Top w/Vista. I am having trouble loading the CD. A bigger problem is that I know shit 'bout computers; just e nuf 2 B dangerous... Anyway I took a few samples of what appeared to be tiny eggs. Turned out to be mites, I think. Bonafide alive and kicking. Some were babies, smaller and totally clear. The others were twice as large with black stuff (? eggs or organs ?) visible inside a clear body. 8-legged pissed off looking bastards! Upside down and squirming to get right. Fat little Fuc$ers.
*** I also notice tiny "bumps" underneath some of the leaflets. They are visible only on the underside of a leaflet, between the smaller veins that run from the main (center) to the leaflet edge. I figure there is some kind of boring type insect? Anyone know what I mean? Do mites do this? I do have the tell-tale white spots and occasional "slime" type residue on leaflet tops. My problem is desperation. I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO have a reasonable harvest. Otherwise I am way, way down the creek without a paddle. I know I got them from some clones that I also got due to desperation. To "top it off", I also had 4 different strains from seed going great. They were clean and flawless. See now? My stupidity has ruined them also. One of the best things i have seen here i: Absolutely, do NOT bring anything into the grow environment, from the outside.
I brewed a mixture of the:
Pepper/Tobacco/Garlic/Soap/Oil/et.al. and applied last night. I had to switch off my HPS and simply left the last 3-4 hours of their allocated light "on" to the general lighting the room has. 80W Fluorescent fixtures, 2-tube X 4 fixtures @ 8' 6" mounting height. Very low but e Nuf... Have to keep 18+ >2 ft. tall flowering wk.#3.
If I get the scope to take pictures, I'll post. Hard to find good "early on" pictures for those hard to see tell-tale signs.
PEACE:blsmoke:
 
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