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pests Hundreds of Bugs in my new germination trays!!

Pepp3rFreak

Pepp3rFreak

Well my new year isn't starting off so good:(

Last weekend I've sowed my entire 2009 seed selections into germination trays with high hopes of growing success as all seeds were from my prime pods last year. I've been keeping them moistened, on heat pads, and with moisture covers over the trays and last night I started seeing some signs of life protruding out of the soil! This morning I eagerly went to see my babies and wake them up with some fluorescent lighting only to find myself in shock as there were hundreds of tiny black looking insects flying and crawling all over my trays, it appears they even ate the few seedlings that were coming out of the ground!!!

I quickly put a mixture of Scorpion powder and water together and spray the bastards in hope to get rid of them.


Does anyone have an idea of what type of bugs these are and to the extent of damage they will make? I know not posting a picture doesn't help much, but I can do this when I get in tonight if they're still there.


Thank you
 
Sorry to hear probably came from the soil my best guess. Get a fan and use some air circulation to keep the bugs off your tray and away from your plants. Worked for me in the past.
 
It sounds like youve got Scarid fly / fungus gnats, try controlling the scarid flys with yellow sticky traps & you can catch the fungus gnats which will be in the soil by thinly slicing some potatoe & laying it ontop of the soil, you need to lift the potatoe every four hours or so & remove the gnats that have made their way upto the bait. Go easy on the moisture levels too!
 
I had millions of those bastards spawn inside this carniverous plant kit thing i got for christmas 2 years ago. It's like a little terrarium, and they just came out of nowhere by the thousands. I taped it shut and pitched it out.
 
Not to hijack your thread. but where can someone get some praying mantis or ladybugs for the new plants that I will be putting outside. While they will be outside, they might be able to help for a little bit.
 
you can get them at your local nursery or order them online
 
IMO Lady bugs will have to be contained when you first release them or they will leave...maybe a few will stay if you have an aphid infestation...to me the trick is getting the eggs/larva on the plants to continue the cycle throughout the year...

read the life cycle.... http://www.geocities.com/sseagraves/ladybuglifecycle.htm

I have no experience with mantis...I bought a couple of egg sacks last year but never say a single mantis...
 
billyboy said:
It sounds like youve got Scarid fly / fungus gnats, try controlling the scarid flys with yellow sticky traps & you can catch the fungus gnats which will be in the soil by thinly slicing some potatoe & laying it ontop of the soil, you need to lift the potatoe every four hours or so & remove the gnats that have made their way upto the bait. Go easy on the moisture levels too!
Click to expand...


Thank you for identifying these evil mutants as this is what they are. And to think I bought the most expensive 'organic' potting soil to germinate my babies and now their covered in bugs...

The Scorpion/water mixture did nothing to fight these things off and I'm about to throw in the towel and start over, even though I have no more seeds of Scorpion, Bhut Jolokia, and Scotch bonnet ^*#%@^$! :hell:


The seedlings are still growing and this morning I have about 6 more popping out of the dirt. Do you think I should try getting rid of the bugs with the potato and sticky traps, or should I attempt digging the seedlings out and starting fresh with new soil?

Thank you!!
 
have you tried spraying them with safer soap?

you can spray the soil to...that may help...
 
Pepp3rFreak said:
Thank you for identifying these evil mutants as this is what they are. And to think I bought the most expensive 'organic' potting soil to germinate my babies and now their covered in bugs...

The seedlings are still growing and this morning I have about 6 more popping out of the dirt. Do you think I should try getting rid of the bugs with the potato and sticky traps, or should I attempt digging the seedlings out and starting fresh with new soil?
Click to expand...
If you find some "Diatomaceous Earth", it'll resolve your problem completely for those which haven't come out of the soil yet. It takes only a very thin layer of it on top of your soil to kill any type of soft bodied critter that comes out of it. It doesn't cost much and goes a long way. It's not practical for a large outside garden, but for potted plants of any kind, it's worth it's weight in gold.

Here's one example of it: Diatomaceous Earth

Good luck!
 
Pepp3rFreak said:
Thank you for identifying these evil mutants as this is what they are. And to think I bought the most expensive 'organic' potting soil to germinate my babies and now their covered in bugs...

The Scorpion/water mixture did nothing to fight these things off and I'm about to throw in the towel and start over, even though I have no more seeds of Scorpion, Bhut Jolokia, and Scotch bonnet ^*#%@^$! :hell:


The seedlings are still growing and this morning I have about 6 more popping out of the dirt. Do you think I should try getting rid of the bugs with the potato and sticky traps, or should I attempt digging the seedlings out and starting fresh with new soil?

Thank you!!
Click to expand...

I'll bet one shot of Raid through a hole in the dome would wipe out the whole mess. :) It's not like the plants won't get washed off eventually when they're outside. But transplanting into new soil is pretty easy when the seedlings are still small. I do it all the time when I get 2 seeds sprouting from the same hole. I hate to pinch off anything that's trying to live, I'd rather give away extra plants.
 
It isn´t the same pests as I had problems with?
http://www.thehotpepper.com/showthread.php?t=8651

I came to the conclusion that my Pests were http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springtail
there are ALOT of them, if you move the tray or blow on it it seems that they are "flying" although they are jumping.

The good part is that they dont damage the seedling or the plant, and only show up when the soil is too wet for a long period. When your seedlings have 2 pars of leaves I would recommend repotting, that fixed my problem.
 
you want to be careful with what you put on the soil/plants...if the insecticide is taken up by the seedlings in their system, the poisons may not go away and stay in the plants tissue....

(systemtic insecticides)
 
bigt said:
I'll bet one shot of Raid through a hole in the dome would wipe out the whole mess. :)
Click to expand...


Raid can burn the tender new seedling leaves, though. I would not recommend that at all! Some sort of insecticidal soap is the best way to go if you decide on a pesticide.


Don't ditch your plants Pepp3rFreak! Make a barrier on the surface with something like perilite or the Diatomaceous Earth suggested by that guy that was supposed to be missing. That will prevent the adults from laying more eggs. You can also drench the soil with Bt to kill the larva.

I'd put up the yellow sticky traps, too, to get more of the adults.
 
yeah...he can't stay gone for long...good to see you posting again Nat...
 
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