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Invisibledanielx
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tiny white/translucent worm bugs eating my cacti seedlings
    #14242447 - 04/05/11 03:18 PM (12 years, 11 months ago)

I noticed one box of seedlings was getting wrecked, and when I looked closer, I saw almost microscopic worm/slug looking things sifting through the soil. They are white and almost translucent in nature, and even smaller then a few week old cactus seedlings. To small to take a picture of properly.

Any idea what they might be, and how I might combat them? I quarantined this box and sprayed with neem oil. Hoping the rest of my boxes dont catch this infestation.


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Offlinejoshisstoned
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Re: tiny white/translucent worm bugs eating my cacti seedlings [Re: danielx]
    #14242494 - 04/05/11 03:30 PM (12 years, 11 months ago)

i had the same thing in my ganja soil once. theyre some type of root aphyd. just go get some dry fungus gnat killer and treat the soil as directed. then repeat about a week later to get the eggs and stop the cycle. they hop too. they skip around and look like tiny transluscent/white worms

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InvisiblePoC
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Re: tiny white/translucent worm bugs eating my cacti seedlings [Re: joshisstoned]
    #14243807 - 04/05/11 07:21 PM (12 years, 11 months ago)

Doesn't sound like aphids to me.  I have seen what I think you're describing before attacking cactus seedlings danielx and I believe they are nematodes.  Not sure what an effective way to remove them is - maybe some diatomaceous earth would discourage them since they seem to like crawling on the soil surface.  Usually I get them if I use an unsterile medium and if those seeds aren't too big I'd recommend just starting a new batch and using this one to figure out how you might combat the little glassy nematodes next time you see them.  From my experience they don't seem to spread and don't seem to have good ways of traveling from pot to pot.


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Invisiblekarode13Facebook
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Re: tiny white/translucent worm bugs eating my cacti seedlings [Re: danielx]
    #14246017 - 04/06/11 03:25 AM (12 years, 11 months ago)

Do they have a Black head at all?

They're probably what PoC has suggested but I just want to rule out fungus gnat larvae.


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Invisibledanielx
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Re: tiny white/translucent worm bugs eating my cacti seedlings [Re: karode13]
    #14247470 - 04/06/11 01:37 PM (12 years, 11 months ago)

after closer inspection. they are fungus gnat larvae.

What causes them, how can I prevent them next time? these fuckers ate so many of my seedlings


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Invisiblekarode13Facebook
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Re: tiny white/translucent worm bugs eating my cacti seedlings [Re: danielx]
    #14251308 - 04/07/11 02:33 AM (12 years, 11 months ago)

I thought that's what they were.

They are attracted to damp organic matter which is conducive for their young to hatch in. The young feed off the roots of plants and other organic matter in the soil.

I find the wetter you keep your soils the more likely you're going to get an infestation. This is why it is important to let your soil dry out a bit before watering, use the finger knuckle technique. Sometimes the soil you use has the larvae already in it so this makes it difficult from the start.

You could search here on shroomery or online and use one of the methods mentioned but if you can go and source an insecticide called Bacillus thuringiensis v. israelensis. It is a naturally occurring bacteria found in soils and it stops the larvae from feeding a few hours after application. Make sure to get the BT. var. israelensis strain as this one is designed to attack fungus gnat larvae.

I'm not aware of any product names that contain this but you shouldn't have much trouble finding it as it is becoming increasingly popular. A good gardening supply store should be able to point you in the right direction.


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OfflineGGTBod
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Re: tiny white/translucent worm bugs eating my cacti seedlings [Re: karode13]
    #14253432 - 04/07/11 02:25 PM (12 years, 11 months ago)

I used to get trouble with these little hungry fuckers when i used to grow the sacred herb. Karode is bang on about the moisture and that the eggs are present in almost all store bought susbtrate containing any organic matter.

Sterilisation of organic containing substrate before use (oven or microwave) kills the eggs, this does deplete the quality of the substrate but this is easily solved by supplimenting your fertiliser with something like "Superthrive".

Letting your substrate dry between watering and increasing your air flow definitely helps once you have an outbreak but prevention is way easier than cure for next time

Wish i had known about this years ago "Bacillus thuringiensis v. israelensis" it could have saved me 2 herb crops which did not reach their previous standards the genetics had produced without outbreaks of gnat larvae, these were 5 month cycles totally wasted an you can't get that time back, as you can tell even tho 10 years have passed this is still a hard subject for me.

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Invisibledanielx
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Re: tiny white/translucent worm bugs eating my cacti seedlings [Re: GGTBod]
    #14253883 - 04/07/11 03:36 PM (12 years, 11 months ago)

its hard to let the soil dry inbetween waterings, because with delicate new cacti seedlings dry=death.

thanks for the tips guys, im going to take a look into Bacillus and try to be more cleanly with my techniques.


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OfflineGGTBod
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Re: tiny white/translucent worm bugs eating my cacti seedlings [Re: danielx]
    #14254121 - 04/07/11 04:20 PM (12 years, 11 months ago)

On a funny n slightly disgusting (for some) note, me and my brother worked out that between us we have eaten thousand of these little maggots but their wild versions, every year since I was 14 I have eaten wild Psilocybes, when you dry them on newspaper the gnat larvae try to flee for a wetter climate and make a little path across the newspaper before drying out and dying.

Each fungi fruitbody has a minimum of 4 littles tracks leading away from it with a dead larvae dead at the end of the track, considering each trip we eat minimum 200 fruitbodies each (50 of them wiegh about 1 gram dried) then just then we have eaten 800 fungi gnat larvae each for one trip and even knowing this we still regularly eat the fungi fresh from the field when in season

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Re: tiny white/translucent worm bugs eating my cacti seedlings [Re: GGTBod]
    #14257160 - 04/08/11 04:37 AM (12 years, 11 months ago)

BT is relatively new on the scene, last 5 years or so. So this wouldn't of helped your ganja crop.

When I did grow ganja I did have gnats and I would use a commercial drench but have since forgotten the active ingredient. As time progressed and I learnt how to grow properly gnats were never an issue and still aren't to this day. In my opinion if you're getting gnats you're doing something wrong.

Good cultural practices coupled with integrated pest management is the way to grow your plants. Once you've got this down, growing plants becomes a breeze.:bongload:


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OfflineGGTBod
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Re: tiny white/translucent worm bugs eating my cacti seedlings [Re: karode13]
    #14257304 - 04/08/11 07:13 AM (12 years, 11 months ago)

I totally agree, back when i had the problem with them it was because I was not sterlising in any way my substrate, I was over watering and my general humidty in my grow room was also perfect for the adult flies. In short i created the perfect habitat for the propogation of fungi gnats and all parts of their lives, after 2 highly reduced yields i pulled my finger out my arse and learnt how to prevent rather than fight to tackle the outbreak, I havent had a single unwanted garden resident in over 10 years (touch wood).

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OfflinePu-Erh
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Re: tiny white/translucent worm bugs eating my cacti seedlings [Re: danielx]
    #27254463 - 03/15/21 06:06 PM (3 years, 13 days ago)

After a first unsuccessful cacti growing attempt, with my new knowledge and understanding, I planted some trichs about a month ago. This is my current setup, following a tek recommended on dmt nexus, which seemed similar enough to cactus dan's one.



The picture is a couple of weeks old. Now I have a bunch more cacti, and some tiny, fast moving and white visitors. As OP states, too tiny to try to take a picture. I have seen them crawling over the cacti, but not on the surface of the soil, and I have tried to look at them with a magnifying glass unsuccessfully. They move too fast and hide if I put the tupper under light. As far as I can tell, there is no black head, which would mean fungal gnat. But being so tiny, your guess is as good as mine, and you have not actually seen the things. Am I correct in this assumption?

As of now, most cacti seem healthy, except one, which as a tiny browning spot. I doubt is sun, because they are not exposed and it is on the underside.

First question is: Can I know whether these fellows are friend or foe? I rather not take a life if I can avoid it. I mean, I am the kind of person that chases flies out of the house rather than kill them.

If the friendliness of those critters were not to be determined, I am ready to kill for my babies. I have found my local gardening store carries diatomaceous earth, but I have not been able to find the BTI locally. They carry some BT but it is var. Kurstaki, which seems to be indicated for moth and caterpillars. Would this do? Or should I stick to diatomaceus earth?

Finally, what would be a good step for prevention?
In my first grow attempt, I succumbed to fungi, even tho I microwaved the substrate. This time I did not microwaved, but added a teaspoon of cinnamon to the substrate. So far, no signs of fungi. I was thinking maybe adding another teaspoon of diatomaceous earth to the substrate for next time. I am assuming that would be more effective than sprinkling after the start of the worms, as they would face the substance once their eggs latched. Is this assumption correct? Or is microwaving and then fertilizing the best way to go? Other option I am considering is moistening the substrate with boiling water, hoping that would kill most of the insect eggs, but I am not sure on the effects to soil quality.
I still have some loph seeds that I was planning on planting this weekend to celebrate the equinox. So I would love to learn what the best way for prevention should be.

Thanks for your time, and sorry for the zombie thread, but it is just too similar of a situation to start a new thread.

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Offlinethe man
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Re: tiny white/translucent worm bugs eating my cacti seedlings [Re: Pu-Erh]
    #27259841 - 03/19/21 02:38 AM (3 years, 10 days ago)

no btk wont work... mosquito dunks will tho!  DE is ok for maybe preventing eggs being layed..

with seedlings have to be careful even with oils so dunks prob best and use sticky traps for adults.  there is also predator nematodes available at most stores in plastic balls.. def works :smile:

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OfflinePu-Erh
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Re: tiny white/translucent worm bugs eating my cacti seedlings [Re: the man]
    #27273339 - 03/28/21 03:35 PM (3 years, 12 hours ago)

Thank you very much for your response!

I am trying to source predator nematodes, but they are not as common in my neck of the woods as they seem to be in yours. I am yet to find a shop that has them, so I am actually talking to some organic farmers, maybe they can source them :/

So far, I have just sprinkled some DE, and I am yet to see another of the offenders, but they may have just burrowed.

Cacti seem happy. I think I may have stun them because little water, but they are growing spines and turning a beautiful dark green. So I am hopeful.

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InvisibleEl Torcho
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Re: tiny white/translucent worm bugs eating my cacti seedlings [Re: Pu-Erh]
    #27274040 - 03/29/21 07:05 AM (2 years, 11 months ago)

Poo-Air tea is good!


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"Well it sounds trivial, but the key insight is . . . . . you don't know shit"
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"There is more to human existence and to reality itself than science can ever give us access to."
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OfflineRaRaRasputin
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Re: tiny white/translucent worm bugs eating my cacti seedlings [Re: El Torcho]
    #27274602 - 03/29/21 03:03 PM (2 years, 11 months ago)

I picked up the bacteria karode recommend and wanted everything with it yesterday, going to do it again in a few weeks and see if it helps. My bugs haven't been eating my cacti yet but better to not give them the chance.

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