Full Version: Tiny Maggot Lookin Fings
plz help on feedin ma plants 2day av noticed little maggot lookin fings in the drip tray there that small u cant take a pic there white in colour please help what cud this be u cant c them in the soil only in the drip tray after i fed them
Just a guess, but could be Fugus gnat larve, have you seen any tiny black flys in your room?
no but there was a daddy long legs
springtails !
bo u reckon its defo them coz they harmles to plant do i still need 2 get rid
how do i get rid of them
hello mr phillw 
long time no see hows life ? ...... as was said above fungus gnats maybe.
Small black flies around 2mm long run over the soil surface or fly slowly around houseplants, pot plants and borders. Larvae are small translucent worms, up to 1cm long. They are harder to see but can be found in the immediate area under the soil around the roots. When infestations are heavy, there may be shiny silken threads on the top of the soil.
Plants affected
* Fungus gnats attack the roots of virtually all houseplants, pot and border plants including vegetables, ornamentals, fruits, fungi and even weeds.
About Black fungus gnats
* Fungus gnats are small flies around 2mm long, which are usually black in colour.
* They are extremely common pests, usually present around most house and greenhouse plants.
* There will be many overlapping generations all year round on indoor plants.
* Each female fungus gnat can lay up to two hundred microscopic eggs after mating.
* Eggs are laid into soil around the base of the plant, and hatch after five to seven days.
* The larvae are no more than 1mm long when they first emerge, but can grow to ten times that before pupating.
* The larvae are difficult to see with the naked eye due to their small size and translucent bodies.
* They will hide beneath the soil surface where it is moist, and feed mostly on dead organic matter but can damage seedlings the base of soft cuttings.
* Larvae can also survive on patches of mould on greenhouse floors and benches.
* At room temperature, newly hatched larvae will develop into adults in 20 to 25 days.
* During hotter times of the year in greenhouses, the life-cycle can be as short as one to two weeks.
Organic
* Place sticky traps between and around the base of plants to catch adults.
* For indoor plants, the predatory mite Hypoaspis miles can be applied to the soil. The mites inhabit the just area under the soil surface where fungus gnats pupate.
* Water the parasitic nematodes Steinernema feltiae into infested soil. These naturally occurring parasites will infect fungus gnat larvae with bacteria and kill them.
* Letting the soil dry out partially may help to reduce the larval population in pots.
Prevention
* Practice good plant hygiene by removing any old, dead leaves and fungal growth from the top of pots.
* Water plants only when required to prevent the build up of fungal growths.
* Cover the surface of pots with sand as a barrier against egg laying females.
lay a slice of potato on the surface of your planting medium, if its fungus gnats the young will be drawn to the spud and will give you a good indication of how many are there, then use cinnamon sprinkled on the surface to stop them in there tracks .
be good and good luck
long time no see hows life ? ...... as was said above fungus gnats maybe.
Small black flies around 2mm long run over the soil surface or fly slowly around houseplants, pot plants and borders. Larvae are small translucent worms, up to 1cm long. They are harder to see but can be found in the immediate area under the soil around the roots. When infestations are heavy, there may be shiny silken threads on the top of the soil.
Plants affected
* Fungus gnats attack the roots of virtually all houseplants, pot and border plants including vegetables, ornamentals, fruits, fungi and even weeds.
About Black fungus gnats
* Fungus gnats are small flies around 2mm long, which are usually black in colour.
* They are extremely common pests, usually present around most house and greenhouse plants.
* There will be many overlapping generations all year round on indoor plants.
* Each female fungus gnat can lay up to two hundred microscopic eggs after mating.
* Eggs are laid into soil around the base of the plant, and hatch after five to seven days.
* The larvae are no more than 1mm long when they first emerge, but can grow to ten times that before pupating.
* The larvae are difficult to see with the naked eye due to their small size and translucent bodies.
* They will hide beneath the soil surface where it is moist, and feed mostly on dead organic matter but can damage seedlings the base of soft cuttings.
* Larvae can also survive on patches of mould on greenhouse floors and benches.
* At room temperature, newly hatched larvae will develop into adults in 20 to 25 days.
* During hotter times of the year in greenhouses, the life-cycle can be as short as one to two weeks.
Organic
* Place sticky traps between and around the base of plants to catch adults.
* For indoor plants, the predatory mite Hypoaspis miles can be applied to the soil. The mites inhabit the just area under the soil surface where fungus gnats pupate.
* Water the parasitic nematodes Steinernema feltiae into infested soil. These naturally occurring parasites will infect fungus gnat larvae with bacteria and kill them.
* Letting the soil dry out partially may help to reduce the larval population in pots.
Prevention
* Practice good plant hygiene by removing any old, dead leaves and fungal growth from the top of pots.
* Water plants only when required to prevent the build up of fungal growths.
* Cover the surface of pots with sand as a barrier against egg laying females.
lay a slice of potato on the surface of your planting medium, if its fungus gnats the young will be drawn to the spud and will give you a good indication of how many are there, then use cinnamon sprinkled on the surface to stop them in there tracks .
be good and good luck
thanks 4 the advise rip am good thanks 4 askin back on line 2moz jus at ma mates catch up wiv later
the larvae are little b'stard's if you get infested, especially in your veg area
the silver trails are a proper give away
is this what they look like? if yes, then fungus gnat larvae
Click to view attachment
best methods to get rid of the gnats i've found is to rest a couple of inch squares of fly paper on top of medium, this will catch the flies as they don't actually like flying much! (just peel paper from one side and sit on top facing upwards)
in rockwool, its the algae that the gnats are attracted to, so cover the cubes to prevent it forming
havn't tried the potato thing
the silver trails are a proper give away
is this what they look like? if yes, then fungus gnat larvae
Click to view attachment
best methods to get rid of the gnats i've found is to rest a couple of inch squares of fly paper on top of medium, this will catch the flies as they don't actually like flying much! (just peel paper from one side and sit on top facing upwards)
in rockwool, its the algae that the gnats are attracted to, so cover the cubes to prevent it forming
havn't tried the potato thing
....... the larvae go mad for the slice of spud (its a root and they love roots dude)................
Or they could be pot worms....
Pot worms,are small white creatures commonly found in soil. They can develop into massive populations, especially in compost piles or in earthworm farms. They’re scientifically known as enchytraeids (enn-kee-TRAY-ids) and are segmented relatives of the earthworm. This group also includes ice worms. Pot worms are in the Order Oligochaeta and Phylum Annelida.
Their common name comes from the fact they inhabit the soil in container plants. In fact, many expert gardeners believe the soil is not “normal” without the presence of pot worms. For those who maintain earthworm farms, there is some unnecessary worry that overpopulation will choke out their investment. That is typically not the case as pot worms and a host of other creatures, including those that cannot be seen except under a magnifying glass or microscope, reside peaceably with earthworms, and often in greater numbers. A majority of worm farmers have reported no reduction in the health of their farmed worms when this species is present.
When a pot worm invasion occurs, they can number as many as 250,000 in a ten-square-foot area. Their quarter-inch long bodies are visible to the naked eye and are sometimes mistaken for the larvae of other worm species. These are adults, however, and can literally appear to be in the millions by comparison to a typical earthworm bed.
Pot worms feed on the same type of litter as earthworms. They are efficient at aerating soil and breaking down just about any organic materials. This species prefers an acid environment that is moist. If too dry, they will die. Even though pot worms are attracted to soils that are higher in acid, that does not mean the dirt needs amending.
The easiest way to reduce pot worm populations is with bread and milk. They will flock to a piece of soaked bread and can be lifted out and destroyed in large batches.
Just as pot worms won’t harm other living worm species, they do no damage to living plants either. Their diet is strictly bacteria and fungus, which are digestible, and organic matter
Just a thought
Yev
Pot worms,are small white creatures commonly found in soil. They can develop into massive populations, especially in compost piles or in earthworm farms. They’re scientifically known as enchytraeids (enn-kee-TRAY-ids) and are segmented relatives of the earthworm. This group also includes ice worms. Pot worms are in the Order Oligochaeta and Phylum Annelida.
Their common name comes from the fact they inhabit the soil in container plants. In fact, many expert gardeners believe the soil is not “normal” without the presence of pot worms. For those who maintain earthworm farms, there is some unnecessary worry that overpopulation will choke out their investment. That is typically not the case as pot worms and a host of other creatures, including those that cannot be seen except under a magnifying glass or microscope, reside peaceably with earthworms, and often in greater numbers. A majority of worm farmers have reported no reduction in the health of their farmed worms when this species is present.
When a pot worm invasion occurs, they can number as many as 250,000 in a ten-square-foot area. Their quarter-inch long bodies are visible to the naked eye and are sometimes mistaken for the larvae of other worm species. These are adults, however, and can literally appear to be in the millions by comparison to a typical earthworm bed.
Pot worms feed on the same type of litter as earthworms. They are efficient at aerating soil and breaking down just about any organic materials. This species prefers an acid environment that is moist. If too dry, they will die. Even though pot worms are attracted to soils that are higher in acid, that does not mean the dirt needs amending.
The easiest way to reduce pot worm populations is with bread and milk. They will flock to a piece of soaked bread and can be lifted out and destroyed in large batches.
Just as pot worms won’t harm other living worm species, they do no damage to living plants either. Their diet is strictly bacteria and fungus, which are digestible, and organic matter
Just a thought
Yev
Hmm correct analysis of pests is important, while fungus gnats do tend to infest most indoor compost grows, fungus gnat larvae never in my experience wash out of the drainage holes in the run off, but springtails almost always do, I suspect bart is right, do they look like these philw ???
hmmm i saw a small black fly crawl around the soil and up the stem then fly off.. i killed it by diving around the grow room and and putting 80kg of pushing pressure on it.. do ya think it might have laid some larvea(or eggs even 
) in my soil?..
) in my soil?..
thanks guys for the info think its spring tail thingy...............the picture is exactly the same so where do these little fellas come from and can i spread them ?.........and how do i get rid of the little chaps
thank you guys
thank you guys
i think ive got some sort of springtails in my res, ive read the link ot posted an the picture matches, i know there harmless but is there a way to get rid ???
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.