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Re: Tiny Black Bugs In Water Tray

Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 11:23 pm
by BradR
I looked closely at your high resolution photos. I think thay are Springtails. Silverfish are larger and quicky scamper away when uncovered. Springtails are smaller, very busy creatures, always in motion.
Thats my guess.

Brad

Re: Tiny Black Bugs In Water Tray

Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 1:44 am
by sundewman
I'm seconding springtails. That was my first guess as well...
I get them every-so-often and they are harmless from what I've seen so far.
Don't know why the typical 50:50 peat:sand has eventually prevented them from spreading anymore.
Only pot I most recently had them was one with APS, peat, vermiculite, perlite, sand for my pings, which also had earthworms in it :o so i transplanted them all out of that pot and got rid of it.

Re: Tiny Black Bugs In Water Tray

Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 2:57 am
by Matt
sundewman wrote:I'm seconding springtails. That was my first guess as well...
Springtails were also my first guess.

Re: Tiny Black Bugs In Water Tray

Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 8:44 am
by Grey
Springtails are actually quite cute. There was a documentary on them a while ago and they made me laugh, at least they won't hurt your plant.

Re: Tiny Black Bugs In Water Tray

Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 2:28 pm
by victor
Well, if you are worried to the limit (I'm not saying you are) that the "unknown inscts" have affected your plant.
Two options you could do is cutting of all the leaves bare to the soil, your picture looks like your sundew is a
drosera capensis and they respond to this very well. Your plant should put out new growth in about 3 weeks to a month
and this way the new growth will be healthy leaves and not deformed leaves.

Another option you could do(the one I suggest you do now) is repot it. In other words change the pot, change the soil, and
(optional) change the water tray. This way the plant will be free of those mystery bugs.

Re: Tiny Black Bugs In Water Tray

Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 2:34 pm
by Daniel_G
I have these same bugs in my flytrap soil,there's no sure fire way to get rid of them,but,they don't do any harm,and they're actually quite fun to watch,don't bother doing anything,just leave 'em there,and,if they crawl on to the leaves,then hey,who cares,they'll be eaten anyway :lol: