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Old 18-07-2003, 04:32 PM
Jim W
 
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Default Houseplants and Tiny Insects

nimatehranchi wrote:

I have houseplants and i love them but have recently found tiny tiny
little insects in the soil of one or two of them.

They are really really small, crawling around, usually just under the
surface, and seem to be slightly silver and reflective so you can see
them quite easily in black soil, but they are indeed tiny.


Could be scarid fly (fungus gnat)?? The adults are small black fliwes
which prefer to crawl/run quickly when disturbed..

The larvae are tiny whitish maggots which live in the compost ususally
near the roots and leaf base.

What sort of compost.. Is the compost damp and what conditions (eg is
the room sunny, heated, hot or cold, drafty or stuffy etc?) are the
plants growing in?

At a 'guess' it sounds like you could be overwatering a bit and this is
encouraging pests to thrive.

//
Jim


I am now getting really worried as my favourite plant, a big plant with
glorious large leaves and glittery silvery speckles, has recently and
very quickly had its leaves kind of beginning to rot whilst still
attached)
Please help as i'm scared of what will happen and have such little
knowledge in this area