Un-Identified Pest Please help!

[kushwizard]

Hello all my name is Kushwizard and this is my first post on the 420 forums! Thank you in advance for all your feedback any and all is greatly appreciated... now for some backround info...

At first I thought I saw little bites subtle here and there on my fan leaves.... Checked all the plants over with a magnifying glass saw nothing on the leaves under or on top nor on the stalks...
I sprayed with neem oil just as a precaution because I had some left over from some spider mites who were devouring my basil plants.
After spraying the neem through a cycle the bites out of my leaves ceased but then I noticed some little black bugs crawling on the rim of my pots, which brings us to my current situation. At first I did a little research and came to the conclusion I was dealing with Fungus Gnats (after digging up an inch of soil and finding little black bugs hovering around the main root ball) I believed those bastards were eating my roots and that they would pay!
I treated my soil with Hydrogen peroxide 3% solution and saw fizzing and I read on a post on this forum actually that was a confirmation sign of me having fungus gnats. However after a few treatments and the placing of apple cider vinegar traps I thought I would have bested the bastards... I didnt... I then released 7,500 Hypoapsis Miles in a 10 plant room and thought they'd do the job... its been about a week and I still see high numbers of these black bastards.
Now I'm lost... Maybe springtails? maybe root aphids or both? i dont know.

I hope the pictures help as they were they best I could capture.

PS: I grow organic, fox farm ocean forest, and General Organic nutes.

 

[canadarolls]

Hey kush.
Google springtail, gnat, sowbug lifecycles.
You will get pics of all stages of insect development areas.
From there you can know which evil your dealing with.
I cant discern the species from your pics.

 

[kushwizard]

Hey kush.
Google springtail, gnat, sowbug lifecycles.
You will get pics of all stages of insect development areas.
From there you can know which evil your dealing with.
I cant discern the species from your pics.

I will most certainly do this! Great idea.

 

[kushwizard]

As soon as I followed you advice I looked at the first cycle picture of springtails and I think with your help I have ID'd my pest and now feel stupid as shit for doing all this crap...

 

[yttocs1010]

live and learn my friend

 

[kushwizard]

Absolutely! I guess it's better to be safe than sorry! Anyone know if those hydrogen peroxide treatments will have been detriment to my organic soils livelyhood?

 

[canadarolls]

Peroxide will kill microbial populations as well.
You could re-innoculate using GH subculture formula.

Do you have a game plan to whack these culprits?

 

[kushwizard]

Peroxide will kill microbial populations as well.
You could re-innoculate using GH subculture formula.

Do you have a game plan to whack these culprits?

From what I have read online springtails are harmless and actually help add nutrients to the soil via eating decomposing plant matter. Do you disagree? If so how do you think I should go about it?

 

[kushwizard]

As far as the re/innoculation I'll probably top with a small amount of FFOF and hit em with a potent microbial tea!

 

[canadarolls]

In large numbers they can switch to your roots and or leaves ( you were saying the leaves showed bite marks ).
I would not allow any pest whatsoever with the ladies.
First off do you know the source of these bugs?

 

[kushwizard]

In large numbers they can switch to your roots and or leaves ( you were saying the leaves showed bite marks ).
I would not allow any pest whatsoever with the ladies.
First off do you know the source of these bugs?

I agree, to my knowledge the only way to really control/decrease there numbers are to dry soil thoroughly and allow minimal watering to take place. I might try a two week cycle of just super minimal amount of water. If anyone has any other suggestions please let me know!

 

[canadarolls]

Well doing a dry cycle will slow them down, however your also changing what you would otherwise do with your plants because of a bug.
My suggestion is to find a product called doctor doom residual insecticide.
Treat the floors of the room as well as the outside of your pots.
You are unlikely to eradicate them but you will be in full control of them.
Then your plants dont have to suffer from irregular waterings...

 

[canadarolls]

There are alternatives to insecticides no doubt, and by all means explore the organic approaches yourself.
I have as well. Wasted time effort and $.
for me the pyrethrin (chrysanthemum flower) and permethrin used correctly solves all insect issues.

 

[canadarolls]

Id say to use the peroxide against them once a week to disrupt the egg hatch but being a strong oxidizer it may interfere with the nutrients..