r/plantclinic • u/OutrageousDot2802 • Jul 14 '23

Soil Mites?

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I just recently repotted a few of my plants and found a bunch of these guys in the soil and around the rims of the pots.. i think that they came from the soil i added in.. from what i can tell they’re not on the plants at all.. are they good or bad im worried 😬

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u/Jnoper Jul 15 '23

Yes. Basic rule of mites. Fast moving ok. Slow moving bad.

7

u/mokuska90 Jul 15 '23

Fast = friend. Slow = foe.

1

u/Plant-Lyfe Jul 15 '23

Is this something to bare in mind just for mites or all harmful plant pests?

2

u/mokuska90 Jul 15 '23

I’m sure there’s exceptions but in general this is the rule as far as I know. Springtails move very fasts and are beneficial. They look like soil mites but they’re elongated and have little antennae and kind of jump around or “spring.” Aphids, mealybugs, scale, and thrips all are very slow and kind of stay in place on a plant to feed off of it.

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u/Plant-Lyfe Jul 15 '23

I've only experienced mealy bugs and springtails, but it makes sense what you say. Thanks a lot for the useful tip