# Tiny bugs in Pothos from Home Depot



## clay333 (Jan 31, 2011)

I have been working on my first viv, but I am taking about a 2 week break to wait until I move to my new house. I have everything ready accept adding substrate and planting. I have all of my plants sitting on the counter under my cfl light planted in six quart plastic shoe boxes. All except for a nice golden Pothos I got from Home Depot which is still planted in its original 6"plastic pot. I just noticed while misting my plants that I have tons of tiny bugs crawling in the dirt of the pothos. They are tiny little dots that have a dark purplish sheen. They are not Springtail, at least they look nothing like my white tropical springs I have in my culture. They are only about half as long as my springs and from what I can tell they have more of a beetle shape to them. So, I would like to know what they are, if they are viv safe, and how to get rid of them, and if I should just completely get rid of the plant altogether? Thanks for the help and hopefully im not screwed since this plant has been right beside all my other plants for over a week.


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## varanoid (Jan 21, 2011)

Without seeing a photo of them I can't say for sure what they are, but I understand anything that small is really difficult to photograph. I would err on the side of caution. Take a look at this thread

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/care-sheets/57367-building-using-co2-generator.html

That being said i have introduced on accident what I consider to be a species of microsprings into one of my vivs before. They didn't seem to be harmful. I even saw my frogs eat them when they were smaller. But i would consider myself lucky as they just as easily been harmful.


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## Wallace Grover (Dec 6, 2009)

Dry ice in a bowl, a rubbermaid container big enough to hold your pothos plant, and wallah... your own little gas chamber. (No need for a cover if you do it inside, the CO2 should sink)


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## Okapi (Oct 12, 2007)

Springtails come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and colors
Random google images: 








































Does the last picture look familiar?


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## earthfrog (May 18, 2008)

If it looks like a tiny ball with legs and is purple, it is an undesirable plant pest mite. 
If it looks like an elongated beetle, it is still an undesirable. 
I think you would know if they were springs b/c they would jump and not be out on the surface of the soil of a plant sitting out in the open air.


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## clay333 (Jan 31, 2011)

I think I should have gotten rid of them. I washed all of the soil off of the plants, separated the cuttings, and washed and soaked the plants in 10% bleach for about ten minutes. I then replanted them in organic soil and coconut fiber. As I said earlier it will be out of the viv for at least 2 weeks, probably to a month. I will keep a close eye on it and if I see anymore bugs I will swing by publix and grab some dry ice.


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

Too bad you didn't get photos.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

earthfrog said:


> If it looks like a tiny ball with legs and is purple, it is an undesirable plant pest mite.
> If it looks like an elongated beetle, it is still an undesirable.
> I think you would know if they were springs b/c they would jump and not be out on the surface of the soil of a plant sitting out in the open air.


They also could have been detrivore mites. 

Ed


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## clay333 (Jan 31, 2011)

Frogtofall said:


> Too bad you didn't get photos.


I tried to get photos, but they were so small that you couldn't even see them in the pics. I have not seen anymore of them, but I think I am going to give all of my plants a CO2 bath a few days before they go in the viv anyway.


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