Can someone help me identify these pests? (And how to get rid of them)

[Marksanders21]

My Pink Powderpuff has been slowly deteriorating and I think I have found the culprit. I was watering my bonsai a few days ago and saw these guys for the first time. They only come out when I submerge the pot in water, otherwise, they are burrowed deep and completely unseen. I've been trying to identify these but I can't find anything online that accurately describes them. They are tiny. Most are no larger than a pinhead. They have a silvery reflective sheen. Their reflective nature is the only reason I saw them in the first place, because the light sometimes shimmers off of them.

Here's a video of the buggers: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SQPuhvqLF3lDa_XkM6Sw8slLlsYhGE6k/view?usp=sharing

I'm attaching an image of the bonsai during watering, just to get an idea of how tiny these things are, because the tree trunk is about as thick as my index finger. For the video, I had to zoom in 5x with my iPhone camera.

Does anyone know what these are, or have any suggestions on how to get rid of them?

PLEASE SEND HALP

 

[just.wing.it]

Springtails?

I can't see the video....but sounds like springtails.
They're harmless.

 

[Marksanders21]

Thank you! After some reading about springtails on this forum and googling it seems like this is the most likely explanation.

So, one of the things I read is that springtails are harmless but may be an indicator that your soil is too damp. This makes sense because all of my bonsai seem to be slowly suffering now that it's getting colder and there are shorter days. They are indoors by a large window, but the temperature by the window definitely gets colder/warmer by the season. Do you think they are just retaining more water then they were over the summer?

I water my smaller bonsai once every 5 days and my larger one once a week, approximately, both by water submersion up to the rim for about 20 minutes. (This is exactly what the seller instructed me to do.) I drain them thoroughly after watering and let them continue to drain for an hour or two by using an elevated drainage platform. The humidity in their main environment is usually at about 60% consistently. Do you think I'm overwatering? I also try to fertilize them once every second or third watering, with Bonsai-Pro liquid fertilizer. Do you think I might also be over fertilizing?

If I let them dry out for a couple of weeks without watering and then move to a less frequent watering schedule over the next month or two, do you think this will hurt the plants?

I know that you're supposed to put a chopstick or a toothpick in the soil and use that to judge the dampness but the seller sold these to me with a layer of small rocks on top and told me the chopstick thing was unnecessary. I can't get a chopstick into the soil because of the rocks, but maybe I'll see if I can get a toothpick in there.

I know I'm machine-gunning these questions here, thank you for whatever help you can offer. I am new to owning bonsai but I care about them a lot.

 

[Tums]

Some thoughts:

• Plants definitely consume more or less water depending on the environment and whether they're growing rapidly or dormant. The seller probably told you to water on a constant schedule because it was easier to remember for people who aren't really into gardening, not because it's best for the plants.
• Following that, the glued rocks on top is a bum idea. Can you pry them off? It's best if YOU can tell if you're overwatering, and you can't really do that without seeing/feeling/chopsticking the soil.
• Bottom watering only may also be leading to salt buildup? Could try flushing the plants watering from the top next time you water. Fertilizing every couple waterings sounds fine if you are preventing salt buildup over time.
• If you let the plants dry out completely, they will probably die. You should try and take the rocks off and then learn how to tell when the trees are ready for watering. I guess if you take the rocks off and the roots are then exposed, you can cover them with a thin layer of potting soil.

 

[rockm]

Thank you! After some reading about springtails on this forum and googling it seems like this is the most likely explanation.

So, one of the things I read is that springtails are harmless but may be an indicator that your soil is too damp. This makes sense because all of my bonsai seem to be slowly suffering now that it's getting colder and there are shorter days. They are indoors by a large window, but the temperature by the window definitely gets colder/warmer by the season. Do you think they are just retaining more water then they were over the summer?

I water my smaller bonsai once every 5 days and my larger one once a week, approximately, both by water submersion up to the rim for about 20 minutes. (This is exactly what the seller instructed me to do.) I drain them thoroughly after watering and let them continue to drain for an hour or two by using an elevated drainage platform. The humidity in their main environment is usually at about 60% consistently. Do you think I'm overwatering? I also try to fertilize them once every second or third watering, with Bonsai-Pro liquid fertilizer. Do you think I might also be over fertilizing?

If I let them dry out for a couple of weeks without watering and then move to a less frequent watering schedule over the next month or two, do you think this will hurt the plants?

I know that you're supposed to put a chopstick or a toothpick in the soil and use that to judge the dampness but the seller sold these to me with a layer of small rocks on top and told me the chopstick thing was unnecessary. I can't get a chopstick into the soil because of the rocks, but maybe I'll see if I can get a toothpick in there.

I know I'm machine-gunning these questions here, thank you for whatever help you can offer. I am new to owning bonsai but I care about them a lot.

You are simply watering too much in the worst way. Watering on a schedule is NOT how to water bonsai. Water when they need it. That takes time to learn--look up 'chop stick method" on this site. Submersion is a one-way ticket to rotted roots. It keep the interior of what is probably a compacted root mass too soggy. Watering from the surface pulls oxygen into the soil (yes, roots need oxygen) it also flushes out unneeded nutrients, gases, etc. Submersion just keep those things there.

 

[sorce]

I got that stupid faucet too.

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce