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Teeny tiny black larvae #421204

Asked August 14, 2017, 4:14 PM EDT

These tiny flecks of black infested our indoor plant and entire kitchen over the weekend. There were hundreds of thousands and they seem to have come from the soil in the planter. Any ideas what they are? They were not round like mites, but rather straight little black lines that moved slowly. Thanks for your help

Multnomah County Oregon

Expert Response

Wow! Such a large quantity of unwanted critters indoors is a bit unnerving, isn’t it? But I think this can be resolved with relative ease.

The critters are so small that it’s challenging to say with absolute certainty what they are. But my best guess is that they are springtails, normal inhabitants of a moist, highly organic planting mix. Some kinds jump, others don’t. Fortunately, they don't damage people, pets, or any of your belongings.

My guess is that the container lacks a drain hole or that the plant was watered especially well in order to survive the keeper’s absence. If that’s so, you might set the pot on its side, then sop up the excess moisture with paper towels. A more rapid means of drying it out would be to repot into a pot with a drainhole and which is filled with barely moist potting mix.

It’s wise to have the ID verified first hand by the Multnomah County Master Gardeners. Their office is in Montgomery Park, 2701 NW Vaughn St. Suite 450, Portland, OR 97210. Hours are 10 AM to 2 PM, Monday through Friday, closed holidays.



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