Mites

Question

I have several potted veggies on my deck, and this is only my second summer gardening. My plants were doing great (if I do say so!) until I noticed what I believe were fungus gnats several weeks ago. I treated the soil with BT Israeli after a bit of research, which really seemed to so the trick! However, a week ago or so, I notice many tiny, fast-moving, flat light brown bugs in the soil of one or two pots. They don’t seem to crawl on the plants or leaves, and they don’t seem to bite. Could they be predatory soil mites, or this hypoaspis mite I’m reading about? What are the chances I’d get so lucky to naturally acquire a predator that some people pay for fungus gnat control? Or is this wishful thinking? Any thoughts are appreciated. I’m trying to figure out if I can leave these guys alone or if they could be harmful to my plants. Right now they’re in my pea planter and herb box – the two that were the most infested with the fungus gnats initially. Thanks!

Answer 1

Here is some information on soil mites, if this is what you have: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/soil-mites-info.htm

It may, however, be a good idea to sterilize your garden soil just to be safe. These articles will help, one for pots and the other for garden beds: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/sterilizing-soil.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/projects/how-to-solarize-garden-beds-to-eliminate-garden-pests-in-the-soil.htm