Help identifying fly/pest thanks

Smoke2much4good

Well-Known Member
No, NOT an aphid!

Another "Don't sweat it" bug.
A few days back I seen something that looked just like a aphid when I lifted the soil roots out of this clone in a red solo cup it was like that translucent white / almost yellow color could hardly see it but then i lost it before i could takr a picture could i be mistaking it for a root aphid and its really some kind of good soil mite.. i also have 50 other clones and now that I seen that I've inspected pretty much all there roots for a few minutes each lifting there roots out of these cups and under the light looking and looking for another 1 and can't find it .. am I gonna get lucky and it be a soil mite or what do you think I know it's a hard call.. but that's why I posted this picture because I didn't know what kind of fly it was if it was a aphid I would have figured what I seen before just have been as well yanno thanks dr who your always good help
 

Dr. Who

Well-Known Member
Those bugs are too big to be Gnats or especially aphids.
Root aphid adults (fliers) are smaller then Fungus Gnat fliers.

What you saw in your roots? Hard to say without seeing it!
But, by the sounds of it. Beneficial in my bet.

Root aphids go right to the roots and lock on. Not a traveling larval bug.

So what soil? Is there "woody" piece's in it? A FF product?
Yes? Most likely a beneficial.

Next thing is (kinda hard to explain but,) when you have the root ball pulled from the cup. Smell it. Does it smell like nice rich soil? Your golden!
Or does it have a peppery or sour smell? Fermenting smell means anaerobic and that's bad but, not caused by bugs. Peppery or sour, would tell you, you have a root issue going on... The cause could be many things, including bugs damaging the roots....
 

Smoke2much4good

Well-Known Member
Those bugs are too big to be Gnats or especially aphids.
Root aphid adults (fliers) are smaller then Fungus Gnat fliers.

What you saw in your roots? Hard to say without seeing it!
But, by the sounds of it. Beneficial in my bet.

Root aphids go right to the roots and lock on. Not a traveling larval bug.

So what soil? Is there "woody" piece's in it? A FF product?
Yes? Most likely a beneficial.

Next thing is (kinda hard to explain but,) when you have the root ball pulled from the cup. Smell it. Does it smell like nice rich soil? Your golden!
Or does it have a peppery or sour smell? Fermenting smell means anaerobic and that's bad but, not caused by bugs. Peppery or sour, would tell you, you have a root issue going on... The cause could be many things, including bugs damaging the roots....
Ok ill check them today see how they smell .. I'm in pro mix by the way and i seen another one yesterday because I've been just inspecting these roots like crazy and can't see nothing but 1 everyone I inspect like 10 - 20 plants root.. the things are so small there pretty much microscopic I just happen to luckily see it with my eye moving up a root so so so small it's only the second I seen and it happened to be on the same plant I seen it on before it's so small I see it and it's gone within a couple seconds because it so small I loose where it went the 2 times I seen this it was moving on the root and then I figure it went back into the middle of the dirt/roots cause I lost it but I just luckily even seen it because it's pretty much microscopic in size, thanks dr who
 

Dr. Who

Well-Known Member
Nope! No aphid.

Left to right - pic 3, above the big bug to the left a bit. Fungus gnat.

Root sniffing is for soil. Your running soilless.
 
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