Help! Soil Spiders!!

Midnight

Oh gosh. I am a new bonsai grower and I discovered my 3 bonsai have white fly! (Or something like it) They look like little...spider things. And I need to know A) How to heal my Tree of a Thousand Stars B) How to get rid of these soil bugs C) What about my other "Money tree" and Variegated Baby Jade?

I can't load an image... But my Thousand Star Tree's leaves all got brittle (NOT brown) and fell off, and it feels....twig-ish. Also, the bark is peeling off!! I need help

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Midnight

Anyone?? My bonsai is looking very pitiful! I want to know how to get these bugs out of my bosai! Also the bugs arent white, they look like little gnats.

rockm

If they are gnats, they are not a problem with your tree--but they are an indication that your soil is staying far too wet. The dropping foliage is also an indication of a watering problem. The gnats are fungus gnats that feed on wet rotting soil particles, not your tree.

Check to see that the soil is not staying soggy between waterings, provide more air circulation and light.

MelloBonsai

Keep the soil on the drier side if it is fungus gnats. Also, what kind of soil are you using?

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Midnight

Uhh.. Its a comercial Bonsai Mix.

rockm

Uh, which commerical bonsai mix? There is no real standard for it and ingredients and quality vary widely.

Regardless of the mix, really, the gnats are an indication it is too wet. They are a telling symptom of soggy soil.

malik

If you just want to get rid of whatever the bugs in your soil are...get some Beyers systemic insecticide. It is in a blue bottle and you can get it at Lowes or Home Depot. You only need to use a little bit and it protects for up to 1 year.

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