Bonsai forum

  • Page:
  • 1
  • 2

TOPIC:

Fukien indoor Bonsai 7 years 9 months ago #22771

  • Harry
  • Harry's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • Premium Member
  • Premium Member
  • Posts: 80
  • Thanks received: 2
Hi Guys,
I have a Fukien tea tree and have been looking after him for a few months. I am a bit concerned as I have silvery pale tiny bugs on my soil from time to time. I have used a general purpose insecticide. It seems to work but then after a week there are more of these pesky bugs. it seems to be in the soil only. The leaves are fine, the Fukien tea tree has flower buds and the leaves and new shoots have been growing for the past few months . I just want to get rid of these pests. Please can someone help? Also are they Root aphids in my soil???

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Fukien indoor Bonsai 7 years 9 months ago #22772

  • Samantha
  • Samantha's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Member
  • Platinum Member
  • Posts: 695
  • Thanks received: 151


Yuck!!! Lets hope not, and Ants carry those around too. There were some hydroponic sights worried about them too. Maybe somebody has had success with them. You will let us know if you find a solution. Here's a link, maybe this will help, it's a start. A 'Pest section' might be interesting.

www.planetnatural.com/pest-problem-solve.../root-aphid-control/
it's where i stole the picture.

This message has an attachment image.
Please log in or register to see it.

The following user(s) said Thank You: Harry

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Fukien indoor Bonsai 7 years 9 months ago #22773

  • Samantha
  • Samantha's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Member
  • Platinum Member
  • Posts: 695
  • Thanks received: 151
Can you send pictures

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Fukien indoor Bonsai 7 years 9 months ago #22799

  • Harry
  • Harry's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • Premium Member
  • Premium Member
  • Posts: 80
  • Thanks received: 2
it's really difficult to take a picture. In order to awaken them, I blow on the soil and they start scattering around. They are so tiny and my camera would not be able to pick them up but they are reflective and slightly silvery . I'm using a insecticide and it limits them a bit but they keep coming back. I just want my tree to be healthy.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Fukien indoor Bonsai 7 years 9 months ago #22800

  • leatherback
  • leatherback's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Member
  • Platinum Member
  • Posts: 8620
  • Thanks received: 3653
Not every bug you see is harmfull to your plants. There are bugs everywhere. Do not put pesticides just because you see something crawling around. This is asking for more bugs/pests. In normal healthy systems, the potential damaging insects are kept in check by their predators. In absence of predators, pests can grow explosively in presence. And predators are always slow in catching up (As they need an abundance in food to start incrementing population size).

What you describe sounds like exactly the kind of critters I have in my soil. I have always taken them as insects living off the organics/fertilizer in my soil. Never had harmfull effects of them.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Harry

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Fukien indoor Bonsai 7 years 9 months ago #22827

  • Harry
  • Harry's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • Premium Member
  • Premium Member
  • Posts: 80
  • Thanks received: 2
I understand, it does make sense as the tree is growing well I just don't want it to become a major issue as the tree is doing very well for now. thank you for your help and support guys. I will post any updates in the future.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Fukien indoor Bonsai 7 years 9 months ago #22842

  • Samantha
  • Samantha's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Member
  • Platinum Member
  • Posts: 695
  • Thanks received: 151

I understand, it does make sense as the tree is growing well I just don't want it to become a major issue as the tree is doing very well for now. thank you for your help and support guys. I will post any updates in the future.


The link i sent did say how to kill them, maybe it works. As far as I know aphids don't kill plants, not sure about root aphids, My grandmother, would get so upset about them on her rose bush, then explain about them. She never did anything about them. Maybe in other parts of the world, they may be more threatening.

Ants carry them, and line them up, where sap is best for them to consume, you get little rows of aphids, with ants tending them. The ants, tickle them with their antennas, and the aphids excrete a little drop, that the ants gather (can't leave out the little spiders). Some of them sprout wings and fly away ... an interesting part of the story.

When i was young, and bored, watching Saturday morning TV, PBS showed this thing, about somebody flying through the jet stream with a net. Guess what they caught???

Winged ants, aphids, and little spiders. Seems their world wide.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Fukien indoor Bonsai 7 years 9 months ago #22844

  • Samantha
  • Samantha's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Member
  • Platinum Member
  • Posts: 695
  • Thanks received: 151
This is where we started this thing about aphids, then i stuck it on another thread, not that they're all that interesting, or threatening,

Here's another link with them, they might just be some sort of yuck invasion. You know, they fly around in the jet stream. Live in colonies, herded by ants, and little spiders, come steal them for lunch.
www.growingbonsai.net/aphids-how-to-reduce-their-impact/

yeah, like nobody cares
WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMAN

This message has an attachment image.
Please log in or register to see it.

The following user(s) said Thank You: Harry

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Last edit: Post by Samantha.

Fukien indoor Bonsai 7 years 9 months ago #22992

  • Harry
  • Harry's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • Premium Member
  • Premium Member
  • Posts: 80
  • Thanks received: 2
I spoke to a few bonsai enthusiasts who looked at the tree. We saw a few of the bugs crawling about and they said its nothing to worry about. I will keep you posted. I tried a weak insecticide and it worked on killing a few but they seem to still be in the soil and inside the pot and have a variety of sizes. I am going to find a nice pot for it and repot next year if not the year after. Thanks Samantha.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Fukien indoor Bonsai 7 years 9 months ago #22993

  • Harry
  • Harry's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • Premium Member
  • Premium Member
  • Posts: 80
  • Thanks received: 2
Also there were two aphids on a leaf which were green and winged, the same insecticide got rid of them in a heartbeat. It's all kicking off!

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Page:
  • 1
  • 2