What insect are these?

[scy]

Hi,

A co-worker recently gave me a New Guinea Impatiens. I just took it outside to water and noticed a LOT of tiny gray insects fleeing from the soil. They move really fast! I couldn't take a picture because they move too fast and are too small. They are thin rather than round. I have it isolated from my orchids but I'm just worried they might find a way to infect my orchids or kill the current plant.

I am not sure if this is related, but my orchids have fungus gnats on them. It only started a few days ago. I put out mosquito dunks to kill them off. Could these gray insects be the hatched fungus gnats? They didn't fly though. Please help me ID this insect and provide suggestions on how to kill them. Thank you!

- Susan

[Island Girl]

They sound like Springtails, they r grey-ish (can b brown-ish grey too), sometimes they jump (hence the name "Spring"tails ), and are shaped like a grain of rice ('bout 2-5mm in size (length) ~give or take~). That sound about right? They r attracted to mold/fungus, alot like fungus gnats, and like it moist. I don't know for sure if they're harmful to plants, but I'm pretty sure I remember hearing somewhere that they're not. I've never had them in my plants, so I can't say for sure. Have had them in my house one year, a few years ago (really annoying!), and I had an exterminator take them out. So I can't tell you from experience how to kill them, (other than squishing them heheheh) but they r soft-bodied, so a cinnamon concoction would prob work (see recipe below ) But re-potting would be the best, because it would get rid of the mold/fungus that they like, and what brought them in in the 1st place... the moldy potting media. They probably came with your new plant, considering the fact that you just got it, & that's the only place u see them.

~ ~ Cinnamon Concoction Recipe ~ ~
Because I can't find cinnamon extract, I make my own (this is also on Rays site, that's where I got how to make it)... But u can use cinnamon extract instead of this, just use a lot less.
•Take cinnamon (use powdered; sticks r good too, I use the stick in the final solution -in the sprayer-), and put it in rubbing alcohol (Isopropyl 70%) and let it "steep" (@ room temp) overnight. (I use the whole 16oz container of alcohol, with a tablespoon or two of cinnamon), and when it's done, strain out the c. powder with a coffee filter.
•10ml of Oil (cooking oil, like vegetable oil) ***read the link about oil below, please
•10ml of dish soap (like Dawn)
•20-30ml of cinnamon/alcohol mixture (not sure how much u would use if u have the store-bought "extract" -but less than the cinn/alcohol mix)
•—Put in a 20-32oz spray bottle, fill the rest of the way with water & Mix Well... I shake the spray bottle as I go.
...it sounds wierd, but I have used 409 in this recipe too (10-20ml of 409) u will read on the page below, about using it. I wonder if it would also help get rid of any bacterial stuff on your plant too?

This is a good site, TONS of good info! This was most of what helped me figure up the recipe above. This is the "Home Remedies" page (one of our members, "Ray", this is his site Great Site )
First Rays' Home Remedies

Using oil: (this is also from Ray's site, I put the link in, b/c this post is long enough! Lol)
Use of Oils on Orchids

[scy]

Thank you so much for replying. After I originally posted this, I decided to throw out the plant. However, I saw one on my orchids so I decided to take your advice and take a look at First Ray's website for soft bodied insects. I noticed it when I was soaking my orchid to water and it ran up the cane. I tried to squish it with a napkin but it was so fast! It kept sprinting and jumping from cane to cane on my dendrobium. I sprayed all my plants with straight 70% alcohol.