New broad mite discovered

[NYCorchidman]

What's the brown background in the pictures?
Potting mix? roots?

I don't think they are the ones that feat on the live plants.
I have lots of those tiny white ones (not springtails) that walk all over out of the mix when I soak my plants.

[Matorchid]

Ok first
I do use Neem. I actually mix it with the Azamax. I'm at a loss here, cause I'm not seeing anything else. No fungus gnat larvae. Seriously, im gett one of those digital microscopes with 300x to see I just don't get it. The stuff in back is the media. Brown in one pic is bark from Repotme imperial mix, the reddish one is tree bark from bettergro

[Matorchid]

More
I will try

[Matorchid]

I'll do one more

[Matorchid]

Ok I've done more research
The more I read and see pics they are bulb mites. And there isn't a remedy, no pesticide to kill them. So what to do. Here is the a link,

UC IPM: UC Management Guidelines for Bulb Mites on Onion and Garlic

[katrina]

Have you considered your "mites" are just innocent little guys roaming around in the medium? Not all mites are harmful to our plants...some are beneficials and they are part of a perfectly healthy eco-system.

Plus, while they do look like mites...it would take an entomologist to know for sure what species of mite you have there. Insects/mites/etc are around us all the time...some even live on our bodies! Growing plants means we will have some in our environment and most are not harmful to the plant but the quest to eradicate every insect can actually cause bigger problems for the plants we are trying to protect.

Aside from the specks on your Oncids (which might not be mite damage)...why do you think you have an insect problem?

[orchidsarefun]

Originally Posted by Matorchid

Ok I've done more research
The more I read and see pics they are bulb mites. And there isn't a remedy, no pesticide to kill them. So what to do. Here is the a link,

UC IPM: UC Management Guidelines for Bulb Mites on Onion and Garlic

Are you sure ? I ask because my bulb mites are fast-moving and a cream-to-brown colour. And large enough to 'catch'. These were identified by the local university extension office, using microscope photography/e-mails etc.
I used ( and still use ) the following - neem oil, safer soap, sucrashield, alcohol/Dr Bronner - all on a rotational basis. I also increased the humidity to around a constant 55%. As I said, I don't know what exactly reduced the population drastically but I hardly see them now. Compared to literally hundreds - per plant ! I also don't know if they caused any damage to my plants. I can't see any leaf damage at all and its difficult to tell with roots anyway. All of the plants have healthy root growth - I know because they are in clear plastic pots. Also no bloom/spike damage evident either.
BTW - I always allow the pesticide to dry and then wash it off the foliage with plain water and also run water through the pots.

meant to add that the great outdoors - placing your plants outside - takes care of many of these small pests. I can't wait till the weather warms up, but you should be able to put plants outdoors sooner - if you can ?

[Leafmite]

The best way to get rid of mites is to snuff them with some sort of oil and then to encourage the predator mites to get the rest of them. Many mites are now resistant to the sprays developed to get rid of them.
I just read an article somewhere that said that the main reason that we have so many problems with pests on our indoor plants in the winter is because the natural predators are not around to keep the pests under control.

[Matorchid]

Good morning all,
Thank you for that info, Leafmite, I have thought to go that route with live predators, but I was under the impression you have to know what you had first.

And thank you Katrina, orchidsarefun, and NYCorchidman for your reply,

Ok I know it sounds like I'm on panic mode. In way I kinda am, but I am in holding gathering as much info as possible. Yes I am aware there are the beneficial guys that we don't necessarily want to harm. I know there are many different kinds and sizes of these things as well as other things. What scares me about this is if they were supposed to be there they would have been there from the beginning. There should have been some sort of sign, I have checked and rechecked all plants that come into house, and the back yard garden as well even though those don't actually come inside. I've been following all sanitary protocols, flame sterilization, alcohol, bleach , physan. Almost everything except the very big guns all the way around, ie. phyton, captan, malathion etc. again if they were good, wouldn't I have seen something by now. Now I am one that understands in life one has to take the bad with good. I understand that in order to feel happiness, you have to know what unhappiness feels like, or there is really no True understanding of the word. So with that I understand the notion of having good hang around, I don't kill spiders in the ceiling corners for that reason. So with all what I just said I know there is a happy balance it just seems I've been tilting the other way for a bit now, and looking for a positive sign. I don't have anything flying around and biting myself and animals in my house like when I first started. Now I haven't don't anything yet, did spray repotme cinnamon mix this morning hoping i might see some change in those spots, which weren't there 2mon ago. That's why I think the 2 could be attached, and prolly gonna have online order at least Phyton, won't be here for a week. I've noticed there are certain things that one can not get here in Cali. That one can in other states.

[Leafmite]

Malathion and Captan are very good. I use them on my fruit trees, one for insects and one for fungus...every two weeks after the flowers drop. The fruit is usually perfect (as are the leaves of the trees). You have to apply it when the air is still and there is no rain predicted for a few days, at least. The longer the better. If you must water, you don't want to wash it off. I just would never use them indoors. And, you have to be very careful with them as they can have lasting effects on your health if you do not. I believe Hausermann's sells both (or they did).
One year, we had had a terrible Japanese infestation and then we used Sevin. I am not too fond of it but it does kill everything. I think of it as a nuclear bomb for insects (and even snails). There is quite a bit of controversy about it and, then, there is the history (Union Carbide, India).

I had merely assumed, being here in Ohio with snow all around us, that this would be an indoor matter. It is easy to forget that all the world is not covered with snow and ice.