I do not get it, it is just soil, why not chuck it?
Even with predators you may want to consider starting valuable seeds in rapid rooters or something like that and then transplanting them once established. Not sure which predators you have in mind but if you do have bulb mites then Hypoaspis Miles has a limited depth of exploration and will only control the surface level mites in a best case scenario. Lower depth roots will remain safe zones for the bulb mites. Suggested control is often Hypoaspis aculeifer for their ability to go deeper into the soil but I haven’t seen them commercially available anywhere that I’ve looked.
It’s also my understanding that these guys can hitch a ride in on the legs of fungus gnats and even have a kind of symbiotic relationship with them. Don’t have a source for that at the moment so grain of salt, but just throwing it out there so that you’re aware that just getting rid of your soil doesn’t absolve you of the need to be vigilant.
bulb mites.pdf (112.2 KB)
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I wonder if BTi ( Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis) might work on the wee buggers.
Might be worth a shot, Mosquito Dunks etc. are easy and reasonably cheap.
Cheers
G
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BTi will help with fungus gnats which is necessary to get under control in order to address the bulb mites. BTi won’t do anything to mites though. I’ve seen the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana (botanigard WP) suggested a few places as well as entomopathogenic nematodes, but I’m not sure if either are actually effective either. It’s still very possible that they aren’t bulb mites and actually just grain mites.
Grain mites are pests that can feed on a variety of processed or finely ground grains, wheat germ, yeast, cheese, powdered milk, flour, or mold spores. Under hot, humid conditions, very large populations of these tiny creatures can develop rapidly. Female grain mites lay up to 800 eggs on the surface of food materials.
At humidities less than fifty-five to sixty percent (commodity at twelve percent moisture content or less) grain mites can not survive.
Grain mites proliferate under high moisture conditions and are often found in conjunction with fungal growth.
Interesting video featuring grain mites : Three Soil Mites That Are No Threat - YouTube
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I was goin to try hypo miles and some todes but idk
Whoever said use rooter to germinate I’m kinda on the same page I have some of these
I thought about maybe getting some seedling soil to a new bag should be good hopefully lol idk what else to do this should of been tooken care of last round
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12500 should be over kill for 70 gallons but I’m wanting to try it
If your funds permit then adding Rove Beetles and entomopathogenic nematodes wouldn’t be a bad idea either in addition to the Stratiolaelaps scimitus (hypoaspis miles). For what it’s worth you aren’t the first person that I’ve seen who uses BuildASoil products end up with bulb/grain mite issues.
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I wasnt sure about the beetles I wanted too but your right wouldn’t be a bad idea
I like bas they’ve taught me alot I can’t complain…this is unfortunate not the end of the world and a learning experience…should of been on top of my ipm anyway
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Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for all your help your guys rock bittersweet first time experience on OG just comes with the territory
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Sow a mix of cover crops and companion crops so they can eat those instead.
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I have some on deck too
In a sealed black garbage bag placed in the hottest spot in the yard for a few weeks. Or I store it where it will freeze in the Winter.
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That explains why I’ve never seen them here. We are normally below 50% humidity and usually in the mid 20’s on avg maybe.
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Hey bud. Good to see you.
can u help me with a bug id and treatment please? I had a small amount of small small white fast moving bugs, didnt fly hid well in soil. A couple of tiny fly gnat like things with those. Used mosquito bits and a day or two later there were a bunch bigger gnat like things on the lower plant soil and in my sticky traps. Little white mite thingys are still there snd moving fast. Im afraid they esting my roots or nutes.
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Upon your description they could be springtails:
root aphids:
or soil mites:
They are all beneficial but not in big population, you can knock them off to a reasonable number watering with three parts water with one part 3% hydrogen peroxide, repeating the process one day and another. Be aware it will also kill beneficial microbes, so if you’re in organics you should repopulate them with a tea or recharge …
Mosquito bits kill the larvae, you must be patient and kill the adults with yellow sticky traps … 
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Thank you so much for your detailed and helpful reply. I’ll add the hydro pros spray along with mos bits and sticky traps. Using recharge and loving it.
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How are you going to use it? 