Bromilead worms?
September 2, 2022 11:13 AM Subscribe
Please tell me how to kill these gross gross gross bromilead worms!?
I'm a late late late houseplant person, but wow I adopted hardcore. My husband and I joke that we're the ultimate hipsters because we're so late we're cool again (see my Q about sourdough starter and now I'm asking a houseplant question).
I just took a "repotting to larger containers day" (why, yes, I do work from home and it is the day before a 3 day weekend). All was going swimmingly until I got to my classic indoor bromilead. Never noticed before, but I think the liquid fertilizer (mixed w water) brought the wormies to my attention. Ew! And so many! I mechanically killed all I saw. They were curly in the bromilead cups, but rechecking at 10 minute intervals found many stretched out ones that I also dispatched without mercy.
3 questions:
1: do they turn into flying thing?
2: do they hurt the bromilead?
3: will they hurt my other indoor plants (lots of variety: ivies, monsters, succulents, pothos, other kinds of leafies I've bought or been gifted that I cannot name!)
I will toss or attempt to plant outside and see what happens if the wormies in my bromilead will threaten all my other indoor plants.
Thanks for advice!
I'm a late late late houseplant person, but wow I adopted hardcore. My husband and I joke that we're the ultimate hipsters because we're so late we're cool again (see my Q about sourdough starter and now I'm asking a houseplant question).
I just took a "repotting to larger containers day" (why, yes, I do work from home and it is the day before a 3 day weekend). All was going swimmingly until I got to my classic indoor bromilead. Never noticed before, but I think the liquid fertilizer (mixed w water) brought the wormies to my attention. Ew! And so many! I mechanically killed all I saw. They were curly in the bromilead cups, but rechecking at 10 minute intervals found many stretched out ones that I also dispatched without mercy.
3 questions:
1: do they turn into flying thing?
2: do they hurt the bromilead?
3: will they hurt my other indoor plants (lots of variety: ivies, monsters, succulents, pothos, other kinds of leafies I've bought or been gifted that I cannot name!)
I will toss or attempt to plant outside and see what happens if the wormies in my bromilead will threaten all my other indoor plants.
Thanks for advice!
Response by poster: Oh, they were not mosquitoes. I am well familiar! These were quite small but fatties and curled up worms.
Though when looking carefully in the dirt, I saw stretched out wigglies. Maybe (maybe!?) An 1/8 to a 1/4 inch long. When circled up you can see segment lines, big when straight you can't. White?
posted by atomicstone at 11:34 AM on September 2, 2022
Though when looking carefully in the dirt, I saw stretched out wigglies. Maybe (maybe!?) An 1/8 to a 1/4 inch long. When circled up you can see segment lines, big when straight you can't. White?
posted by atomicstone at 11:34 AM on September 2, 2022
Response by poster: Also, very weird to me that on this site I am the first in this year of 2022 to use "bromilead" as a tag, but here we are. (I bought a pineapple bromilead as a housewarming gift recently. They're adorable and I recommend! Unless I just bought someone's ton of wormies, I guess.
posted by atomicstone at 11:36 AM on September 2, 2022
posted by atomicstone at 11:36 AM on September 2, 2022
Response by poster: Also, having googled, they were not spider mites, mealy bugs or thrips (also, I have never heard of thrips! And "thrip" is fun to say!)
posted by atomicstone at 11:38 AM on September 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by atomicstone at 11:38 AM on September 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
I would guess some kind of fly larvae, but impossible to say based on the description alone. Also, the spelling I am familiar with is bromeliad, but not a lot of tags on that, either.
posted by snofoam at 11:41 AM on September 2, 2022
posted by snofoam at 11:41 AM on September 2, 2022
Could they be fungus gnats? I've gotten them in potting soil. They do turn into flying things.
posted by AzraelBrown at 12:07 PM on September 2, 2022
posted by AzraelBrown at 12:07 PM on September 2, 2022
Google fungus gnat larvae and see if that fits what you saw; that or phorid flies seems most likely to me.
Phorid flies don't hurt your plants, but they are potentially a mechanical vector of disease, and extremely hard to get rid of.
posted by Made of Star Stuff at 12:10 PM on September 2, 2022
Phorid flies don't hurt your plants, but they are potentially a mechanical vector of disease, and extremely hard to get rid of.
posted by Made of Star Stuff at 12:10 PM on September 2, 2022
Response by poster: Picture-wise, I think these might be boring, GROSS fungus gnat larvae. Ughh. Thanks! Off to deal with them and also, maybe, just get this plant OUTSIDE!
posted by atomicstone at 12:26 PM on September 2, 2022
posted by atomicstone at 12:26 PM on September 2, 2022
Fungus gnats I can help you with. First, you can get off as much of the dirt from the roots as possible outside and repot, making sure your bag of potting soil has been sealed so isn't the source of gnats. You can also water with rubbing alcohol - I've seen something like 1 part rubbing alcohol to 3 or 4 parts water. This, along with yellow sticky traps, seemed to kill the larvae and get rid of them. I watered all my plants with this combo two times in a row and it really helped.
Fungus gnats feel gross but they don't really damage or kill the plant like other pests.
posted by bluedaisy at 1:23 PM on September 2, 2022
Fungus gnats feel gross but they don't really damage or kill the plant like other pests.
posted by bluedaisy at 1:23 PM on September 2, 2022
Yeah, fungus gnats are annoying but harmless. Just water less and they won't be back. Bromeliads (and many/most common tropical houseplants) don't need that much water, but fungus gnats do.
posted by SaltySalticid at 1:39 PM on September 2, 2022
posted by SaltySalticid at 1:39 PM on September 2, 2022
Geez, where is all the bromeliad love? There are only two tags, both in 2014. None before or since. One bromeliads, in 2009, but that's not about the plants.
It's thrips, both the singular and the plural. There's no such thing as a thrip, weirdly. Like deer, I guess. But pestiferous.
Maybe they are these little horrors!
posted by Don Pepino at 1:56 PM on September 2, 2022
It's thrips, both the singular and the plural. There's no such thing as a thrip, weirdly. Like deer, I guess. But pestiferous.
Maybe they are these little horrors!
posted by Don Pepino at 1:56 PM on September 2, 2022
OK, if you're searching this site and other sites for info, it's probably useful to use the more common spelling of "bromeliad" (only one 'i'). No worries, it's completely clear that what kind of plant you mean, just mentioning this to help with your searching.
Insects are good! Sometimes we have to kill them, but if it's not 100% necessary, please know that the world's insects are having a hard time just like the world's other animal species. Insects work hard and are important parts of our ecosystems.
Just like Saltysaltcid said, the little cups that form naturally in bromeliads are important for some species. I mainly know about them because they're an important way for some baby frogs to grow, which is amazing to me!
Anyway, welcome to the world of plant lovers! I hope your little larvae aren't too destructive.
If you want a sure way to identify them, look into iNaturalist.com. Again, photos are needed, but it's a wonderful resource.
posted by amtho at 3:09 PM on September 2, 2022
Insects are good! Sometimes we have to kill them, but if it's not 100% necessary, please know that the world's insects are having a hard time just like the world's other animal species. Insects work hard and are important parts of our ecosystems.
Just like Saltysaltcid said, the little cups that form naturally in bromeliads are important for some species. I mainly know about them because they're an important way for some baby frogs to grow, which is amazing to me!
Anyway, welcome to the world of plant lovers! I hope your little larvae aren't too destructive.
If you want a sure way to identify them, look into iNaturalist.com. Again, photos are needed, but it's a wonderful resource.
posted by amtho at 3:09 PM on September 2, 2022
NemaKnights nematodes took care of my fungus gnats when nothing else did.
posted by sixswitch at 3:49 PM on September 2, 2022
posted by sixswitch at 3:49 PM on September 2, 2022
Diatomaceous earth seems to be effective at ridding houseplants of gnats. Sprinkled on the soil. It's not cear to me how it works. I'm guessing dehydration and/or abrasion. But it's otherwise harmless as long as you don't inhale it, as it a potential hazard to the lungs/silicosis risk when breathed in.
posted by 2N2222 at 4:04 PM on September 2, 2022
posted by 2N2222 at 4:04 PM on September 2, 2022
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Without a photo or even much description, it's impossible to say what type of critter they are with any certainty. Consider adding a photo or some better info on length, diameter, color, is there any visible head, etc. Do you know what mosquito larvae look like?
Familiarize yourself with spider mites, mealy bugs and thrips. Most everything else is not a big deal.
posted by SaltySalticid at 11:27 AM on September 2, 2022