Pest group
Soil dwellers
Things that live in the compost — most are harmless decomposers, a few eat roots.
Which one do I have?
- SpringtailsCollembolaHarmlessSpringtails eat fungi, algae and decaying matter in wet compost and do not harm established plants. Seeing lots of them means the compost is staying wet, which is the thing to fix.Houseplants · Succulents & cacti · Monstera & aroids · Orchids · Bedding plants
- Soil mitesOribatida and othersHarmlessMost soil mites in pot compost feed on fungi, decaying matter or other tiny animals, not on plants. Finding them means the compost is alive, not that the plant is under attack.Houseplants · Monstera & aroids · Orchids · Succulents & cacti · Bedding plants
- Wireworms & click beetlesElateridae: Agriotes, Limonius, Melanotus, Conoderus & othersWireworms are the hard, shiny, yellow-brown larvae of click beetles, the slim brown beetles that flip into the air with a click when laid on their backs. The larvae live in the soil for years, eat seeds and seedlings, and bore holes in potatoes and root crops. They are worst in ground that was recently lawn, pasture or grassy weeds. No biological control has worked reliably in the field; baiting and crop timing are the garden tools.Potato · Corn · Carrots & root veg · Beans
- Mole cricketsNeoscapteriscus spp. (N. vicinus, N. borellii, N. abbreviatus)Stout, velvety brown crickets about ⅞–1¼ inches (22–33 mm) long with shovel-like front legs, living in tunnels just under the turf. Three invasive South American species are pests of lawns and pastures in the southeastern US. They loosen the soil, eat roots and leave the grass looking drought-struck even when watered. A soapy-water flush brings them up to count.Lawn & turf
Still not sure? Answer four questions about the damage and the picker will separate them.
macro · bugs in plant soil, side by side
At a glance
- Species
- 4 profiled
- Controls
- 1 beneficial
- Settings
- Indoors, Under glass, Garden, Field
- Crops
- 10 host crops
Beneficial
What controls bugs in plant soil
Listed by how many of the species above each one is a control for. A generalist at the top is the safe first choice; a specialist lower down is the better one if you know which species you have.