Tiny silver/white bugs?

Hey everyone,


I've got tiny, tiny bugs on quite a few trees of mine and I can't figure out what they are. They aren't mites as I don't see damage to the leaves and they aren't aphids as I'm not seeing any webs anywhere. They're tiny, almost microscopic. I would get a picture, but I can't seeing as how small they are. They run all up and down the trunk and down into the soil. They're on my indoor and outdoor trees. Bare rooting the trees and repotting them into new soil would probably work, but it really makes me wonder what they are...

Probably/possibly psyllids. They themselves will cause little problem to your trees, but they carry or are associated with various species-specific plant diseases. A pyrethrun spray will take care of them.

What species of tree are affected?

JimLewis wrote:Probably/possibly psyllids. They themselves will cause little problem to your trees, but they carry or are associated with various species-specific plant diseases. A pyrethrun spray will take care of them.

What species of tree are affected?

Hmmm thanks Jim. Pictures show that those things cause leaf damage, but I haven't noticed anything. They are on my Ficus. Would a pyrethrun spray be beneficial even if these are not psyllids? Is there any downside to it?

Google on psocids. While they are harmless, they are an indication of dampness. Do you have your trees outdoors in full sun? Never use a pesticide unless necessary. Ask Nina.
Iris

Ah, most of the pictures of them look like what I have. The first tree I noticed them on didn't dry out as fast as I would've liked, and I feel that they have spread from that tree to the others, whose soil is not damp. So, I don't need to get rid of them? If I wanted to, how exactly would I go about that? I've soaked the trees in water for 10 minutes before, but the bugs just float around and get back on it once I lift the tree up.

I assume a pyrethrin spray would work?

Looking over my trees again, I have indeed found a couple of spider webs. Not good.

Actually, spider webs are good. Spiders eat bugs, if you will recall.

JimLewis wrote:Actually, spider webs are good. Spiders eat bugs, if you will recall.

Well yes, but how do I know it is actually spiders and not whatever is currently crawling all over my tree?

I must not have sent my last post properly. I informed you that readily visible spider webs have nothing to do with spider mites. Also, psocids do not spin webs. Spiders are good guys. As we have tried to tell you, there is no reason to spray your trees. Water less often and get them out into more sun. It is very important at this time of year to move your trees according to the change in the angle of the sun, and cut way back on watering. I have lost numerous trees to root rot by not paying attention to this.

bonsaisr wrote:I must not have sent my last post properly. I informed you that readily visible spider webs have nothing to do with spider mites. Also, psocids do not spin webs. Spiders are good guys. As we have tried to tell you, there is no reason to spray your trees. Water less often and get them out into more sun. It is very important at this time of year to move your trees according to the change in the angle of the sun, and cut way back on watering. I have lost numerous trees to root rot by not paying attention to this.

I do not keep my trees soaking wet. It was one tree that did not dry out enough and these just appeared. Trust me, I know how to water. Also, no ones really tried to stop me from spraying. You just said to not do it unless it's necessary. Not trying to sound rude, just saying. Thank you though.

I do not keep my trees soaking wet. It was one tree that did not dry out enough and these just appeared. Trust me, I know how to water. Also, no ones really tried to stop me from spraying. You just said to not do it unless it's necessary. Not trying to sound rude, just saying. Thank you though.

Don't get testy.

If one tree starts not drying out while your others are OK, that is a strong indication of root problems for that tree. Trees with root problems are doing and feeling poorly. Trees that are doing poorly will get insects (and eventually may have disease problems and more insects).

2. Iris came as close as she could without saying "DO NOT SPRAY! I repeatedly call for using the least harmful control methods first and that doesn't include chemicals in most instances. When ONE tree has a few insects, it is NOT necessary to immediately jump to pesticides. And, chemical sprays are NOT good on trees that have systemic issues, such as root ailments.

3. Iris lives too far north to be familiar with Psocids who spin webs. The webbing bark louse (Archipsocus nomas), which is capable of forming large, spectacular webs, is native to the southeastern US – mostly the Gulf States and from Bermuda south to Panama. However, these webs cling tightly to the bark of affected trees, while spider webs will connect from trunk to branch to branch. When I lived in Tallahassee, I frequently saw psocid webbing on the trunks of willow oaks growing in damper areas of my property. I haven't seen them here, and you may be in their northernmost range.

Again, however, the psocid is harmless to your trees, and does NOT needs spraying if you can control the perpetual dampness that tree lives in. They, in fact, will be something of a vacuum cleaner for your bark, cleaning it of bacteria and moss and other organic detritus.

Oops. Live and learn. I always grumble about experts in Florida who try to tell us about things in the North, & here I am doing the same thing. An international forum is a wonderful way to broaden your knowledge, but one must remember to keep one's mouth shut when you don't know. Just because I never saw a psocid that spun webs (they are very rare around here), I never thought there would be web-spinning ones someplace else.
Iris

JimLewis wrote:

2. Iris came as close as she could without saying "DO NOT SPRAY! I repeatedly call for using the least harmful control methods first and that doesn't include chemicals in most instances. When ONE tree has a few insects, it is NOT necessary to immediately jump to pesticides. And, chemical sprays are NOT good on trees that have systemic issues, such as root ailments.

Thanks Jim, but like I said, this isn't just ONE tree. A good number of them have them. That is why I was worrying a bit. But unless the trees start dying I'll not worry about them.