每日吃瓜

Hi all,I’ve been dealing with a pest problem affecting three of my bonsai trees that share the same windowsill: a new?Lilac bonsai (pictured below), a Chinese Privet, and a Cotoneaster. The soil in all three seems to be infested with tiny insects that jump when disturbed. They’re barely a few millimetres in size and seem to thrive when the soil is moist.They don’t appear to be flying, but they’re fast and active on the surface of the soil. I’ve read that they could be either springtails or fungus gnats, but I’m not entirely sure.So far, I’ve:

• Sprinkled a light layer of cinnamon on top of the soil
• Reduced watering to let the topsoil dry out more
• Watered them with something I used for the fungus gnats, but so far not working ( )

Before I try anything stronger, I’d really appreciate your help:

• Does anyone know exactly what they are based on this behaviour?
• What’s the most effective and bonsai-safe way to get rid of them completely?
• Should I treat all three trees even if one shows more signs than the others?

Thanks in advance for any advice or shared experience!

Windowsill? What are they doing inside? Get them out. The insects will do no harm, but it is an indication that your growing conditions are not good. Rather than worry about getting rid of some harmless insects you need to sort out where you keep these plants and how you are looking after them. That is where the problem is, sort that and the insects will dissapear.

Hi m5eaygeoff,

I would love to have them in the garden, but sadly my 2nd floor flat didn't come with one ?
So they'll have to wait until we get a house.?
I don't really mind the insects, as they are tiny. I was worried about the cottoneaser is creating honeydew and maybe my lilac won't grow as healthy.

I had a problem with white flies on the tropicals one winter. There were some sticky yellow stripes that attracted them and stuck them, solving the problem. I don't remember name or anything but they were on Amazon. Try searching with terms like sticky and insect.