Devils Ivy with weird insects!

[itschloej]

Hey guys, I’ve got a really healthy and long devils ivy and just noticed some bugs on the soil. The bugs are so tiny and barely visible and when I moved the pot they all went under the soil. They aren’t present on the leaves, only the soil. I have no idea what they could be and I’m not sure if I should be concerned. Should I try to get rid of them? How would I get rid of them?
Thanks

 

[Marck]

Greetings, welcome to the Forums.

By Devil's Ivy, do you mean Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) in the Aroid Family (Araceae)? Is it a house plant?
Try to take some sharp macro photos of the insects so that they can be identified. Photograph the plant and its setting too.
The insects may be something like Springtails (Collembola) or Fungus gnats (Sciaroidea, Diptera). These could be a minor nuisance indoors, but usually wouldn't seriously harm a plant like Epipremnum aureum. Though Fungus gnats can sometimes be a symptom of overwatering or poor drainage, which certainly can negatively affect a plant.

 

[itschloej]

Hey, the insects are so tiny that I can’t take a picture of them! The brown leaf is an old mistake, ignore that haha.
It gets a tiny bit of water every two days, which has been making it grow really well. The insects are new.

 

[itschloej]

Greetings, welcome to the Forums.

By Devil's Ivy, do you mean Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) in the Aroid Family (Araceae)? Is it a house plant?
Try to take some sharp macro photos of the insects so that they can be identified. Photograph the plant and its setting too.
The insects may be something like Springtails (Collembola) or Fungus gnats (Sciaroidea, Diptera). These could be a minor nuisance indoors, but usually wouldn't seriously harm a plant like Epipremnum aureum. Though Fungus gnats can sometimes be a symptom of overwatering or poor drainage, which certainly can negatively affect a plant.

I forgot to mention, yes it is a house plant and yes it is golden pothos

 

[Marck]

Rather than watering every two days lightly, water less often, only when needed, but deeply so that the full column of soil is moistened. Does that container have drainage holes? It must, so that the soil can be fully watered without becoming saturated.

The identity of the insect is still not determined, but proper irrigation will benefit the plant in any case.

 

[itschloej]

It does have drainage holes, yes. Thank you.

How could I get rid of the insects do you think?

 

[Marck]

Capture an insect and photograph it dead, but not crushed. Use the macro settings on your camera. This may allow it to be identified.

If it is something that thrives in consistently wet conditions like Fungus gnats, then deeper, less frequent irrigation may help. Allow the surface of the soil to appear dry before watering. The irrigate the plant completely. Do this in the sink if necessary.

You could also mulch the surface of the pot with ornamental pepbles, but move the pebbles aside when judging soil moisture.

 

[itschloej]

Thank you!

 

[itschloej]

Capture an insect and photograph it dead, but not crushed. Use the macro settings on your camera. This may allow it to be identified.

If it is something that thrives in consistently wet conditions like Fungus gnats, then deeper, less frequent irrigation may help. Allow the surface of the soil to appear dry before watering. The irrigate the plant completely. Do this in the sink if necessary.

You could also mulch the surface of the pot with ornamental pepbles, but move the pebbles aside when judging soil moisture.

I was just able to get some photos, but they are so tiny they are unidentifiable

 

[Marck]

I suspect they are Springtails (Collembola), minute, wingless arthropods, similar to insects. If so, they are not plant pests and their numbers will decrease if the soil is watered deeply, but less frequently.

 

[itschloej]

Thank you!!