Hi. I have a bell pepper growing in a pot on my window still. The upper layer of soil is full of very small little worms. They are "jumpy" - if you try to squish them or water the plant it seems like they jump around. Right now I am out of soil to replant it, is there any way to get rid of them with things one might have at home? Tried to mark them in the picture https://pasteboard.co/J2GsXF8.jpg
you either have springtails or fungus gnats. springtails no worries. fungus gnats eat the roots. if you have access to mosquito dunks use the water from the mosquito dunk to water the plant and that will get rid of the fungus gnats if that is what it is. or you could let it dry out pretty good and the drying will kill off the fungus gnats. you could repot the pepper(s) too. and keep the soil drier. I didn't see the link before I responded... the little "wormies" I think are fungus gnats. dry out the soil, add a layer of diatomecious earth, or repot the plant and keep it drier. do you see little black gnats anywhere? that is definitive for fungus gnats.
Just white little, very small maggots/worms. I am currently out of soil, and no means to get it due to quarantine (I am from Europe). I will try to dry it out (it seems pretty quick when pepper leaves go limp).
then... gently unpot your plant. brush off as much of the soil as possible. Set the plant aside in a plastic bag to keep it from drying out. then place the remaining soil in a pan or bowl and heat it in the microwave or on the stove until it is steaming. that should kill the infestation. let it cool off and replant your pepper. give it a gently tap to seat the roots and then a light spritz of water. don't over water it .. it is better if you under water it for the time being..
Another tip,, water from the bottom rather than the top ! Just sit the pot in anything that holds water and let it absorb from the bottom ! Keeps the top dry ! It doesn`t have to soak all the way to the top ! Roots need the water,, not anything at the top !
I found this at my local store. It’s organic and affordable and seems to work on EVERYTHING! You might want to keep it on hand. (Don’t know how to rotate image...sorry)
