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What are those maggots on the roots of my dead lettuce plant? (lemmy.world)
submitted 4 months ago by to c/gardening@lemmy.world
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When one of my lettuce plants started wilting, I pulled on it and found I could just pull it straight out of the soil with no resistance. On the roots, I found these maggots. (You may need enlarge the picture a bit.)

Does anybody know what these are?

How likely is it that those are why the lettuce started dying?

Can they spread to other nearby potted plants?

What can you do against these?

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[–] 11 points 4 months ago (2 children)

That soil looks very wet. Maybe that's why the lettuce wasn't happy?

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    • [–] 5 points 4 months ago (7 children)

    Fungus gnat larvae - they have likely already spread to other pots. The adult is a small adult fly.

    To controll them use BTi ( Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) from mosquito dunks in your watering can.

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 4 months ago (6 children)

    Fungus gnats are a common problem for me whereever I have potted plants, but so far, they haven't managed to kill one yet. So far, I have been keeping them at bay with a combination of yellow sticky traps and, in extreme cases, an application of SF nematodes.

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  • [–] 1 point 4 months ago

    Diatomaceous Earth (DE) ravages them too. Apply outside/don't breathe it in. Once it's in the soil, it will stay there for quite awhile and offers long lasting protection.

    It cuts up the bugs!

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  • [–] -1 points 4 months ago (3 children)

    They don't harm the plant, nor any people. They're just a nuisance when the plants are indoors, because then you've got bugs flying around indoors.

    Watering with mosquito dunks tea, and sticky traps placed to touch the rim of the pot (since they like to walk up to the highest point before flying) worked to eliminate them for me.

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  • [–] [S] 1 point 4 months ago (1 child)

    They don’t harm the plant

    I don't buy this. I just caught them going through the roots of a plant with severe root damage visible. Granted, this was in combination with overwatering, but still. There are also plenty of voices in the Internet saying that, if those larvae run out of other organic material in the soil, they will start eating plant roots.

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  • [–] 1 point 4 months ago

    Right, they're infesting the plant because of the root damage. You gave them a great food source. But if they run out of damaged roots, they won't start in on the healthy ones.

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    • [–] 4 points 4 months ago

    Also, allow plants to dry between watering. Not too much, but plants don't like wet feet.

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    [–] 3 points 4 months ago

    Like others said, fungus gnats/larvae. Hydrogen peroxide mixed with water (1:4 ratio) is one suggested solution that I have found. So far it seems to be helping for my little succulent plant.

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    [–] 2 points 4 months ago

    Looks like fungus gnat larvae. Throw that pot out ASAP, or you'll have a swarm in a few days.

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    [–] 1 point 4 months ago (2 children)

    Nematodes?

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