Soil mite - microscopic ally or enemy?

Soil mites are an important part of the ecological system. This is a large group of arthropod arachnids living in the ground. Their natural function is to maintain the normal process of decomposition of organics and soil formation. Soil mite is found everywhere - in a forest, field, meadow or garden. Together with the soil, they fall into greenhouses, greenhouses, flower pots. When exposed to special conditions, ticks become pests that eat roots and other parts of plants. In large numbers, arthropods are dangerous for bulbous plants.

Types of mites living in the soil

Ticks are the largest group of the arachnid class. 54 thousand species are described, most of which live in the upper layers of the soil. These animals have microscopic sizes from 0.2 mm to 1 mm. Their body is whole, there are 6 pairs of appendages. The front pairs were transformed into oral organs - chelicera and pedipalps. The remaining 4 pairs are legs.

By the nature of their nutrition, they are divided into several groups:

• saprophages - species that feed on organic residues of plant and animal origin;
• phytophages - arthropods that eat plant tissue;
• predators - ticks that prey on small insects, invertebrates, nematodes etc.

Carapace mites (Oribatida) is the dominant species among the inhabitants of the soil. In its development, 5 phases pass. In the adult stage, they are resistant to various external influences due to the presence of a hard shell. As food, live and dead plants, mushrooms, lichens are used. Among the shell mites there are no parasites.

Information. The amount of Oribatida in the soil reaches 100 thousand individuals per 1 square. m

In addition to oribatids, they live in the soil hundreds of species of tickscontributing to the processing of organic residues. Their livelihoods are closely related to microflora. Soil mites are eaten by bacteria, fungal spores, algae. Their population increases in spring and autumn, when the earth is abundantly moistened. In the dry summer period, the population of arthropods is declining.

The neighbors of ticks of saprophages are predators. These individuals are larger than herbivorous congeners. Representatives of the family Bdellidae reach 3.5 mm. These are free-living individuals with a soft body and an outgrowth on the head in the form of an elongated nose. In his diet, small arthropods and insect larvae.

Acarid mites - pests on tubers and bulbs

Representatives of the family of acaride or bread mites can be found in various places - apartments, granaries, on the human body. They are present in the soil. Two species of arachnids settle on the roots and tubers of plants:

• tyrophagus - elongated ticks;
• rhizoglyphus - bulbous mites.

Rhizoglyphus

Root onion tick is widespread in all countries. It is a polyphage, an organism that eats various types of food. In the diet of the pest: onions, potatoes, grape roots, cereals and ornamental crops. The body is elongated, yellowish in color.The legs are short and thick, each with large spikes. The length of the adult is 0.8-1 mm.

Through mechanical damage, the tick penetrates the bulb and feeds on its juice. If there are no holes, then he gnaws at the road with strong claws. In regions with a warm, humid climate, decorative flowers in open ground and greenhouses are at risk. In damaged gladioli of tulips, daffodils, the growth process slows down. They can be infected with various diseases.

Attention. When exposed to human skin, acarid mites cause itching and irritation.

The pest is very moisture-loving, it feels great at 100% humidity. His life processes accelerate with increasing temperature - at +15⁰ the nymph develops 22 days, and at +25⁰ - 2 days. The female onion tick lays from 200 to 800 eggs. After 7-10 days, larvae appear from them. The life expectancy of adults is 2 months. But the pest eats in the early stages of development.

Tyrophagus

An extended putrefactive tick does no less damage than an onion tick. This pest normally lives deep in the ground. With a high level of humidity, he leaves the ground and moves to the plant. A tick damages a leaf plate; it prefers to settle on young shoots.
Signs of damage by soil mite include:

• the appearance of spots on the surface of the bulb of the plant;
• drying of the bulbs;
• the inside of the tubers turns into dust;
• the appearance of punctures on the leaves;
• a brown scar of scar tissue on the underside of the leaf plate.

The main measure to combat the elongated and root tick is humidity control. To destroy the pest on plants, the treatment is carried out by Fitoverm. The soil is sprinkled with powders and granules - Sunmayt, Nisoran. Bulb planting material should be stored in a dry place. Before laying them for storage, they are warmed up. Material with external damage is immediately removed.

Soil mites on indoor plants

In any soil where there is moisture and organic matter, ticks appear. Some are attracted by decaying plant debris, others by the roots and bulbs of living plants, others by their nails, nematodes, eggs and insect larvae. Some species, such as the root tick, contribute to the decay of orchids, gloxinia, and violets. Usually they stay close to the surface, if the condition of the flowers worsens for no apparent reason, then the source of the problem must be sought in the ground. One of the signs of the activity of soil mites is the appearance of a putrid odor after irrigation.

Tip. The small size of the pests does not allow them to be examined with the naked eye. To objectively determine the presence of ticks in the substrate, take a soil sample and examine with a magnifier.

Predatory mites often prey on fellow organics. One of these species belongs to the Gamasoidea family. Its size is up to 1 mm, the body is rounded, covered with hairs. Color from sand to light brown. This inhabitant of flower pots can be seen on the surface of the soil or on the plant. For flowers, it is absolutely safe, on the contrary, it is a fighter of living creatures that have bred in the soil. An increase in the number of predators signals improper agricultural practices. Overmoistening of the soil caused rotting of organics and the growth of organisms that feed on it. Hunters bred for them.

It is not worth fighting with gamazoid mites living in pots. They feed solely on the inhabitants of the soil. The oral apparatus of predators is adapted for piercing and sucking victims. They disappear after restoration of soil balance. A decrease in moisture and a decrease in the number of protozoa will lead to extinction.

Fighting Uninvited Flower Pot Residents

Soil mites are resistant to various adverse factors. When conditions worsen, they are able to fall into a state of diapause, which is similar to suspended animation. If the substrate is seriously infected with ticks, then it is better to replace it. Before planting in new soil, the roots of plants are recommended to be disinfected.To do this, prepare a tansy decoction - 100 grams of dry grass is poured 1 liter of boiling water and boiled for 15 minutes. After cooling, the bulbs or roots are lowered into the broth for half an hour.

One way to limit the number of ticks is to reduce the degree of moisture. Watering stops for 7-10 days. It is also necessary to arrange a drainage layer at the bottom of the pot to control the amount of moisture.

Chemicals are an extreme measure in pest control, but sometimes they cannot be avoided. The following apply acaricidal drugs:

• Acarin is a biological product that has an intestinal effect.
• Apollo is a concentrated suspension of contact exposure, the rate of use is 2 ml per 5 l of water.
• Vertimek is a naturally occurring drug based on the fungus.
• Tick-borne - an insecticide and acaricidal preparation for the protection of decorative flowers indoors. The biological agent leads to the death of ticks 3 days after application.

Soil mites help maintain the natural balance of microflora and contribute to the formation of humus. Only certain types of arthropods pose a danger to cultivated plants. Effective biological and chemical preparations have been developed to combat them.