They're back!

[Paph_LdyMacBeth]

...or more likely they never left.
So I had posted about this problem previously & had a good look around the forum. http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11649

The pests I have are most surely springtails (but way too small to post photos of with my camera). I have done everything I can think of to get rid of them, but the problem is just getting worse! While I was watering today I noticed HUNDREDS floating to the top in a few of my pots.

So here is what I have done so far.
1. repotted all affected plants into new medium (and by now all plants are done...I think)
2. I spray the surface medium with an insecticidal soap (containing Alkanolamine Salts of Fatty Acids 1.25%) about once weekly after I water.
3. I spray all plants and medium on the surface 1 monthly with neem (probably too much I know)

I have noticed the plants planted in CHC (primarily oncidiums) seem to have the most bugs. Is there an alternative medium people could suggest? I was growing them in lg perlite but I really don't like it as a medium.

Otherwise the plants are thriving. You'd never notice any issues.

I am open to new suggestions.

 

[NYEric]

3. I spray all plants and medium on the surface 1 monthly with neem (probably too much I know)

Otherwise the plants are thriving. You'd never notice any issues.

I am open to new suggestions.

Isn't Neem as treatment supposed to be weekly?
BTW, springtails probably won't kill your living plant, they want decaying matter. IMO.

 

[Paph_LdyMacBeth]

Neem weekly? I'm down with that. I was told every 3 months and felt like such a jerk for using it monthly.

I figured springtails weren't a huge problem for the plants as I have always had them on my amaryllis plants and never really bothered doing much about them. Should I just ignore them then? I know all the medium is new.

 

[likespaphs]

i'd just ignore them, but that's me.

 

[NYEric]

I squash a few every now and again!

 

[SlipperFan]

If you've repotted everything and still have springtails, there were probably attached to the roots. If that's the case, I'd flush the pots with a good systemic, like Imidacloprid.

I, for one, do not like springtails.