Good day all, I have a Hylocereus that is being attacked by tiny little black bugs that appear to have a very pointy nose from where they stab or prick the plant. They almost seem to be bent in the middle making their shape like an angular "s". They are roughly 1mm long and slim. I have been through dozens of sites about plant and cactus bugs and yet nothing even resembling them is listed anywhere. Any help would certainly be appreciated.
although i am not sure which bug you have,because i cant see it,lol, i can tell you how to get rid of it. co2 in the garden is the best way to rid plants of any bugs, without pesticides or damage to growth. i have a co2 bleeder system in my indoor grow-room, but this is not necessary. smaller plants can be put inside an air tight Tupperware container,with a couple co2 pucks, ( available at any hydroponics store, see yellow pages for closest location) and left for 5 to ten minutes maybe longer depending on how long it takes for the co2 pucks to break down entirely. you may have to ask the clerk at the store how many to use to get the ppm's( parts per million) up to the desired range for exploding the bugs and their eggs or larva. its between 2000-5000ppm, the higher the ppm, the faster it will do the job. using a little food grade hydrogen peroxide regularly couldn't hurt either. as it will disinfect your soil,kill bug larva, add oxigen to the water, and keep your fragile white hairs on roots healthy, as well as increase your root zone. nothing will be left behind but microscopic dust, co2 destroys mould and mildew, bugs,eggs,larva but cant stop cross contamination. i would recommend putting any companion plants that share the same space in co2 bath as well. good luck!
Cagreen, Thank you so much for your answer, the only problem is that the plant is about 10 feet wide by 14 feet wide and outdoors therefore I don't really think I have the opportunity to be able to use carbon dioxide. As for hydrogen peroxide should I dilute it or just spray it? I am really curious about these little bugs, the fact that I can't find them anywhere is really intriguing me further! If you can zoom in on the picture, the but is the black elongated thing on the plant segment I photographed. If anyone know I'd be much obliged!
food grade hydrogen peroxide can be very dangerous! read all instructions before use. just a single drop on the carpet/floor will start a house fire. i use it in the steel sink in my kitchen. it must be put in water before any additives, and allowed to sit for the desired time specified on bottle. it should be used with every watering, yet i dont recommend it as a foliar feed for succulents or cactus. its too bad about the co2, as it works like a dream! the largest air tight bin i have is 120 gal, and cost about $20 to fill with co2 pucks. there is however a co2 recipe on line for making your own from sugar, baking soda and vinegar i think.... do you have a 30x scope? it might be a good idea to get one for times like these when bug identification is difficult. they go for about 25$. i use a jewellers loop to take pictures of extra small stuff! my eyes aren't so good these days, so i am sorry i couldn't be of more help. good luck!
