Before transplanting my seedlings into larger pots, I topped off the pots with outside garden soil. When the soil warmed up tiny centipede looking worms emerged. if they are centipedes then no worries. If they are garden symphylans I'm doomed from the start. They quickly burrowed into the soil which is chock full of amendments which weren't cheap. Centipedes are good for the garden as they eat other pests and break down compost like worms. Symphylans love to eat seedlings and new roots. I noticed that they rise to the surface in the dark like night crawlers. The problem is that I planted 6 plants before I notice the tiny creatures. Should I throw everything out and start over. I'm only two weeks into the grow. Or should I wait and see what happens. What would you do?
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Good morning and welcome to the neighborhood!!! Is there any way that you may be able to post a pic? If not, we can still try to figure things out. A common form of pest control for soil is Mosquito Bits. You can make a “tea” with it using warm water and soak your soil for a quick kill. Also, do a little top dressing for maintenance. Hope this helps! Good luck and happy growing.
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Hey @Gooch99 , Welcome to the forum
Pics of the critters may help identify them.
No point killing your plants yet. There are ways to eliminate bugs.
How long ago did you transplant? Again pics.
If the seedlings are not fully established and the bugs are bad then you can probably repot them and be fine.
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Thanks so much for the suggestions. I did use a tea of mosquito bits and neem oil. The bugs are so small it’s hard to get a picture. After a day or so the larger ones are looking more like centipedes. I’m pretty sure I know what I did wrong. I came up one pot short when mixing my soil. I used some soil from a container that I grew tomatoes in last summer. The bottom of the container was filled with about four inches of wood chips to provide drainage and take up space. Centipedes love decaying wood. I must have scooped up a clutch of eggs that just hatched. I used the leftover soil to top off a few of the other pots. I didn’t see the little critters until I put on my glasses, and I already had five or six plants in. I got rid of the full pot of contaminated soil by throwing it into the compost pile. This morning, just before the lights came on, I stood with my shop vac in hand. When the lights came on, I sucked up the little buggers along with an inch of soil. Now it’s wait and see. If they are centipedes, then it’s no big deal. If my plants are all dead by next week, I’ll let you know. One thing for sure, I have “living soil”.
Update. There Gone!! 