Encanto Farms Nursery > Categories > Maggot or Worm is Eating Cuttings

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twobrothersgarden

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Posts: 332

The cuttings are in moss. They were cleaned with hydrogen peroxide and soap. They are inside a sterilite tote. The lid stays on, only opened to air out the cuttings and fluff the moss. Cuttings are being eaten by what appear to be a small clear worm/maggot. Only specific cuttings have it and several varieties are grouped together.

Has anyone experienced this?

bullet08

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Posts: 6,920

any pictures? i haven't seen any worm/maggots. sure it's not gnat maggots?

twobrothersgarden

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Posts: 332

Sorry I panicked and cleaned the cuttings right away. I should have taken a picture. They were really small and clear. And I've never had gnat maggots so I wouldn't know if was or wasn't.

bonsaigai

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Posts: 22

From the description of small and clear, it sounds like fungus gnats.  I've used neem in the past for them.  It is a "mild" organic pesticide, but I'd try it out on only a few cuttings to see if it's Ok for them.  

JD

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http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/Tiny-Worms-4516006?highlight=worm

bullet08

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yeah.. good thing you cleaned them out. they are too small for a bait. x)

Figaro

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It's also very probable that they came with your moss, so be careful before you use any more of that batch!

Grasa

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Bad news, you need to dip them in warm soapy/bleach water and let them dry out and do it again, once in there, they crawl under the thin green bark... in 5-6 days you will have gnats flying around, you must get those yellow fly traps, and  isolate them you can feel the green becomes softer, meaning, they are there already, I would cut the bottoms as they crawl inside also.  See? that is what I described, so root them outside in your warm weather, less moss, and cover with thin fabric, I think their eggs may come in the moss too, sorry to hear, Frank.

twobrothersgarden

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Posts: 332

Thank you all for the help. I cleaned them again and they look okay but I don't know. I threw out that moss and I'm starting over with new moss. I boiled some water and I'm gonna soak the new moss in that, to see if I can kill any insect that might be in there.

Dieseler

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Posts: 8,252

Good idea Henry some years back same thing happened to me .
The moss was from south america if i recall right and was tossed.