>> found zillions of invertebrates. I took new samples into the
>> entomology dept. and had it verified as thrips.
>>
>> To look for thrips, you'll probably need a hand-lens. Look for small
>> crawling insects about 0.5--1.0 mm long, and about .25 mm wide. They
>> are elongated crawling insects that are semi-transparent (at least
>> mine are). They suck fluids and expell droplets onto the plant. I'm
>> going to get rid of mine by swabbing the leaves with a bit of
>> alcohol, and letting them sit in shade for a few hours as the alcohol
>> dries. They apparently do not enter the roots.
>>
>>
>> Barry
>>
>>
>Do thrips have the ability to sit on water w/o breaking the surface
>tension? I have some insects that seem to love living in wet & moist
>soils. They get flushed out when I water but float around in the
>terrarium just fine. They have the ability to stay top of the water
>and actually jump several centimeters when disturbed. The have spread
>to many of my house-plants, but don't seem to cause a problem for
>anything. They can get 2-3mm long and are usually clear.
>
>Jeff
These insects are springtails and are harmless as far as your plants go.
I've seen them living on the water surface in my aquariums since I was a
child. John Phillips UCSF Health Sciences Library Rm 202 Interlibrary
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