---
title: "Hi! I have these tiny little bugs that are crawling and in the dirt…"
description: "Hi! I have these tiny little bugs that are crawling and in the dirt of my plant and I’m not sure what they are or how to kill them😭. If anybody could help, I…"
url: "https://getplanta.com/community/lKxUkhzRR_aIJD7o1QvtwQ/cyYYDtWPk5iqNEPJ9aTLM5"
community: "Pests, diseases and problems"
author: "nugget"
published: "2025-05-08T18:57:04.529503Z"
language: "en"
image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/RPaEncC75C6nYT5tvvGBw2oBwTIgiJLBk0Yr7mYir7E/VZ14G6y_SQuxFvK_yOaUyg.webp?size=large"
---

[Community](https://getplanta.com/community.md) / [Pests, diseases and problems](https://getplanta.com/community/lKxUkhzRR_aIJD7o1QvtwQ.md)

# Hi! I have these tiny little bugs that are crawling and in the dirt…

_Posted by nugget on 2025-05-08_

Hi! I have these tiny little bugs that are crawling and in the dirt of my plant and I’m not sure what they are or how to kill them😭. If anybody could help, I would appreciate it. They are in all of my plants and aren’t super visible until I disturb the soil and then they all begin crawling around.

![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/RPaEncC75C6nYT5tvvGBw2oBwTIgiJLBk0Yr7mYir7E/VZ14G6y_SQuxFvK_yOaUyg.webp?size=large)

## 8 comments

### Ky commented on 2025-05-08

try diluting some dawn dish soap in water and put that on the soil, it might be able to help kill off the bugs without hurting your plant

### PlantLady commented on 2025-05-08

They could be springtails which are not harmful to the plant

#### PlantLady replied on 2025-05-08

And springtails are beneficial insects. I would google and try to identify them before repotting all your plants.

### Ky commented on 2025-05-08

all the soil should be changed on all the plants that do have the bugs as well

#### nugget replied on 2025-05-08

I’ve been having issues with bugs, is there a soil type you would recommend? I live in a pretty humid apartment and it takes weeks for the soil I have to properly dry which I think is contributing to the bugs

### Yolanda commented on 2025-05-08

That looks like mealy bugs or if it’s webbing anywhere spider mites. First thing get rid of the soil on every plant that you see them in.. spray the leaves of plant off really good with water then clean each leaf with 70% alcohol front and back then spray plant really good with neem oil.. then repeat neem oil every 7 days until you no longer have an issue.. keep every plant isolated that has this issue from your other plants

### Amy commented on 2025-05-08

It’s hard too see the bugs, but if they are predatory spider mites (which don’t make webbing) then they won’t hurt your plant and they are beneficial insects and will eat spider mites and other plant pests. The predatory mites are very very small, generally whiteish color, crawl around very quickly. They can be in soil and the underside of leaves

### Jamie commented on 2025-05-09

They might be soil mites, which are completely harmless. Letting the soil dry out a bit might get their numbers down, but they can actually be beneficial since they help to aerate the soil.

---

_Source: the Planta community (https://getplanta.com). Reading is open to everyone. To post, comment and like, get the Planta app: https://getplanta.com/download_