Expert: C.L. Fornari - 10/3/2009

Question
There are loads of tiny insects, (they look like brown ants, some with wings) in the soil of my impatients.  What are they, where did they come from, and can I use anything on them so that I can retain the soil in the pots for use next year?  This was fresh potting soil that was used in the spring.

Answer
Marilyn,
They might be termites... check out this website to see a drawing of an ant and a termite, enlarged: http://www.wesleyjohnson.net/termites_ants.html   Termites like damp soil, so they sometimes make their home in flower pots and travel out to surrounding areas from there.

No matter if they are ants or termites, what I would do if I wanted to use the soil again, would be to put a tarp outside and dump the potted plants on that.  Spread the soil out in a thin layer, breaking up the clumps of roots. Let it stay that way for at least a month, covering it with another tarp if it's going to rain. If you have a lot of pots that might be worth doing, but if it's a matter of a couple bags of new soil next year, it might be a good investment to just start again.

If you think they are termites, you might want to have an exterminator come and look at your house to make sure you don't have a problem infestation.

all the best,
C.L.
www.wholelifegardening.com