Help with drosera.. pest?

[Micomicona]

Hi everyone and thanks for having this forum.

It is my first time having a carnivorous plant, which I'm taking care for some friends which are travelling at the moment.

For the last couple of montha the plan has started to go brown from the bottom leaves up. I water it from the bottom with rain water (or mineral water if it doesn't rain), moved it closer to the window for more sun, and spray it regularly so leaves are nice and moist. The plant is definitely catching small flies so hoping that's not the problem either. The other day I realised that in the soil there are tiny little insects. They are about 1mm long and live in the soil which is quite damp. I've isolated one, please see pictures attached. I have no idea what they are, have not found a pest match online. Can anyone help identify what the problem may be and how I can make it better please? Thank you!!!

 

[moon-ring-1983]

Photos are not clear enough to me, but if they don't have wings, lives at damp condition, and from their silhouette/shape, they're look like springtails to me. Harmless but annoying at huge numbers.

 

[Micomicona]

Photos are not clear enough to me, but if they don't have wings, lives at damp condition, and from their silhouette/shape, they're look like springtails to me. Harmless but annoying at huge numbers.

Thank you for your thoughts! so why would the lower leaves be rottening otherwise if the insects are harmless do you think?

 

[Grey Moss]

Based on the color of your droseras' leaves and the lack of dew the issue here is not enough light. The browning leaves in themselves aren't an issue. Over time the older leaves die off and the plant forms a stem. But your plants are looking sickly because they're light deprived.

All those insects pictured are springtails and are harmless to your plants.

 

[bluemax]

I would add along with what the others ^ have said that misting your plants is probably not good for them. It often causes fungus and leaf-rot in established plants.

 

[adnedarn]

Where do you get the rain water? Does it rain often enough to ensure the water is clean? (Doesn't have a lot of dirt and such in it) also you said you water with mineral water when you don't have rain, bad call. Carnivorous plants should have pure water, RO, distilled or something similar. Not mineral, drinking , spring or any other type of not pure water. Mineral build up (on top of the other things said above) can be a problem. The pot should at least be rinsed from the top to remove any built up minerals.

 

[moon-ring-1983]

Thank you for your thoughts! so why would the lower leaves be rottening otherwise if the insects are harmless do you think?

Springtails only eat fungi, algae, and decaying pants matters. They're never attack live plants tissue. That's why they're pretty much safe as terrarium/paludarium inhabitants.

From my experiences, only two pest that usually present on drosera. Gnats larvae (white / slightly transparent tiny maggots) and aphids (rarely on leaves, usually stay on drosera flower stalks). Thrips dislike wet & damp drosera environment, scales & mealybug has different shape and targets (on larger plant stem or leaves). Chewing bug like caterpillar, maggots, etc are rarely target drosera, and they usually eat drosera petiole & dewless leaf blade.

And there are plenty other reason for drosera health decline. Lack of lights, sudden increase on temperature / heat (especially if they're not used to its), humidity drops, mineral accumulation, etc

 

[Micomicona]

Based on the color of your droseras' leaves and the lack of dew the issue here is not enough light. The browning leaves in themselves aren't an issue. Over time the older leaves die off and the plant forms a stem. But your plants are looking sickly because they're light deprived.

All those insects pictured are springtails and are harmless to your plants.

Thank you, I have moved the plant by the window.. but doesn't seem to improve. Hopefully with all the learnings from this post it gets better

 

[Micomicona]

O

Based on the color of your droseras' leaves and the lack of dew the issue here is not enough light. The browning leaves in themselves aren't an issue. Over time the older leaves die off and the plant forms a stem. But your plants are looking sickly because they're light deprived.

All those insects pictured are springtails and are harmless to your plants.

Where do you get the rain water? Does it rain often enough to ensure the water is clean? (Doesn't have a lot of dirt and such in it) also you said you water with mineral water when you don't have rain, bad call. Carnivorous plants should have pure water, RO, distilled or something similar. Not mineral, drinking , spring or any other type of not pure water. Mineral build up (on top of the other things said above) can be a problem. The pot should at least be rinsed from the top to remove any built up minerals.

Thanks for your reply.
I just have a jar outside to collect when it rains. It normally rains quite often except for the last two weeks when I had to look for alternative (and looks like the mineral water was the wrong choice.. :/ )
How much water should the plant have? I tend to have the pot sinking always in between 10 and 30mm of water. Would you recommend something else?
Thanks again!

 

[adnedarn]

O



Thanks for your reply.
I just have a jar outside to collect when it rains. It normally rains quite often except for the last two weeks when I had to look for alternative (and looks like the mineral water was the wrong choice.. :/ )
How much water should the plant have? I tend to have the pot sinking always in between 10 and 30mm of water. Would you recommend something else?
Thanks again!

Ah, that should be fine. It's when collecting off the roof and such I get worried. Looks like pure sphagnum media so 10mm is probably fine. It's ok (and sometimes advised) to let it run out as long as the media stays damp between fills.