Question
i recently repotted my cape sundews, lance leafs, giant staghorn,spoon leafs, and south american dew thread,   i used Schultz peat moss and vermeculite. now i notice there are a lot of little white bugs that can jump a long way, i hope you know what i'm talking about. they cant be good for the plants can they? they dont crawl on the plants, they stay on/in the soil. how can i kill them?

Answer
Hi Mark,

OOPS!  I hope you didn't use vermiculite!  Vermiculite is not the same as perlite, and it leaches out minerals that will inhibit your plants' growth.  The correct mix should be 1 part peat moss and 1 part perlite.

I also need to point out that some growers had poor results with the Schultz brand.  I strongly suspect that the peat moss is contaminated with fertilizer and compost since the company uses the same facility to package their other products.  While most gardeners don't mind compost and fertilizer contaminants in their soil, this is certainly not the case with carnivorous plant enthusiasts.

In either case, because you used vermiculite, you'll need to repot your plants in the correct soil mix as mentioned above.  This will also give you an opportunity to try another brand of peat moss.  I recommend getting the large bales of peat moss since they are packaged at the site of harvest and contains virtually no contaminants.

As for the bugs, you should also spray your plants with a pesticide.  The larvae of those critters will munch away on the roots.  But repotting your plants will take care of them.  If you start seeing them again, spray with any pesticide containing pyrethrin.  Safer?brand makes a good product of it.  As always, follow the directions listed on the bottle.

For more information about growing carnivorous plants, read our care sheets online:
http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets

Good growing!
Jacob Farin