CactiGuide.com

I just bought a new cactus yesterday, that I believe had been living outside...I watered it today, and about a dozen teeny tiny bugs started swarming out of the dirt--eek! what are they, are they dangerous to the cactus, and how can I get rid of them? I checked the Pests & Disease page and looked at bugs/critters, but I'm still not sure what I'm dealing with. Any help would be appreciated!

I've tried to take a photo of a couple of the bugs but I'm not sure how helpful they'll be?

Those aren't hazardous to your cacti only seedlings, I've seen them in my pots aswell, you should repot yr cactus remove all the old soil from the root ball and rinse it clean as u can. Wash out the container and stones with non toxic soap and rinse clean let them dry out, before repotting yr new cacti in a mix of 50:50 perlite and Sifted Cacti and succulent mix equal parts, sift out the heavy materials in the cacti and succulent soil (Like sticks and stuff) with a grate or a screen or a small 4in plastic pots drainage holes.. then u can put the decorative rocks back on top of the soil. This may not get rid of them for ever, But i put thin double sided tape or sticky paper ant traps and stick them to the inside rim of the pot and the top of the rim of the container and they get stuck on the sticky tape. It usually controls them from populating yr plant container

And after u repot the cactus wait about a week or two before watering it at all so the roots can heal.

Oh good, I'm so relieved to hear they're nothing dangerous to the cactus. Thanks for all the excellent advice, I'll repot it and hopefully that will take care of the bugs! (I've got it outside until I can repot it, lol!)

Just make sure tree temps outside are above 35°F soo vyr cactus doesn't die or get frost bite, and make sure its in indirect light until it adjusts to full light over a period of a week or so so it doesn't burn to death either. Goodluck hun