Tiny white insects - are these a problem?

[Ilvin]

I have just found many tiny little insects on my indoor cacti/succulents and I'm hoping that someone here can tell me if they're a problem.

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture because they're just too small - well under a millimeter wide and not a lot longer. They look like tiny white grains of sand, or even dust, moving along the edge of the pot, over the top of the soil and on the plants. They don't move very fast, and don't seem to jump either.

I have them on 2 cacti and, unfortunately, both pots of my lithops seedlings. I'm particularly worried about the seedlings, since I suspect they'd be harder to treat.

If anyone has any ideas as to what they are I'd appreciate it - if I need to work out a plan of attack I'd rather do it before I start seeing damage.

[Nino_G]

They are probably springtails (Collembola). They are small hexapods and are not harmful to plants. They are in fact feeding on decaying organic matter and may be beneficial. I have them in my collection peacefully coexisting with cacti for many, many years.

[anttisepp]

Soil mites.

[Ilvin]

Ah, thank you both. A little googling shows the soil mite seems the most likely to what I'm seeing. They're very mobile little things, hopefully I can get rid of them but at least they're not killing the plants in the meantime.

This is a little odd, mind you, since I did think they came from a new tillandsia! Either they're very confused soil mites, or I've got the source wrong.

[TrichoB]

Ah, thank you both. A little googling shows the soil mite seems the most likely to what I'm seeing. They're very mobile little things, hopefully I can get rid of them but at least they're not killing the plants in the meantime.

This is a little odd, mind you, since I did think they came from a new tillandsia! Either they're very confused soil mites, or I've got the source wrong.

Predator mites will do the trick, I used them very successfully this season. Will be repeated every season now