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Sep 23, 2023 7:48 PM CST
Thread OP
New Jersey
I have an indoor potted bird of paradise and have found beige worm like bugs in the soil. I have repotted the plant with new soil, and the next day, the worms resurfaced. The bugs like to crawl and move around the house. I am trying to avoid getting rid of the plant, but do not want bugs around the house. Any guidance is appreciated!
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Sep 23, 2023 8:32 PM CST
Name: Zoë
Albuquerque NM, Elev 5310 ft (Zone 7b)
Bee Lover Salvias Region: New Mexico Herbs Container Gardener Composter
Cat Lover Butterflies Bookworm Birds Enjoys or suffers hot summers
Oh my. Millipedes. Possibly larvae. Or maybe centipedes. I get them mixed up.
If you search <how to get rid of millipedes in houseplants> you'll get a long page of articles and videos. Normally I'd link a source I know to be credible, but there are so many, and I've never experienced such an invasion, so I'll leave it up to you to scroll through the advice and pick what appeals to you.

Oh wait, I trust this site, just found it. Wouldn't hurt to look at others, though. Good luck!
https://www.thespruce.com/cont...
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Sep 24, 2023 5:34 AM CST
Name: Gina
Florida (Zone 9a)
Tropical plant collector 40 years
Aroids Region: Florida Tropicals
Although they look menacing they usually don't hurt your plants.
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Sep 24, 2023 10:00 AM CST
Name: Zoë
Albuquerque NM, Elev 5310 ft (Zone 7b)
Bee Lover Salvias Region: New Mexico Herbs Container Gardener Composter
Cat Lover Butterflies Bookworm Birds Enjoys or suffers hot summers
Gina1960 said: Although they look menacing they usually don't hurt your plants.


Maybe, but oy! Lotta creepy crawlies in an indoor pot... you can bet they're going to wander!
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Sep 24, 2023 10:27 AM CST
Name: Tiffany purpleinopp
Opp, AL @--`--,----- 🌹 (Zone 8b)
Region: United States of America Houseplants Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Garden Sages Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 2
Organic Gardener Composter Miniature Gardening Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Tender Perennials Butterflies
Hi & welcome! That's a lot of critters. When you repotted, did you remove the old soil? I think you would have noticed if those came from the new bag of soil.

What are we looking at in the pic? The pot where the plant lives? From when you repotted? Are you able to add a pic of the whole plant?

They look like millipedes to me, which eat decayed/decaying organic matter, which would include plant roots if they are not healthy, and stumps of dead leaves. If we are looking at the pot, that many millipedes are not going to find enough organic matter in soil to sustain themselves for long. Just like when worms are in a pot, the action of them eating the organic matter and then poo'ing in the soil will quickly turn the soil to thick sludge with no tiny air pockets, devoid of oxygen, which will suffocate the roots and cause them to rot and become palatable.

When you water, does brown water come out of the drain holes? That's a sign that some type of soil dwelling critter is poo'ing in there.
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Sep 24, 2023 10:36 AM CST
Name: Zoë
Albuquerque NM, Elev 5310 ft (Zone 7b)
Bee Lover Salvias Region: New Mexico Herbs Container Gardener Composter
Cat Lover Butterflies Bookworm Birds Enjoys or suffers hot summers
OP Melissa said she repotted and more appeared the next day. That's why I suspect those are babies. I'm guessing that she didn't completely wash the roots and that eggs got transfered into the new pot. They might have been difficult to see. How frustrating that must have been.
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