Joe--well, first you can bury the sprout, it doesn't have to be planted exposed just because it there. Now, about the mite bites (if that's what they are): Those are going to be harmless because the mites are gone. Since you've already planted the bulbs, you won't be able to check for any fungus at the basil plate area, but that would have been a place to examine closely. Those spots are not going to bother a young vigorous bulb on an outer scale. One thing to remember: fungus and mites go hand in hand. There's something in the chemistry surrounding fungus activity that attracts mites and mites are hard to treat with pesticides. Very hard. So one has to be proactive wherever and whenever warm moist periods or conditions occur by spraying with copper base fungicide to keep fungi pathogens in control. Mites don't like dry conditions so it's generally better to water thoroughly followed by an extended dry time before watering again, regardless if in garden soil or in a pot.
Since Species bulbs are often of international origin and frequently shipped in pots, it's easy for me to understand how a reseller here encounters mites. EDIT ADDED 02/22/2014: This statement is deceiving and lacks further surrounding information and/or information incomplete. See following two posts
