I started an avocado tree from a
seed over a year ago, I think 7/17 is the date I put his
seed in water, but I'd have to check. It's somewhere around there though.
Anyhow, he's already dropped all his leaves three or four times because of this bug he's infested with. They're tiny, white, non-flying and live only in the soil. I've never seen them on the stem or leaves. The first thing I did was remove his soil and put new soil in. He wasn't happy and dropped the last of his leaves, but the bugs appear to make him drop his leaves also. He had already started then when I switched soil it put him in shock. His leaves grew in again and he had a second shoot coming up on his stem.
They came back.
I drenched him in pesticide for a week or two straight and it ended up making him drop all his leaves (this was in the winter) but the bugs appeared to be gone. He grew his leaves back and was fine.
When they came back again I got a new bag of soil and switched out his other soil completely and sprayed the inside of his pot with pesticide. Again putting him in shock. His other little branch was drooping and he had leaves on him so I used a chopstick and pencil that was taped together to put in the dirt, tying him up to it so he wouldn't droop. The bugs were gone long enough this time for him to regain his strength and I was able to get rid of the chopstick so he could hold himself up. He had six beautiful leaves and was
growing more when they came back YET AGAIN.
I know this is a long post, but I'm trying to give as much information as possible. He gets watered weekly on fridays and lives inside near the sliding glass door. He gets partial sunlight throughout the day, I didn't want him to be exposed to sunlight directly all day since he's just a baby and sensitive.
Also, sometimes I can see the bugs when I blow on the top of the soil. When they are out they freak out and burrow back under.
If I got ladybugs and a net to cover over him, do you think the ladybugs would eat the mystery pest? And what kind of bug do you think is infecting him? I've looked all over and the only common houseplant / avocado pests don't look anything like them. :[