‘This has me messed up’: Woman buys trees from Lowe’s. Then she takes a closer look at them
One Lowe's shopper was in for quite the surprise after bringing home a couple of trees from the home improvement store.
Aspiring artist and plant mom @nekyzero asked her 13,000 followers for their help in identifying bugs that she says came out of the trees. “What are these things coming out of my trees from Lowe’s??” she questions in the text overlay of her video.
At first glance, her small and large potted trees appear normal.
“Bought these trees from Lowe’s,” she says. “And these things are coming out of it?”
But then she zooms in on the floor next to the plants. The floor is covered in small, moving black dots. A couple of them hop around. “What the [expletive] are these things?” she asks.
“This has me messed up," she added in the caption.
The Daily Dot reached out to @nekyzero via Instagram direct message and TikTok comment as well as to Lowe’s via press email.
Viewers offer explanations
The TikToker's video garnered over 134,000 views. Some answered the content creator's question, claiming the bugs are "springtails."
“They jump, so they're springtails. Harmless. but that many is a pain,” one viewer responded.
“Those are springtails. They're a beneficial insect, eats debris and mold etc. No worries! I buy them for my bioactive reptile tanks as a clean up crew,” another echoed.
What are springtails?
Coined for their notorious jumping abilities, these tiny, harmless scavengers feast on decaying matter from dying plants to rotting corpses. Fortunately, these bugs don’t bite or carry any diseases. Since they thrive in damp, dark places, they can be found in wet areas around the house, like drains, bathrooms, and kitchen sinks.
How to get rid of them
The key to getting rid of springtails is to eliminate any excess moisture. The soil in the plant is the likely source of the springtails.
Here's what the Lowe's shopper should do to get rid of them:
- Remove the excess moisture by drying out the soil and adding diatomaceous earth.
- Viking Pest Control recommends spraying the bug-infested area with bleach, cider vinegar, or scented oils, like lavender and eucalyptus.
Similar experiences with Lowe's plants
Other viewers shared their similar experiences after purchasing plants from Lowe's.
“I bought a small plant from Lowes that had fungus gnats, it wiped out all the plants I had indoors!” one user recalled.
“Yeah I bought a plant from Lowe’s once. Had a massive black and yellow spider in it. Never again,” a second revealed.
A third remarked, “Anything from Lowe’s has a 30 day isolated outside period."
According to the Lowe’s website, the store accepts “trees, shrubs, and perennials” within a year of purchase.
@nekyzero This has me messed up ???? #lowes #nekyzero #plants #springglowup #spring #trending #fypシ ♬ Hell To Da Naw Naw Naw - Bishop Bullwinkle
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