Spider Mites

[pinecone]

I have a 400w flower cabinet that is located in a closet in my house and a 4' 4bulb T5 kit for veg that is located in an unsealed utility room.

I'm fairly certain that I have spider mites in the flower cabinet. I don't see any webbing, but there is a lot of damage on the plant(s). I also see eggs when I look at the undersides of the leafs with a microscope. I just chucked a plant that wasn't doing very well. I have one more plant in there that has been flowering about 2 months (and is nowhere near done).

If there are spider mites in my veg area, I haven't noticed them. In a couple of weeks I will have a number of plants which will be ready to move from my seemingly unaffected veg area into my flower cab.

I want advice on how to proceed. I'm considering 3 approaches.
(1) Chuck the plant I have in flower, bomb and thoroughly clean my flower cab, and spray the shit out of all the plants I have in veg and clean the area. With this approach I'm hopeful that I can eliminate the problem the plants that are getting ready
(2) Chuck the plant I have in flower, place the plants from the veg area into the flower chamber, and bomb the whole lot. I would then clean up the veg area, spray it down, and return the plants that were not ready to flower.
(3) Let the plant I have going now finish (if it will?), continue to spray the vegging plants, and bomb and clean the flower chamber once my plant finishes.


Thoughts? Thanks in advance. I really want to get rid of these things.

Pine

 

[festivus]

I hate mites! And then there's the resistant super spider mites!!
I think I have something that may help you, it's called "Concern"by Woodstream. www.concerngarden.com.

It's a citrus based pest control spray that is okay for vegetables. It's got pyrethins, a natural insecticide. I spray it on plants I'm bringing indoors. I would use it up to a month before harv. Orange oil has been found to kill cockroaches and ants. I would only use it for an infestation, and not a regular preventative. For that I use a tea made from cinnamon, tobacco, red pepper powder, clove and liquid ivory soap. I mist it onto the stem and undersides of the leaves once a week. Hope this helps. Good Luck!!

 

[Harvest]

how old is the girl in veg? id bug bomb if you havnt reached 2nd week yet. i just spent my last harvest fighting these bastards, its not worth it.

 

[pinecone]

how old is the girl in veg? id bug bomb if you havnt reached 2nd week yet.

Flower Chamber: One plant 2 months into flower - it might go another month.

Veg Chamber: 9 plants in total ranging from super bonsai moms to seed plants that I want to flower within the next three weeks.

Pine

 

[Lazyman]

I've been growing for years, and have tried damn near everything you can think of. Foggers, neem, pyrethrins, pepper sprays, you name it, none of them stop an infestation.

Then I discovered Floramite SC. Add 4 drops per gallon or so, and the plant is protected from mites for roughly 30 days. Just make sure your last foliar spray of it is about 4 weeks before you start flushing.

I've not had one spider mite since I started using it. Buy it on Ebay for $24 an ounce and it will last you forever.

 

[Harvest]

With respect to lazy, id seperate them bomb the ones in veg with a sterolizer first wait a few days for the layd eggs to hatch the hit em with the a pyrth bomb(if u want to battle) in between the bombs before and after id be using neem as well.....as for the other its up to you to judge whether you think its worth the battle, but we dont call them the borg for nothing.
These lil bastards suck.
Hope this helps.

 

[vapedg13]

Depends on How much you want to spend and how long of a residual effect you want

Avid cost $100 for 8 oz has a 6 week residual effect works on thrips too....makes 100 gallons great for outdoor crops but you want to rotate between 2-3 different pesticides so they dont build up a tolerance

For small grows floramite costs $12 for 1/2 oz and has a 3 week residual effect.....makes 12 gallons http://cgi.ebay.com/1-2oz-BTL-FLORA...in_0?hash=item3ca5375bae&_trksid=p4999.c0.m14

 

[LolaGal]

EZ way to kill mites on your plants without spraying, kills eggs too.

Place plant inside trash can {or place trash can over plant}

Then you put a Shell no pest strip in the trash can and leave it over nite.

Make sure the can is covered or place a lid on trash can.

This kills all the mites over nite on the plant and the eggs too.

Shell no pest strip dissapates in around 24 hours or so and is ok to smoke after that, since the fumes are what kills the borg.

Works pretty good! EZ too. No sprays.

I am killing mites while we are posting...

 

[Lazyman]

Clever idea lola, good one!

 

[P.D.S]

thats a very cool idea lola,mind if i steal that move when i need it

 

[fish83]

Spider mites AKA The Borg

(Flower Man)-Spider mites AKA The Borg

~Products I tested~
Bug Buster-O
Safer Insecticidal soap
Safer Houseplant insect killer
Safer BioNeem
Dyna-Grow Pure Neem Oil
Organocide
Hot shots No Pest strips
Predator mites (triple variety)
Hot Shots no pest strips
Doktor Doom release fogger

These are what I have tested so far, each one will work, but it depends on how they are used, and in what type of environment they are used in. These two things play a big role on how effective they will be.

I find the best way to get rid of spider mites, is prevention from the start, and a few simple practices to follow. I’m an avid grower of a lot of different things, not just cannabis, but it is one of my favorite plants to grow, and to watch from the start.

To start out with, it is essential to keep the grow room clean, if you’re not using predator mites, or don’t plan on using them, then a good bombing in between grows will also help to a degree. But keeping things clean is a great place to start. After this, I would suggest not mixing outdoor plants with the indoor plants, keep all pets out of the room, and never go directly into your grow room, if you’ve been working outdoors in the yard/garden, or for that matter, even playing sports out in the yard, or rolling around with a love one. Spider mites are notorious for hitch hiking, and it doesn’t take much, a simple stroll where a few might be, even a breeze can set one up for sail to catch a ride on your shirt/blouse. But the point of this is, is to be aware of what you are doing and your surroundings before you continue on to your next steps which might include you visiting your indoor grow.

After this, I would suggest making sure if you are going to use store bought medium, make sure that it has been sterilized. Also you can follow the same practices on your own preparation medium. If not, chances are it can contain spider mites, or any other number of pests. If you are using containers, I really like to use PAM cooking spray on the lower sides of the containers, this prevents any type of pest climbing up, and getting into your medium and onto your plant/plants where they can wreak havoc. Also keeping some space in between your plants is good, so the pest can’t easily get from one plant to the next, but this isn’t always ideal, especially for SOG grows, where closeness is part of the procedure.

So far, all is ok, but we still got to take it up a notch. I also suggest a once a week foliar spraying during veg, that consist of using some type of a neem oil product. This will help prevent spider mites from starting, as it is a bio-inhibitor. There are so many products that use neem oil, which one is better, that’s up to personal preference, and what works best for you. If you use the pure neem oil, you will have to dilute it with warm water, as it is very thick stuff. The BioNeem, is probably the easiest and cleanest to use, with a pleasant smell of lemons, but contains a lower percentage if the active ingredient, but even using water is a good thing. Definitely make sure the lights are off when ever misting/spraying your plants, and make sure they are dry before turning on the light/lights. But this is the one I found to like for this purpose, not overly strong, but good enough and not messy and has a pleasant odor. Very easy on plants, so a plus there.

Another thing I like to add is do a complete visual look over of all of your plants, at least once a week, if not more. This means look at the leaves, underneath and on top, inside/outside of the container, if you see any type of speckling, chances are, a mite was taking a plunge into a plant cell. One mite can punch a lot of holes by the way. The speckling can be spotted pretty easily, but most of the time goes unnoticed because we’re too busy doing other things, and not really taking the garden serious enough, even though one is getting pleasure out of growing it. Before you know it, you got webs, and webs are a good sign of a good infestation taking place, and this relatively means, the borg have set camp, and are multiplying at a phenomenal rate probably.

What can we do? Well first, don’t panic, and don’t toss your hard work/time away. Yea, they suck, and in more than one way, lol. (I’m a security buff, some people suggest taking young or old plants outside and shaking them off, well, it works to a degree, but not always 100% and most of the time, there are still plenty there, and the fact that you noticed them, chances are they got eggs, which don’t easily shake off. Not too mention the fact, if any neighbor sees you, your cover is blown right out the door, so I don’t suggest this, but to each their own). A doctor doom fogger will start the party in your favor, Also if you’re still in veg, a good spraying with Organocide would be my first choice, as this stuff works pretty good, and not only does it kill off the adults, but it also kills the larvae, nymphs and egg stages as well. You will have a slight fishy/lemony smell, but it doesn’t last for long, also when spraying, you might want to put some plastic under the plant (spray area), as this will prevent any chance of staining the cement, but it is only a slight chance. I’ve never experienced this problem as of yet using this product so far, I also suggest getting the concentrate, last longer, and you have more of it, but the spray bottles work great too. Secondly, try getting your temps down some, as this will slow down breeding to a degree, even if it’s only in your dark time, it truly is beneficial when trying to get a grip on them. If you have more than one area to keep your plants, I would suggest separating them, but this isn’t always feasible, so treat all the plants as if they had an infestation. The next thing to do, is to hit them again a few days later by spraying them, you must completely mist them, from top to bottom, from the top of the leaves to the underside, and this includes the top of the medium as well. And another good cleaning of the floors, and the equipment, and the area is definitely recommended.

At this stage, I still find it crucial to inject them with another treatment of something else. It’s a change in the recipe, and is the knockout blow to them, as they are pretty determined little creatures, and are very strong, but will be in a weakened state because of the first two doses of spray. This is like a 1, 2 knock out blow. If one used some type of soap to begin with, then I would suggest using some type of pyrethrins. Since we used Organocide, one could use several types, pyrethrins, neem oil, even hot shots no pest strips, but if one is going to use the pest strips, you got to take into account your environment, if you are ventilating the air in your grow area out, this will have little effect on the mites, as the main ingredient needs to accumulate in the air for awhile to be effective. Even if you are recycling the air through a carbon filter, this will also weaken the outcome. But turning off the exhaust fans if you can, for at least 6 hours out of a 24 hour period, then this has a chance of doing what it does best, and that’s knocking them out. But definitely a one, two punch is a great way to go, when combating these little creatures, that we all like to call the borg, but what a crafty little creature they are. Also since we used Organocide, we could now incorporate predator mites, but make sure at least a week or two has went by before introducing them since you sprayed. They are truly a wonderful and big help to combating these borg. But you must not use any other type of treatment while they are being deployed, and it does take some time, depending on infestation levels. You should also mist the plants a few times before deploying them, and right before you release them if you plan on using them. With predator mites, you shouldn’t worry about keeping temps cool, as they breed better and faster when it’s warmer, but there are stipulations when using them, they do like a more humid environment, unlike the spider mites, and your cannabis plants. So a daily misting is required, or a humidifier, but keep an eye out on mold/mildew, also the dead mites if a lot die in one area, they can really turn the buds into rot quickly. Also it is best to start predators when the spider mite colony is low, as they would be overwhelmed and could not keep up in the numbers race, so almost pointless to a degree then, but by using the Organocide first, safer soap, this will help dwindle the numbers down considerably. They also require a longer light period, so when introduced in flowering, they will not breed efficiently, and can go into dormant. But if used in the vegetative stage, they will provide enough assistance to finish out the grow, and or, will have killed off the spider mites if given enough time, which is over 4 weeks for most cases, but it depends on the amount used and how bad the infestation was. A rule of thumb, always go with a little more than what you think you need. .

Safer Houseplant insect killer, well a great concept anyway, almost like a true aerosol, and not messy in anyway. The problem I have with this, it’s not cost effective, it would be great if you only had 2 plants, but anything more, you need to really stock up on this, like spray paint, never enough to finish a project, for you go through it pretty quickly. I wouldn’t use this product as a stand alone, not powerful enough IMHO, but it does have power when it is combined with using something else. It says its main ingredient is pyrethrins derived from chrysanthemum, as is the other product that I tried Bug Buster-O, but this didn’t have the knock out power at all as one would think. Though a great concept, just needs more power for the use that it is intended for.

Between grows, Doktor Doom foggers work great, and can be used at all stages of growth, unlike other type of foggers, this ones main ingredient is also pyrethrins derived from chrysanthemum, and is formulated to work with mites, and is a natural pyrethrin. Again, I find it best to avoid letting the stage build up in the first place, but noticing them early is your second best line of defense, so you can combat them during the veg stage, and not have too worry about them in the flowering stage. It did its job, but had to spray afterwards on this grow to take care of the eggs, and the ones that hatched. So not so much a stand alone product, unless it’s being used from the get go, when one is cleaning out the grow room.

(A side note, using Floramite is probably one of the best things for mites {I’ve heard}, but it is very expensive, though cost effective, I personally have never used it though, and as why I left it out.)

(I also don’t use the No Pest Strips while in the flowering stage, this is just my personal choice.)

Just a few photos I took during one stage, letting them build up in large numbers. They love to gather together at certain times of the light cycle, pretty wild, almost like a group orgy then the die down some, and later on, come back together.

Just wanted to update this thread, I finally gotten around to testing two other products for spider mites and the results were great. These two products working together are the best thing I’ve found so far. The first one, as already praised by most people is Floramite, the second one is safergro pest out.

Applied floramite on infestation, covered the entire plant, at around 7 days I then applied pestout, at approximately 2 weeks, infestation/eggs were wiped the **** out. Over the next 2 months, I did notice that there were a few here and there, and when sprayed with the pest out, were gone within the same day. Needless to say, running a garden without a break in between can be havoc if these critters/borg get in, but after using these two products, simply amazing stuff all the way.

Again, floramite is suppose to stay working for 30 days, but it’s always good to use at least two different products, this way the mites have a harder time building up a resistance.

Also by using this, I could throw away those no pest strips. And a one time purchase of the floramite will last a grower years upon years. Again, thank you everyone who recommended the floramite!

(Digital Hippy)-floromite is the best!!!
its systemic and stays int he plant so when more bugs bit and eat they get poisen and die.
i find that its the best, the 3-in-1 is great aswell as safers bugsoap.
but avid/floromite is the best.
i even spray my veg plants pre-emptivly. and dont have problems.

azitrol is supposed to be good aswell, and works on multiple bugs. not just mites.

(Terran 2)-yep , still have my 1qrt of Floramite and it does seem to have a long shelf life ....i discovered it a few yrs before most grow stores had it in stock . It was advertised on the biggest international Rose growing site down in tennessee as the one solution to the mite problem.


Had spent so many nights before spraying with ineffective solutions till
arms fell off , lol...nice thing is it doesn't kill beneficial insects only targets the bad critters.

(Changmai)-I was gonna use floramite but deiced to stick with more natural remedies first . Anyone worried about the chemical aspect of floramite. I don't think it is approved for edible crops . Just asking because i really am considering using it still if i have Too. Great thread by the way very informative.

(Killa Bud)-i heavyly mist my plant every day with plain water since i first noticed signs of mites ...seems to keep them under control,but now the plant is flowering..i'am worried about mold,its still in early flower,so i still spray it,but i don't know if it's wise to continue doing this.....

(Terran 2)-Good clean grow rooms , clean plants to install and trimming techniques early on , is the best preventive methid for controling mites . When a mite problem occurs eventually it hopefully gets spotted early when plants are still small enough to be easily treated with the rest of their growing /flowering days ahead . But when you go any route for treating mites the best approach is total irradication by removal of all infected (lower) leaves then a spray with something that really controls/kills most all mites in the 1rst application)
(or second app if heavy infested ...but should never let mites get that far but if they do then go for total eradication by the 2nd app of miticide )

Since floramite is one of the only known relatively harmless mite~larvacides that targets only the bad mites with usually a 1/4tsp per/Qrt with a soap~surficant will destroy almost 99.99% . I generally always rinse my plants too after sufficient time elapse ( 1/2-1 hr or so ) after any foliar application anyways , to minimize any residue effect and plants like a nice shower too ;o)

*Though bottle recommends 1/4 tsp/gal , never noticed any harm to plants going with the above and the kill rate of both mites & eggs is almost total ...which is what you want ! Plus the residule kill rate of 21days too so keep your rooms clean after dealing the mites this lethal blow & don't use any more mited clones or plants again!

The residual effect of Flora Mite when used early on or even into mid flower shouldn't be a worry imo , as its not considered a great toxic threat to begin with . I believe they are now in the process of applying for certified use on tomatoe crops in Calif .

FloraMite is the Bomb Dizzle Shizzle for mite control !!

bar none ...but keep your rooms clean too !!!!

(Grateful 4 THC)-I have recently ran into a spider mite problem and have used 4 things: The home depot stuff, doesnt kill them will control it, but can't spray if your close to harvest,

Lady bugs, i was very happy with them and thought they totally took care of my room It you constantly want lady bugs in your room then they will do the trick. But i didn't want them in my flowering room all the time.

PCO fogger, seemed to kill the mites but have damaged my plants badly in spots. I probably used too much (used 1 can in a 8x8 room) will never use this product again! To be truthful i used a fogger in a room with 4 plants 35 days into flowering and 4 plants 2 days into flowering only the ones 2 days in were the ones that got damaged. I still will never use this product again though.

Then there is Ed Rosenthal's Zero Tolerance, this product truly amazed me. I used this stuff on my plants up till the day i harvested and it did not effect the final product what so ever, i used it on a ecsd and it has the same exact taste and smell as any other time ive grown it! It smells like cinnamon and it such a safe product, pet friendly organic products are important to me. i got a 4L bottle for $55 kind of pricey but you will not regret it, i swear by this stuff! Use 2 parts zero tolerance 1 part water and mist on your plants. Repeat every 3-4 days for 2 week and the little bastards should be gone. Always keep a close eye on plants once you stop spraying because it you notice anything again at any point of the life cycle seedlings to last day of harvest spray every couple days again.

(Minds 1)-Hello all,

I buddy of mine got a sudden and unexplained infestation of mites. He as freaked.

I told him some folks are having good luck with floramite.


So he order 1 oz off Ebay.....He said it was like 2 days and the stuff was in his mail box and two days later there was no sign of mites anywhere. I too was impressed.

The stuff works fast, vary fast.

I have been fortunate to not get the borg but if I do I am prepared...I ordered an ounce for way cheap and it got to me extremely fast...even came with a pipette (eye dropper) which makes it way easier to mix up small batches.

There are a couple of folks selling floramite on ebay so go check it out

(Standaman)-Well i have an infestation going on right now and it's day 37 of flower its in the middle of one plant it's my first grow and first experience of them have done 2 prior treatments but just as you think you done them all in i check leaves day later and the C@*ts come back anyway just found this link.Can anyone help me please? Thanks


Contributed by: Funky Smile
Submitted: February 8th, 2005

Get 2-3 Marlboro red ciggies, empty them out in 200ml of water and leave to stand overnight (or 24hrs).

After that the liquid will be brown/black, *boil it for two or three minutes (no more) to kill any possible pathogens and cool it down, even better would be to leave it in the fridge to get really cold (but don’t freeze it).

Once that’s done spray 2-3 times a week. A few drops of liquid detergent or insecticidal soap help to lower the surface tension of the water, making spraying more effective, as instead of droplets, the water forms a film over the plants and bugs.

Wear gloves whenever handling the solution, and a mask whenever spraying it. A Nicotine solution can poison the grower too!

Vegging plants can be dipped in the stuff, BUT DO NOT EVER dip flowering plants into anything!

After all the above .... remove the top layer of soil (till the roots) and check that there are no bugs/eggs under and replace with new soil.

Note:
Nicotine is a poison that disables the nervous system of bugs.

Boiling is a must, as it kills the "nicotine virus" – (TMV - Tobacco Mosaic Virus) and cooling will further irritate bugs as they like nice warm conditions.

 

[LolaGal]

Thanks guys, but I stole the idea from Weezard, The Wild Man of Hawaii !

Works like a charm though.

 

[blowwhole]

I had those little bastards, came from clones I got. I used neem in a garden sprayer, sprayed everything that could be sprayed, every other day for three days and they were gone. I do a neem prevent spray on my veg once a month to be safe.

 

[REZDOG]

I've been growing for years, and have tried damn near everything you can think of. Foggers, neem, pyrethrins, pepper sprays, you name it, none of them stop an infestation.

Then I discovered Floramite SC. Add 4 drops per gallon or so, and the plant is protected from mites for roughly 30 days. Just make sure your last foliar spray of it is about 4 weeks before you start flushing.

I've not had one spider mite since I started using it. Buy it on Ebay for $24 an ounce and it will last you forever.

I used Floramite for years.

Some Floramite Rules

*It degrades,use immediately (within several hours) upon mixing.
(It seemingly loses about 50% of its' effectiveness in 24 hrs.,after mixing,in light.)

*It degrades in the bottle,store in a cool,dry,DARK place at roughly 70f.

*Even well-stored,it loses it's effectiveness after about a year.

*IMPORTANT!!!!
For it to be most effective,you (really) MUST use it with a spreader/ sticker,like "Indicate5" or "Humboldt Sticky".
(Or two drops pure hemp soap/gallon)

*IMPORTANT!!!!
Floramite (and all pesticides) MUST,to be Most Efficient,be applied at 5.5 pH. Studies have shown consistently that pesticides are most effective when at a slightly acidic 5.5 and Floramite SC is no exception.

*IMPORTANT!!!!
Mites become resistant to Floramite after about 24 months,then it's WORTHLESS.
You MUST rotate miticides regularly,religiously,or you'll create a pesticide-resistant Super Mite.
(There's a strain of "super mite" running around Mendocino that's un-killable with Avid or Floramite,due to not rotating miticides!)

*IMPORTANT!!!!
The only other miticide I know of that works as well as Floramite is FORBID,by Bayer Pharm.
It's about (gasp!!) $300 for an 8 oz. bottle,and it's sprayed at a rate of .25 tsp./gallon at 5.5pH
It's not available in the EU,I had to have it shipped in,sans MSDS sheets
and it was worth every last centavo.

 

[Mr. Greengenes]

I think some kind of therapy is important when confronting mites. Some people might want to go fishing, I like to go downstairs and hit the heavy bag!

 

[festivus]

Before getting busted, our dispensary here sold clones that came from Mendicino (with the dreaded super spider mites). Under a microscope, they looked like battle damaged alien tanks- huge and ugly, with dents on them. Floramite killed them, but I forgot to re-apply it after 30 days. The new hatch overran my grow room overnight.

 

[LolaGal]

I started spraying the floors in bloom and walls with Neem.

Barrier defense... Moat style.

anybody find any preying mantis egg cases? I want some.

 

[yortbogey]

predetor bugz.....

predetor bugz.....

say Lola I use this site all they time....they restock all the time.....

http://gardeningzone.com/index.php?cPath=25_61

 

[LolaGal]

thanks. I went out in the field where it was bushogged and found 1/2 of a praying mantis case.

Wonder if I should get it cold before I hatch it?

Wonder if I could get some kids to collect em for a quarter a piece?