Thrip Control

[Weird Jimmy]

I want to share the success I've been having with a liquid bacteria product called microbe-lift bmc mosquito control.

I've always had a bit of a thrip problem (the last crop was the worst), but I never really did anything to fix it other than sticky traps. When I started my new crop (it's currently in week 5 of flowering) I wanted to find a better solution, so I talked to a couple guys and they both told me to try the microbe-lift product. So I did a little research and bought the stuff.

It's great!! I currently have a grow completely free of thrips. I started using it about a week after I transplanted my clones into 4" pots and noticed fewer thrips about a week later and even fewer the next week. It's progressed every week and now I'm happy to say I haven't seen a thrip in two or three weeks now. The application rates on the package are weird because it's meant for outdoor ponds and such, but I've been using 4 drops per gal and that seems to be working. You can also use it as a foliar spray, but I've never used it that way.

I'm not sure if this stuff would work for white flies or fungus gnats, but it may be worth a shot.

Hopes this helps some of you out there!!!

Weird Jimmy

 

[Weird Jimmy]

.... and if anyone has questions, I'll do my best to answer them if I can

 

[Weird Jimmy]

... I should also say that chlorine in your water will kill the good bacteria in the product, so use RO or let your water sit a few days before using it.

 

[Weird Jimmy]

Typically microbe lift is used in order to get rid of a fungus gnat problem. The bacteria in it called Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis....or Bti for short....is highly effective against fungus gnat larvae.

However, for thrips...spinosad is by far the most effective means these days of dealing with a thrips problem. Monterey garden insect spray has spinosad as well as conserve sc.

I do not doubt that Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis helps with thrips in some way but typically we use that to rid our gardens of fungus gnats.

Peace.

Oh glad to know it works for fungus gnats as well. I'm sure it would have similar effects for white flies as well then.

But I'll stick with the microbe lift for thrips . Can't do much better than 100% eradication.

 

[FLoJo]

truth... spinosad works wonders for thrips.. one application, all dead boom...

you can get it at lowes in the organic gardening section by green light... spinosad concentrate

 

[Weird Jimmy]

To each his own I suppose. Neither one of us have thrips anymore so that's all that matters. And according to you, I won't have to worry about fungus gnats either!!!

...plus spinosad is a chemical and I try and keep my grow as natural as possible. I know that it's 'safe', but it's still a chemical and the epa actually rated it to be "slightly toxic" in it's acute toxicity evaluation.

But again, use what works. The end result is all that matters.

 

[sneakinman13]

jiggy and his knowledge : )

good shit guys. never had this problem before but i like to kno how to handle these things if the time ever comes...

pcee

 

[FLoJo]

ya not sure what spinosad you are talking about but it is actually a bacteria that was found in like an old winery or something in the late 1800s i believe.. its not a chemical at all... all of the spinosad products i have ever seen are OMRI organic

 

[Weird Jimmy]

so here's the review from OMRI:
This review focuses on plant crop production.
The reviewers all agreed that the material is nonsynthetic. Although a chemical mutant is used for production, excluded
methods are not employed, and chemical structures are not changed during isolation and purification.
Reviewers generally agreed that the toxicological profile for spinosad is relatively benign when compared with other
insecticides. All found it compatible with organic production and believed that it has a place in organic agriculture.
However, all expressed concerns about the effects on beneficial organisms such as bees, aquatic organisms, earthworms,
soil micro-organisms, and parasitoids. Though spinosad is quickly photodegraded on leaf surfaces, it is degraded very
slowly in aquatic environments, and may be accumulated by oysters and fish due to its fat solubility. Though soil microorganisms
degrade the original material quickly, metabolites are biologically active and persistent in the soil.
Because the reviewers considered spinosad to be nonsynthetic, it could only be added to the National List as a Prohibited
Nonsynthetic with precisely defined exceptions to permit limited use. One reviewer suggested this course of action.
Another reviewer felt there should be clear guidelines to restrict spinosad applications around water bodies, and that
formulations should be restricted or adapted to have minimal impact on bees. The third reviewer suggested that spinosad
‘should be used in production systems rich in microbial activity to ensure that the pesticide does not build up in soil.’ The
third reviewer also suggested that the primary breakdown products should be more fully studied and researched as to their
‘ecological toxicity and impacts to beneficial organisms.’
Other concerns raised included fat solubility of spinosad; persistence of the substance and its toxicologically significant
metabolites in soil; possible negative impacts on the organic market; and the persistence of spinosad in manure. The
reviews advise the NOSB to not categorically prohibit spinosad’s use in organic production, but should establish
restrictions to mitigate environmental and other concerns raised by the use of the substance.

Chemical Names: The name spinosad is derived from combining the characters from spinosyn A and spinosyn D. The material is a mixture of about 85% Spinosyn A and 15% Spinosyn D. Spinosyn A is 2-[(6-deoxy-2,3,4- tri-O-methyl-alpha-L-mannopyranosyl)oxy)-13-[(5-dimethylamino)tetrahydro-6-methyl-2H-pyran-2-yl)oxy)-9-ethyl-2,3,3a,5a,5b,9,10,11,12,13,14,16a,16btetradecahydro-14- methyl-1H-as-indaceno(3,2-d)oxacyclododecin-7,15-dione. Spinosyn D is 2-((6-deoxy-2,3,4-tri-o-methyl-alpha-L-mannopyranosyl)oxy)-13-((5-(dimethylamino)tetrahydro-6-methyl-2H- pyran-
2-yl)oxy)-9-ethyl-2,3,3a,5a,5b,6,9,10,11,12,13,14,16a,16btetradecahydro-4,14-dimethyl-1H-as-indaceno (3,2-d)oxacyclododecin-7,15-dione (Dow 1997; Jacheta 2001).
Other Names:
DE-105; XDE-105; DE-105 Factors A and D; A83543.

 

[Weird Jimmy]

ya not sure what spinosad you are talking about but it is actually a bacteria that was found in like an old winery or something in the late 1800s i believe.. its not a chemical at all... all of the spinosad products i have ever seen are OMRI organic

It's actually not bacteria itself. It's a fermented product of a bacteria.

 

[Weird Jimmy]

Jiggy, how does spinosad work for spider mites? I saw the product you mentioned advertises it as an all purpose insecticide and mentions spider mites in the product info.

I don't have spider mites, but I always worry that I might get them.

Thanks for making this an interesting thread btw....