ROOT APHIDS - Late flower

[tequila_sunrise]

I had a bad infestation of fungus gnats and spider mites. At week 4 of flower, I bombed them with dr doom. This killed all the flying insects and almost all the mites. At this point, I bombed again 2 days later which finsihed off most of the mites left.

The leaves started to look burned and turn brown / fall off. I thought I had burned them with the dr doom and lights being too close. I took them outside and drenched the potters and misted the buds to make sure nothing on the leaves was causing them to fall off.


Well, they have been outside for 3 weeks now about and are slowing down on the burning / falling off but it still persists.

This morning I was looking at the soil and I blew on it as I did to check to see if there was anything on the surface and a ROOT APHID started moving. It was an off white eliptical shaped bug that fits the description seen on the net.

Now I havent seen any of these flying unless they were the fungus gnats (which are narrower so IDK).

Anyays, I am at week 8 of flower now almost at week 9 and I have maybe 2 weeks more to go. How the hell do I kill these fuckers NOW without harming my harvest.

I have azamax at home and can do a root drench but I am worried about it leaching into my buds.


Pls help


here is a link to the grow http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=181020

 

[schwagg]

i lost a shit ton of 8 week plants due to root aphids. i used predatory nematodes in the soil and it worked but the little fookers went up the stalks and nested in the center of the colas. it rotted the budz where ever the RA nested. sorry to hear that!

 

[RetroGrow]

The only thing that kills them is imid. Bayer Advanced is the product, but it is late in the game to use it. You could take a chance and use it immediately, but it is systemic, so there is a question of how long it endures in the plant. Bayer Advanced label lists various vegetables, and it tells you how late before harvest it is safe to use. It varies between 7-21 days, depending on the crop. No reference to cannabis, so it is basically guesswork.

Root aphids thread:
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=159960

 

[The Baphomet]

Bayer totally got rid of my root aphids , my plants are looking great that are in flower and all of our clones for the next run are healthy and strong . Been keeping a very close eye one the soil and have not seen one since we used the bayer flush

 

[tequila_sunrise]

SHIT! I didn't know they nested in the colas!!!! I really wana let the buds finish out but at this point it looks like it might be wise to cut asap.

 

[Guest3498]

If they aren't winged I imagine you could stop them from moving up the maine stem by coating the bottom of it with some petroleum jelly

 

[tequila_sunrise]

If they aren't winged I imagine you could stop them from moving up the maine stem by coating the bottom of it with some petroleum jelly

the only thing I have seen is the nymph. so I am not 100% sure. I will try this tho sounds like it might work.

 

[RetroGrow]

Root aphids stay in the root zone, not the buds.

 

[Albertine]

That's why they call them root aphids.

 

[mk6]

there is 5 stages to root aphids, and they crawl up the stem and nest in the buds, worse ' due to sticky trichs, they get stuck there an die... I placed sticky tape (reversed) around the base stock little f___kers arnt strong enough to get passed it. I do like the vasoline idea too, sounds like that would work as well, dont what its would do to the stem over time tho?

 

[tequila_sunrise]

there is 5 stages to root aphids, and they crawl up the stem and nest in the buds, worse ' due to sticky trichs, they get stuck there an die... I placed sticky tape (reversed) around the base stock little f___kers arnt strong enough to get passed it. I do like the vasoline idea too, sounds like that would work as well, dont what its would do to the stem over time tho?

can you be more specific about the sticky traps? What brand did you use? Got a link?

Thanks

 

[Guest3498]

I never knew that they actually were capable of nesting in buds before, I don't doubt it though... When a buddy had a bad infestation we could literally see them marching around the room in a single file line, looking for other plants...

 

[Mr Celsius]

Bayer is the only thing that worked...

Its nasty though. I don't like using it and probably never will again. You're smoking Advantage for dogs and cats (same chemical).

I had a buddy that kind of controlled it with nematodes and running light amounts of neem through the soil... but I was never confident with that method.

 

[RetroGrow]

Bayer is the only thing that worked...

Its nasty though. I don't like using it and probably never will again. You're smoking Advantage for dogs and cats (same chemical).

That's right, it is used on cats and dogs precisely because it is safe. It's one of the most innocuous chemicals, and it is safe to eat fruits and vegetables treated with it in as little as 7 days.
It's the only thing that will stop root aphids.

 

[Guest3498]

All I can say is I wish I knew about that bayer stuff way back when. I had to take cuts and restart my entire grow... I swear, root aphids are straight out of hell...

 

[tequila_sunrise]

That's right, it is used on cats and dogs precisely because it is safe. It's one of the most innocuous chemicals, and it is safe to eat fruits and vegetables treated with it in as little as 7 days.
It's the only thing that will stop root aphids.

so if I am going to plan on harvest next saturday, would the bayer be safe to treat the roots with?

How is it going to effect the end product's taste?

Also not to sound like an asshole but can I save $$ on advantage and use bayer I am pretty sure it doesnt work that way but that would be nice, advantage is expensive!

Thanks!

 

[crippled1]

Hypoaspis predator mite

Hypoaspis predator mite

I have never used these for root aphids but I have used them for soil mites and they COMPLETELY eliminated my problem. In 2 days!
The description says they are effective against root aphids.
I know the next time I get the fuckers, I will be trying some hypoaspis. They are an absolute miracle.
http://www.biobest.be/v1/en/producten/nuttig/hypoaspis_acule.htm

I am REALLY curious to see if they work.
We need someone that has aphids to take the jump and try it.
If they work as well as they did on the soil mites that would be great.
You just dump them on the medium and go grab a beer.
My kind of pest control.

 

[bicycle racer]

SHIT! I didn't know they nested in the colas!!!! I really wana let the buds finish out but at this point it looks like it might be wise to cut asap.

they absolutely do not nest in colas one or two winged ones may get stuck in resin otherwise that is utter nonsense. at 2 weeks from harvest you dont have an option just start fresh next time and hope for the best with this run. do not use imid products now there a systemic nicotine related derivative you will poison yourself. be careful listening to people on the internet do much research before you take any action peace.
p.s. i have dealt with root aphids and most everything else i speak from experience.

 

[RetroGrow]

so if I am going to plan on harvest next saturday, would the bayer be safe to treat the roots with?

How is it going to effect the end product's taste?

Also not to sound like an asshole but can I save $$ on advantage and use bayer I am pretty sure it doesnt work that way but that would be nice, advantage is expensive!

Thanks!

I would not use it if you are harvesting in a week. Don't know how it would affect taste, but wouldn't use it this late. Anyway, if you have root aphids, you will see them by pulling the plant from it's pot and examine the roots under a loupe. The root aphids are small. You can't see them with the naked eye, except the big "tank" ones. What ever you are seeing in your buds is not root aphids. There may be some "flyers" stuck there in the resin, but you need to check your roots. If you have them, there will be thousands. If you don't see them in your roots, you don't have root aphids. Check your roots!
If it's not root aphids, you can dunk your entire plants in a bucket of pyrethrin.
However, if it is root aphids, pyrethrin will do nothing to them, and there is really nothing you can do at this late stage, except get rid of everything in your grow space (soil, medium, plants) and sterilize everything with Physan 20.

 

[mk6]

I have used bayer (@ 1oz per gal) with no ill effect to the plants/roots - however, not this late into flower, so cant comment flavor etc... but it whiped-m out completly.

the sticky tape I used, was just yellow painters tape - the cheap stuff - sticky part to the inside except the part around the stock, thats reversed, the root aphid crawls up and cant excape the tape. this was a control I used while I treated the soil with dunks, this actually worked to prevent them from crawling out, and up.