How to completely erradicate: Root Aphids, Mites, & Thrips

[foomar]

We used a litre per hectare boom spraying root crops with this one , that price is a third of its cost here , high prices from the huge agrochems or take your chances on a dodgy chinese/indian copy in an unmarked drum that looks like a bargain.

Strawberries is one crop that is approved for cypermethrin use , probably one of the safer chems that actually work on pests that have developed resistance to the natural permethrins like glasshouse mites and assorted greenfly.

 

[F. Dupp]

I fought root aphids most of this summer. I used Bayer Complete(Imid), Botanigard, and Spectracide unsuccessfully. Although each product seemed to kill some RA's nothing wiped them out completely until I used Evergreen 60-6.

Evergreen was more compatable with my low pressure aero system. It killed the aphids instantly (I never saw another living RA after the first use). It can be used constantly and up to day of harvest. And it was less damaging to my plants than the other pesticides.


PS. DO NOT mix Bayer Complete with h2o2. It makes glue.

 

[40AmpstoFreedom]

I fought root aphids most of this summer. I used Bayer Complete(Imid), Botanigard, and Spectracide unsuccessfully. Although each product seemed to kill some RA's nothing wiped them out completely until I used Evergreen 60-6.

Evergreen was more compatable with my low pressure aero system. It killed the aphids instantly (I never saw another living RA after the first use). It can be used constantly and up to day of harvest. And it was less damaging to my plants than the other pesticides.


PS. DO NOT mix Bayer Complete with h2o2. It makes glue.

Yea it is the same thing as the Bonide I used but way more concentrated and my Bonide pesticide wiped them out so this is definitely a winner. They would completely disappear from the soil after a drench while the systemics used solo would never completely wipe them out just like you stated. Hell of a difference you would notice going from hundreds to very little but always some with systemics only.

 

[Greenheart]

At this time I do not advise using undilluted h2o2 on your plants. They may recover but further testing in this area will be needed. Always experiment in small steps lesson learned.

 

[F. Dupp]

Big thanks for the tip on glue making FD!

NP, GH.

I should also mention that Botanigard should not be used in a recirculating rez. IME it turned my nute mix into brown snot with no real visible damage done to the RA's. I think Botanigard is primarily for use in soil or coco.

 

[PoopyTeaBags]

Mites:

Contact Killer Airborne @ 1 can per 4k-8k watt room

Systemic @ 1/2 tsp per gallon

Spray Contact Killer @ 2 ounces a gallon apply with a pest sprayer

I recommend these for sprayers. They will last 15+ years easy and the mist/spray patterns are fantastic. You barely have to pump it and the pressure last forever.

I found the spinosad to really rock the mites. they hate that stuff and almost instantly die.

First application should be all three on the same day. The very next day use only the spinosad and completely drench the plants. On the 5th choose to use another pyrethrum bomb or not. Continue to apply the spinosad every 5 days until mites are completely gone. On the 14th day reapply floramite. Mites should dead by now but you may want to be extra cautious and hit them with spinosad. Be sure to apply floramite on your next flowering round. You should have completely eradicated them by this point.

I love you to death 40 but id have to say in this day and age we dont need all those dangerous pesticides...

For mites i have gave up on forbid and flora-mite for mighty wash. Its rather cheap works 100% of the time, is not dangerous to you or your pets(maybe if you drink it),and is impossible to burn or hurt your plants on. Spray 2-3 times in 2-3 weeks they are gone.

For Thrips all you need is captains jacks dead bug brew which is just spinosad. spray twice in two weeks and they are gone.

Root aphids for me is always anything with merit 75 in it.

These are the safest/easiest way for me to get rid of all these things and trust me ive tried it all....

i would like to add i live in the place i grow so anything with a fume or vapor like the cans are deff not a go with me. i used them in my other places but never this one.

Thanks for the info though man your brain is priceless.

Ps. spinosad kills mites?

 

[40AmpstoFreedom]

It did for me they hated it, but that is the thing here, there is no one prescription because some of these things are or grow resistant to certain chemicals. I had no success in complete elimination until I started using 3-4 chemical pesticides. I see time and again in other thread people copying exact usage of certain chemicals solo only to come back and tell everyone it didn't work when there are many others it did work for. I know a lot of people are against chemicals but these things seem to have to be taken by a case by case basis because of their nonuniform immunities among populations.

I had 0 success trying singular chemicals. I never wanted a single chemical to enter my grow room until I actually had severe infestations that simply could not be put down by one product no matter how many people claimed it was their nuclear weapon. So I decided to make a thread of the combinations I used after gleaning from the gigantic thread every ones experience with certain chemicals. I narrowed down what I trusted as good information as being affective and combined them for a win.

I can only tell people what worked for me. I wish I could say no (or even one) chemicals were needed in my grow, but unfortunately this was not the case.

I will look up your pesticides and give them a go if I run into a problem again just to try them out, but for now I can only recommend what worked for me and I waited until I had conquered all three of SOB's to tell people.

Thanks for adding those we have a good compilation going and its is a small concise thread so far.

If anyone else tries these out and they work let us know!

 

[nukestep]

can you guys suggest something that sells in the UK too? I can't find any of the products here in europe

 

[hup234]

can you guys suggest something that sells in the UK too? I can't find any of the products here in europe

tea,pot roast, fish & chips

 

[louie]

Did Azamax work for root aphids? And if so can I just add it in with my nutes or do I have to water it in separately? What dosage per gallon did you use. Awesome thread thanks for the info 40 and everyone else!

 

[40AmpstoFreedom]

I added everything straight to my nute mix.

Check the dosages above the pictures of the insecticides. I think azamax was 4 ounces every 5 gallons.

 

[Granger2]

For 100% coverage, I cover the soil surface with 2 paper plates, turn the plants upside down, and dunk them in a bucket of insecticide solution. This isn't practical with sizable buds. Spinosad works much better for mites, if you use a spreader/sticker, aka wetting agent, aka non-ionic surfactant- like Coco Wet. I've found that a dunking, followed by a dunking 36-48 hours later does wonders for killing new hatchlings before they mature enough to lay more eggs. I've been following that with another Spinosad dunk in 48 hours, then in 48 to 72, an Azadiractin dunk. That seems to take care of them for 6 weeks or so, then they are back. I probably carry them into the room.

I'm going to try X-clude in the out of the way places, entry points, etc. [not on plants]. It's microencapsulated pyrethrin that lasts months until disturbed by insects/mites, then released.

Azamax works great and has some systemic action. A good drench with azadiractin works well as one weapon against Root mofo Aphids. Makes them stop eating, stop laying eggs. Good luck. -granger

 

[Ultra Current]

Maybe you should add humans to the list of what your poisons will also eradicate. Chemicals like florimite should only be used as a last resort when all else fails. It is very dangerous to animals and humans. Mites can still build up a resistance to florimite when not used properly. It should never be used 30 days before harvest. Never. If you use these poisons in late flower and give out that weed to your friends, that blood is on your hands. Poisons should not be treated lightly and I'm surprised that 40 is talking about this in this manner. Neem Oil and spinosad work great and when you treat your plants with these products from the start and dont miss a treatment, it works. Using chemicals like floramite are just plain lazy and very bad karma.

 

[40AmpstoFreedom]

Well, you won't be surprised when you run into mites that don't give a shit about spinosad or aphids that don't give a damn what you throw at them singularly. /shrug There is no one chemical cure all for all bugs, resistance among large populations seems to vary.

And yea follow the application instructions and don't use it when it says not to.

 

[Ultra Current]

40 is definitely right. Depending on the area that you live in, the mites that you get may have built up a resistance to many products. I just want people to be careful if you have to use a product like florimite. Most growers on this site grow at home and not in greenhouses so they are subjecting their home to poison. Here is the florimite label for everyone to read. It states not to use it more than twice per crop per year. If you florimite budding plants, it gets onto the buds and into your body when you smoke it. Here's a link to the label:

http://www.ohp.com/Labels_MSDS/PDF/floramite_label.pdf

Ill state this again, a product like florimite should only be used when all else fails and never in flowering. Be safe brothers and sisters.

 

[40AmpstoFreedom]

I will be making an edit to aphid treatment section of this post. Just wanted to let everyone know. While my treatment seemingly has worked, my belief after a lot of reading is that the aphids are in your medium before you ever purchase it. This is why they always come back.

The plants I have freshly potted are showing the random deficiencies...the pots treated only show previous damage done or are progressing just fine. I have been following 3 threads on another site that span months. Apparently there is a group of growers in the Colorado area that have discovered an aphid killer product that is a fungus much like diamtecious earth (sp?) that kills aphids. DE will not kill aphids completely if it works for you at all...while this stuff will.

It is called met 52 and it last for 60+ days in the medium and it is a fungus as I understand it. The aphids eat it and sort of explode infecting the other aphids as well with the fungus. Some of the guys in this thread tried absolutely every chemical possible only to find out that they always come back whether they are already in the medium or just don't die off fully they come back...I believe they are already in the medium. Whether it is soil or coco or whatever...I read posts of people opening Foxfarm and aphids already being alive in it as well as CoCo bricks and wet coco although wet prebagged coco seems to have them more often. I used bagged wet coco and I believe they were already in the medium when I purchased it. Also read aphids in roots organic and just about every soil we use. So, I don't think it is just a CoCo thing.

Someone who battled them over a year had this to say about the met 52:

This is the most promising info yet. I followed this guy in another thread that span many months and many pages and he just posted this on Halloween:

I keep seeing people experiencing Root Aphid issues. There is a ton of confusion about combating this pest out there, and for good reason. They are hard to kill. I see recommendations that will NOT work all over the threads.

Neem oil, Azamax and Diatomaceous Earth are not going to help you.

The problem seems to be spreading. So I am going start a new thread for Metarhizium Anisopliae Strain F52. This fungus will eradicate Root Aphid attacks. I have not seen a root aphid in 9 months. I had them bad.

We have kicked this around in the Colorado forum for a while but I thought people should see this in the infirmary to make the information available to anyone browsing through problems. If you have tested Met 52 or used it on RA's with success, or without, please chime in. If you want to discuss this fungus or have any questions, this is the place. I want to see more people using this fungus so we can be sure the RA's are not mutating and building resistance to it. I am also interested to see the different variations in the species out there. Any input is greatly appreciated.

Anyone who needs Met 52 send me a PM and I will get you the info you need to have it sent your way.

I am going to try it...

My boy had RA's bad in his coco. He used the MET52 and those fuckers were gone in days.

These guys have tried everything we have and it all only partially worked...

 

[pinecone]

And yea follow the application instructions and don't use it when it says not to.

The label says Floromite may be used on fruit trees that will not bear fruit for a minimum of 12 months and on mature greenhouse tomatoes larger than 1" in diameter. These are the only approved food crop uses.

Pine

 

[moses wellfleet]

CO2 TO KILL PESTS

CO2 TO KILL PESTS

hey 40 have you ever tried running high levels of CO2 to kill pests... some swear by it... i wanna try it but i need more info?

 

[wtf]

I wonder if anyone has a source for MET52? Preferably in Europe.

 

[chefro420]

hey 40 have you ever tried running high levels of CO2 to kill pests... some swear by it... i wanna try it but i need more info?

Co2 will doosh the plants too. Supposedly helium will displace oxygen , with out plant damage .

Interesting on the fungus 40.