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Spider mites at early stage with mid flowering plants

BHAM!

Member
Hello everyone guys!
I always have some problems, lucky me!!
This time i got spider mites
noticed them saturday night in veg box (Veg and bloom box are NEXT to each other but not directly connected by holes or something)
a bit of webbing in a newly rooted clone
sunday i cleaned with 96°C alcohol in low concentrations and water and some ice to keep things cold for flowering box
and did i think mostly nothing
and for veg box i used garlic with pepper in a liter of water, followed by a nice shower and this seemed to resolved the problem in veg box




so i searched better in flower box and found more spider mites


then yesterday i bought and used a bio product, potassium soap with cinnamon,orange and diatomaceous earth, but after just some hours i could see them in a few leaves, the little bastards walking and eating like assholes, damn


i dont want use anything that could end in the finish product
(Like pyrethrin based product, that i have and used but only for outdoor and at least a month before harvest), reading here and there i think i could use product with neem oil, or SMC spider mite control


or go even further into bio/organic and buy predator mites, i think i could get my hands on 2000x Phytoseiulus persimilis, anyone used them?
My indoor space for flower is less than 1 square meter.. and they say: use from 10 to 30 in a single square meter.
So i'll have to use around 1000 on flower and the leftovers in veg and they dont last long? or could i use a few this week, store in fridge and use them a week or 2 later?


Thank you guys :smoke:
 

Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
Can you drop your temps and humidity? They breed much slower when the temps are low, and low temps require lower humidity to keep transpiration up.


Personally I'd use an ounce of alcohol in a gallon of water and spray every 3 days for the next 15 days. I'd rather lose some terps and cannabinoids than everything.
 

BHAM!

Member
Can you drop your temps and humidity? They breed much slower when the temps are low, and low temps require lower humidity to keep transpiration up.


Personally I'd use an ounce of alcohol in a gallon of water and spray every 3 days for the next 15 days. I'd rather lose some terps and cannabinoids than everything.

Hi Douglas!
Thank you, i read about the temp so i already tried but i van get to about 19-20 for the moment.. But I raised a bit humidity to slow them more
Which kind of alcohol? The same you could use to extract I guess?
Also, is correct "an ounce is a 1/128 of a gallon" ?
Can't really understand very well the us measurement units, thank you
 

djonkoman

Active member
Veteran
I've used the persimilis mites this year and I've become a fan.
that was outdoor though, so I'm not sure how well they will work for you indoor. for me however they did their job well. it takes a while to see effect, but eventually everytime I saw a leaf with spidermite damage and turned over the leaf to see the mite, I already saw a predator mite somewhere else on the leaf. they don't completely eradicate the spidermites, but keep it at such a low level they're no problem. and without any work(besides releasing mites once, which is still way easier as spraying).

btw, you could use those mites above the recommended dose. you can't really store them. with more per square metre they just act more similar to a synthetic pesticide, they will have quickly found and eaten all the spidermites, start eating eachother and die of starvation. maybe at really too high aplication you'll find corpses of the predator mires in your bud, but other than that I think it's fine. especially since those persimilis mites are already intended to work like that, as a quick remedy against an infestation, not preventative.
 

Vanilla Phoenix

Super Lurker
ICMag Donor
No Pest Strips maybe... :dunno: They definitely work. Depends on if you want to stay away from any non organic stuff or not. You don’t have to spray the plants with anything. Only thing is, you really can’t use them if you live in the same house as your grow space. But the vapor they put off kills them dead within a day or so.
 

Mr. Greengenes

Re-incarnated Senior Member
ICMag Donor
Veteran
If you're in containers, you can just do water dips every 3-5 days. That will keep them pounded down till harvest and won't mess up terpenes like alcohol.
 

Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
An ounce (us or imperial doesn't matter) of ethanol to 4 liters of water.

Mr. Greengenes is correct with water. Cold sprayed water will work as well with repeated applications till harvest. The downside is humdiity, which should be lower with thick flowers in the area.
 

Creeperpark

Well-known member
Mentor
Veteran
too nice

too nice

Sorry you are having bug problems bro! I know that can be so heart breaking! You can't be nice to those bugs! You got to kick their ass's hard and fast or they will run all over you! If you are going to use Phytoseiulus persimilis, they need to be there now! If not, you need to go against your first choice! I seen those freaking bugs tearing gardens up all over the place! The problem with mites are, they have so many different stages of growth that just one kill method won't work. I learned a way to get rid of them and get rid for good. If you are interested I will explain it to you.
 

BHAM!

Member
I've used the persimilis mites this year and I've become a fan.
that was outdoor though, so I'm not sure how well they will work for you indoor. for me however they did their job well. it takes a while to see effect, but eventually everytime I saw a leaf with spidermite damage and turned over the leaf to see the mite, I already saw a predator mite somewhere else on the leaf. they don't completely eradicate the spidermites, but keep it at such a low level they're no problem. and without any work(besides releasing mites once, which is still way easier as spraying).

btw, you could use those mites above the recommended dose. you can't really store them. with more per square metre they just act more similar to a synthetic pesticide, they will have quickly found and eaten all the spidermites, start eating eachother and die of starvation. maybe at really too high aplication you'll find corpses of the predator mires in your bud, but other than that I think it's fine. especially since those persimilis mites are already intended to work like that, as a quick remedy against an infestation, not preventative.
Thank you a lot!
Nice of you using that!
I find a bit hard and pricey to get those where i am, unfortunately
So no preventative, they only kill bad mites and each other if they dont find them
I'll use them when i'll find them on top colas and webbing
for now i think i'm really slowing them


No Pest Strips maybe...
dunno.gif
They definitely work. Depends on if you want to stay away from any non organic stuff or not. You don’t have to spray the plants with anything. Only thing is, you really can’t use them if you live in the same house as your grow space. But the vapor they put off kills them dead within a day or so.

I read about them but for me is not possible...
And also yes, i'd really like to stay away from non organic and maybe toxic stuff, since this weed is going inside me, smoked baked etc eheheh
Thank you anyway!


If you're in containers, you can just do water dips every 3-5 days. That will keep them pounded down till harvest and won't mess up terpenes like alcohol.
So, you mean like showering them inside in the shower or like really put them, pots and plant, into some container filled with water?


An ounce (us or imperial doesn't matter) of ethanol to 4 liters of water.

Mr. Greengenes is correct with water. Cold sprayed water will work as well with repeated applications till harvest. The downside is humdiity, which should be lower with thick flowers in the area.

So like 30mL of alcohol/ethanol to 4 liters of water? that's like less than 1% of concentration


day 1 of seeing mites and some leaf damage i sprayed everything with 0.5L of water and 50mL (That's much more concentration of what you propose) of alcohol and next day used another bio product but because i could see at least some others damned mites i started researching better products

And for now i sprayed very little to the colas, the only part where i could see some mites is the lowest part with leaf and pop corn buds that i was going to use for my concentrates or baking


Sorry you are having bug problems bro! I know that can be so heart breaking! You can't be nice to those bugs! You got to kick their ass's hard and fast or they will run all over you! If you are going to use Phytoseiulus persimilis, they need to be there now! If not, you need to go against your first choice! I seen those freaking bugs tearing gardens up all over the place! The problem with mites are, they have so many different stages of growth that just one kill method won't work. I learned a way to get rid of them and get rid for good. If you are interested I will explain it to you.

Yes please! Every method is going help, at this stage of ""infestation"" i can try with more natural/bio product, but if maybe next week they are still here and ruining leaves i'd like to have all my options well written in my personal sheet to choose which one to use next


thank you all guys!!
The only thing i'm really happy is that i dont have the borg eheheh you guys in america are really unlucky to have that!!
 

Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
Plants do not like alcohol on their roots, please make sure you cover any root zones and keep the solution out of hydro reservoirs. Alcohol in water doesn't evaporate very quickly.



So sorry. The alcohol should be 190 proof, or 95% alcohol. You can actually go a lot higher in concentration, with the downside being more terpenes/cannabinoids being stripped.



With such a low infestation, I believe cold water is your best bet. If the plants are small enough, you can turn them upside down and dunk them. If they're larger, cover the root zone with plastic or something and spray down the entire plant.
 

BHAM!

Member
Plants do not like alcohol on their roots, please make sure you cover any root zones and keep the solution out of hydro reservoirs. Alcohol in water doesn't evaporate very quickly.



So sorry. The alcohol should be 190 proof, or 95% alcohol. You can actually go a lot higher in concentration, with the downside being more terpenes/cannabinoids being stripped.



With such a low infestation, I believe cold water is your best bet. If the plants are small enough, you can turn them upside down and dunk them. If they're larger, cover the root zone with plastic or something and spray down the entire plant.


Thank you for reminder to keep root zone out of alcohol
And for the alcohol, mine is 96% so that's perfect
And i dont think im capable of make a full imersion of the plants
i'll keep spraying the ladies with cold water
and also a friend gave me neem to help so, that's a plus
 

Creeperpark

Well-known member
Mentor
Veteran
LAST RESORT

LAST RESORT

Part one,
The vegetative stage has to always be lightly sprayed with a PURE neem mixture. Mostly as a preventive. You will see the shinny neem film on the leaves. I add 1/2 a drop of dawn dish soap to the mix to help the oil dissolve. Sometimes i get by with only 1 spraying the whole veg cycle! Usually no bugs the rest of the grow!
Part two,
If you see bugs moving then you have to go into drastic mode! Get yourself a pyrethrim bomb! BUT DON'T BOMB THEM! The bombs have a higher % of of pyrethrim. Instead of 0.20% they have 0.40%! Now take a razor knife and cut the tip off the lock on dispenser. Now when you use it, it won't lock! I don't know if you are in a tent or a room. Stick your arm inside the door of your grow area and give it a 3 to 4 second burst, away from the plants and shut the door. Repeat this every 3 days for 12 days and your good. At the end of the grow, throw away your plants and start fresh!
 

tleaf jr.

Came up off 75w
Veteran
Finish off cycle and start fresh...i recently killed everything bombed and cleaned my entire room. Only way to really know they're gone imho...
 

gladysvjubb

Active member
Veteran
Years ago, when I was growing greenhouse roses I used a biologic called Maverick Aquaflow. It killed all mites. The knock down was fast and effective for weeks. It left no visible residue. A great product. Since I grow in small manageable places under lights, I have been using NO PEST STRIPS. I have been using them for years. I have NO BUGS!!!!!
 

St. Phatty

Active member
One of the reasons that dips work is, because they're dips.

The simple mechanical action of water swishing around the plants removes a lot of mites - but not all.

In the past I've done a dip on a large rooted plant by putting the top of the soil even with the top of the dip tank. The dip tank container needs to be filled to the top.

Then just bend the stem - very gently, in several places, to get most of the buddage into the tank of water.

Of course the water could have foliar feed type foods added to it. So it's like a dip tank foliar feed.

After a few dips the water gets filled with mites so it needs to be changed.

That plus cutting off badly infested parts, like buds with webbing, can help keep it under control without spraying Safer's Soap on bud that will be smoked.

Of course you can always spray Safer's for a week to get rid of the mites.

Then do some water dips to get rid of the Safer's residue.
 

BHAM!

Member
Part one,
The vegetative stage has to always be lightly sprayed with a PURE neem mixture. Mostly as a preventive. You will see the shinny neem film on the leaves. I add 1/2 a drop of dawn dish soap to the mix to help the oil dissolve. Sometimes i get by with only 1 spraying the whole veg cycle! Usually no bugs the rest of the grow!
Part two,
If you see bugs moving then you have to go into drastic mode! Get yourself a pyrethrim bomb! BUT DON'T BOMB THEM! The bombs have a higher % of of pyrethrim. Instead of 0.20% they have 0.40%! Now take a razor knife and cut the tip off the lock on dispenser. Now when you use it, it won't lock! I don't know if you are in a tent or a room. Stick your arm inside the door of your grow area and give it a 3 to 4 second burst, away from the plants and shut the door. Repeat this every 3 days for 12 days and your good. At the end of the grow, throw away your plants and start fresh!


So you just spray your plants once in vegetative and you are okay all cycle? Not even spray again just maybe the day before going flowering?
I indeed saw some little damn bug moving around but for now i have the situation in control i guess
from what i read online, this thing in like 2 days could kill everything in my little room, now we are almost a week and the worst damage it was first 2 days, when i cut the worst affected part
for the pyrethrum bomb, i'd really like to not use pyrethrum, i only use it for outdoor when not yet in flower..
Also i dont know if they even sell it in my country those "bombs"
and i'd really dont want/cant just throw away everything
i even just popped 3 new seeds, 4 days before seeing the bastards... :(


Finish off cycle and start fresh...i recently killed everything bombed and cleaned my entire room. Only way to really know they're gone imho...
Start fresh you mean throw away everything?
I'd prefer killing every single one of them and keeping my ladies....




Years ago, when I was growing greenhouse roses I used a biologic called Maverick Aquaflow. It killed all mites. The knock down was fast and effective for weeks. It left no visible residue. A great product. Since I grow in small manageable places under lights, I have been using NO PEST STRIPS. I have been using them for years. I have NO BUGS!!!!!



Thank you for the biologic product, never heard of it, i'm going to search it if maybe i find it where i live
And the no pest strips have pyrethrum or some other nasty stuff, for now i'd prefer bio or organic..




One of the reasons that dips work is, because they're dips.

The simple mechanical action of water swishing around the plants removes a lot of mites - but not all.

In the past I've done a dip on a large rooted plant by putting the top of the soil even with the top of the dip tank. The dip tank container needs to be filled to the top.

Then just bend the stem - very gently, in several places, to get most of the buddage into the tank of water.

Of course the water could have foliar feed type foods added to it. So it's like a dip tank foliar feed.

After a few dips the water gets filled with mites so it needs to be changed.

That plus cutting off badly infested parts, like buds with webbing, can help keep it under control without spraying Safer's Soap on bud that will be smoked.

Of course you can always spray Safer's for a week to get rid of the mites.

Then do some water dips to get rid of the Safer's residue.



I was really into water or dips, maybe with a bit of neem oil or something else bio/organic and maybe one week before harvest another dip with only water
I dont have yet a single webbing, nor leaves nor buds, only a small one in a stem in vegetative box
and yes, lucky me i cut down the worst affected leaves and little buds as soon as i found out, throw everything in a plastic bag and then in the freezeer for all night to kill them all
didnt want to risk by just putting in the trash eheheh





Nobody mentioned essential oils?

I read somewhere like rosemary oils, but then someone else said could be dangerous for the plants
You mean like neem oil? or like mint, Eucalyptus, others?
 

Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
there are sooo many other choices besides oil which are extremely effective. Why on earth would anyone continue to use neem on cannabis plants is beyond me. Even a simple soap which washes off easily, is effective against against mites.


Oil clings, does not wash off easily and tastes/feels gross when smoking. Even light applications. I won't take a second toke on a bowl of oiled cannabis.


Work with clean tools and produce a clean product. Your body and those you share your cannabis with will thank you. ;)
 
there are sooo many other choices besides oil which are extremely effective. Why on earth would anyone continue to use neem on plats is beyond me. Even a simple soap which washes off easily, is effective against against mites.


Oil clings, does not wash off easily and tastes/feels gross when smoking. Even light applications. I won't take a second toke on a bowl of oiled cannabis.


Work with clean tools and produce a clean product. Your body and those you share your cannabis with will thank you. ;)




simple soap will not be effective against spider mites. mostly because its virtually impossible to get to 100% coverage on application. You want to be able to apply something that has something actually toxic to spider mites. Which is why you need to introduce actual toxins, neem being a valuable tool to have in the tool bag.
 

Creeperpark

Well-known member
Mentor
Veteran
mites travel

mites travel

The only problem is that the spider mites don't just stay on the plants! They travel! They lay their eggs all over the place in the grow area! Eggs and nymphs are on the floor, walls, carpets anywhere that's warm dry area.

As far as neem goes, it will take a few app. in veg. with bugs. However when you get rid of them then it only takes maybe 1 app to stay bug free!

You can get pyrethrims bombs from green house supple. You only have to spray 3 sec bursts in the tent! When you come back then all adults are dead. About 3 days later check for adults. If you see any then spray another time. Don't spray the plants, just the space in the tent or room. I know its drastic but that's what it takes to kill those bastards! I known of people fighting with spider mites for years! You can't be nice to those bugs bro.! You better use a super kill and then use neem up to 2nd week of flowering.
 

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