Termites

Flying Monkey · Oct 21, 2018

Ahoy brothers and sisters. Ive got troubles, and after all ive learned from these pages its enough to bring me out of the cupboard and in to ask all of you a question. Do you have termites- AND IF YOU DO... what the hell do you do about them.

Im in rocky mountain country and good soil is hard to find, water even harder and termites eliminate a huge number of possible spots from perfect to strugleoh.

Got any tricks up your sleeves blades :prettyplease:

growinthehills · Oct 21, 2018

Are you asking about termites that are attacking your plants? or ?

CosmicGiggle · Oct 21, 2018

Termites grow in colonies so make sure you don't accidently plant stuff in or near a colony.

Also, termites like wood so clear out alla the rotting wood on or in the soil or nearby.

Termites also like roots, I've found them living in commercial soil with lots of wood chips and they will destroy your plants. :tiphat:

CrushnYuba · Oct 21, 2018

Here, Termites aren't much of an issue. Keep dead wood off the ground and check the area for termites. You really should clear the area before you grow. Don't be growing next to bushes and junk. Healthy trees that don't block Sun to your garden only.
I personally have only grown in places that were cleared with a tractor, and i would see a nest.

troutman · Oct 21, 2018

Borax baits they use for ants should work.

Flying Monkey · Oct 21, 2018

Thanks for the quick replies brains trusts. No suggestions are bad cause it just might be the answer to my problems.

Yup in the hills- they're eating the ladies or id be sticking this in the carpentry forum

.
Subterranean termite colonies, or maybe in trees with no external sign so knowing where they will be is hard to predict.If i hit them when im digging i give up that hole as lost but they've got large areas locked down. Plants grow a little slow till its nearly harvest time then they collapse under weight of early flower and i see the stems are all chewed out. We've got a lot of different termites here but either these guys eat everything or select thick ligniny roots in preference to other plants/debris around. theyre especially up on the ridgelands and a moist hole seems to attract them like kiddies to candyfloss. Losses are often 80% or more. Breaks your heart to have a big healthy plant yellow and bust just as its coming into a bit of weight.

These are wild places so clearing the soil of wood and residues is not really an option, its the organic matter collecting here and the springs that grow it that makes these places suitable for cultivating. Theyre also precious natural places at the top of headwaters to wild rivers so wholesale soil drencehes etc is out of the question... I love the bush and I also like to throw a few lures troutman so i dont want to wipe out the critters in the nearby stream lines.

Ive tried foliar imidicloprids hesitantly as im normally strictly organic. No good.
Ive done in soil imidicloprid tablets, also seemed to make no difference.

Ive read about borax but as these fellas eat wood and lignin didn't know if theyd have the right attractant for the little devils. Have you used these with good results brother?

troutman · Oct 21, 2018

^^^^ I haven't used borax baits for termites. But I'm hoping they go for it.

Only 1 way to find out.

Diatomaceous earth will help and check this link:

Protect Your Home from Termites with DE

Flying Monkey · Oct 22, 2018

Yes troutman DE is something ive used closer to home with some success especially in containers. The issue is quantities, as it worked for me when about 2-3% of the soil was DE and its packed with silica that made for strong plants. But hauling that quantity of materials out to these places is not practical i think. And i do BIG holes 200 ltrs plus to let them stretch they're feet.

But keep it coming please- any help is good help. One of my favourite spots is getting so rough im thinking of just planting in fabric pots so i can get them off the ground. But i know trying to keep the water up to them is gonna be a dog of a job as summer heats. But plants in pots- thats shit for the swamps. Without regular water in my summer its gonna have a huge yield impact.

troutman · Oct 22, 2018

Maybe get a pet frog or toad they eat anything the see. :biggrin:

Killer Frog * Terror Toad * Frog Eating Bugs * Terrorist Toad

Flying Monkey · Oct 22, 2018

Well thats gonna help with a whole bunch a problems :laughing:

. No more caterpillars, crickets thrips and locusts. I do like to have a few friendly poisonous snakes around to cut down on the other bigger critters that affect my grows too. Grow where the nasties are i always say. Wild dog, ticks, elapids. There all allies in getting it home :biggrin:

Dirt Bag · Oct 30, 2018

https://www.solutionsstores.com/adonis-2f-insecticide

Imidacloprid will definitely get rid of and prevent any new termite infestation for many years. Just don't use it on flowering plants as it's bad for the pollinators.
This is great for early veg stage, and will kill most or all plant eating insects. We've only needed to use this once in our veg room. Over a year ago now and we still don't have bugs. I'm not saying it lasts that long, but perhaps a few escaped and spread the word.
Long story short: imidacloprid is a wonder product, and is the most widely used insecticide on earth. Of course this post will draw every man-bun flannel vegan out of the compost pile to chime in their natural/poison hoopla, but if you want results, believe in science, and don't have years to wait, get Adonis 2F.
I consulted with a bioengineer at Bayer. Mix Adonis @ 0.6ml/gal for foliar applications and don't spray it on anything you plan to consume within a month. To be safe and because it's all that's been needed, we only spray the mothers/cuttings/veg and haven't needed to apply in the flowering room.

NOTE: I inadvertently posted the wrong dilution! The proper dilution for Adonis 2F foliar is 0.6ml/gal! My apologies.

St. Phatty · Oct 30, 2018

Flying Monkey said:
Ahoy brothers and sisters. Ive got troubles, and after all ive learned from these pages its enough to bring me out of the cupboard and in to ask all of you a question. Do you have termites- AND IF YOU DO... what the hell do you do about them.

Im in rocky mountain country and good soil is hard to find, water even harder and termites eliminate a huge number of possible spots from perfect to strugleoh.

Got any tricks up your sleeves blades

Pet birds.

Silkies or chickens.

Won't rest until every termite is chicken protein.

They rip the soil around the roots. The plant should be well-rooted and the root-ball should be at least 12 inches high, because the birds can dig up the first 6 inches.

P-NUT · Oct 30, 2018

Borax or boric acid spread very lightly around the perimeter of your hole will help immensely just don't go too crazy and dump a ton. It also provides boron to your plants. It's the only thing that allowed me to grow in the pine forest around me. Nothing more heartbreaking than seeing your 10 foot plant suddenly yellow die and fall over and have termites all up in the stem. An old Florida grower told me that trick long ago on overgrow. Just found out last week that he passed away. RIP Tommy.

Flying Monkey · Oct 31, 2018

Dirt Bag said:
https://www.solutionsstores.com/adonis-2f-insecticide

Imidacloprid will definitely get rid of and prevent any new termite infestation for many years. Just don't use it on flowering plants as it's bad for the pollinators.
This is great for early veg stage, and will kill most or all plant eating insects. We've only needed to use this once in our veg room. Over a year ago now and we still don't have bugs. I'm not saying it lasts that long, but perhaps a few escaped and spread the word.
Long story short: imidacloprid is a wonder product, and is the most widely used insecticide on earth. Of course this post will draw every man-bun flannel vegan out of the compost pile to chime in their natural/poison hoopla, but if you want results, believe in science, and don't have years to wait, get Adonis 2F.
I consulted with a bioengineer at Bayer. Mix Adonis @ 6ml/gal for foliar applications and don't spray it on anything you plan to consume within a month. To be safe and because it's all that's been needed, we only spray the mothers/cuttings/veg and haven't needed to apply in the flowering room.

Thanks Dirtbag- Neonicitinoids are my go to for serious bug problems in the past.On the bee front im right there with you with you - my theory is if it ain't got pollen then i should be sound, so no use on male plants at all.

Ive used it as a foliar by the recommendations and as a soil tablet that you place in the hole and it didn't stop them.

I read somewhere that the systemic accumulates at greatest percent in the leaves and to a lesser extent in the stems with lowest in roots so my theory was it wasn't building up enough to deter them. Maybe i'm just not using it frequently enough. I'm very less is more with non organics.

Got any advice on frequency of application etc.

:tiphat:

Flying Monkey · Oct 31, 2018

P-NUT said:
Borax or boric acid spread very lightly around the perimeter of your hole will help immensely just don't go too crazy and dump a ton. It also provides boron to your plants. It's the only thing that allowed me to grow in the pine forest around me. Nothing more heartbreaking than seeing your 10 foot plant suddenly yellow die and fall over and have termites all up in the stem. An old Florida grower told me that trick long ago on overgrow. Just found out last week that he passed away. RIP Tommy.

Hola P-Nut
Now borax is not something i've tried. Sprinkled round the hole eh.
I can access this stuff pretty easy. Ill do a bit of research and see if this can be part of the arsenal this season.

:dance013:

Thanks for your helps everybody.

40degsouth · Nov 1, 2018

Hi everyone,
bad news Flying Monkey!! I've thought about this problem a lot, even although l do not suffer from it.
Perhaps earths from an electric fence around, or passing through the plant itself might help.
My father used this technique for growing giant pumpkins and tomatoes and pushed the fence through the stem, believe it or not!! He also used a hospital drip (glass one) with a sugar solution into the plant as well.
Anyway, there have been a lot of studies regarding the benefits of electrical currents passed through soil on plant growth and a mate's mate collects worms, for fishing, with a battery and two probes, i.e. They come to the surface&#55357;&#56841;&#55357;&#56841;
So my theory is that your termites won't like any electrical charge around, or in, the base of your plants.
Perhaps a basic D cell set up with two nails and some copper wire might do the trick for each plant or an 8 D cell portable electric fence unit might be the answer.
Hope this helps, let me know either way if you give it a go.

P-NUT · Nov 1, 2018

Try boric acid before borax if you can otherwise go super light on borax. Boric acid is preferred for plants because it doesn't contain sodium. I've used boric acid around the perimeter of plants and borax around the perimeter of my house. Both keep them away but boric acid won't cause the sodium issues.

Dirt Bag · Nov 1, 2018

Flying Monkey said:
Thanks Dirtbag- Neonicitinoids are my go to for serious bug problems in the past.On the bee front im right there with you with you - my theory is if it ain't got pollen then i should be sound, so no use on male plants at all.

Ive used it as a foliar by the recommendations and as a soil tablet that you place in the hole and it didn't stop them.

I read somewhere that the systemic accumulates at greatest percent in the leaves and to a lesser extent in the stems with lowest in roots so my theory was it wasn't building up enough to deter them. Maybe i'm just not using it frequently enough. I'm very less is more with non organics.

Got any advice on frequency of application etc.

The directions are extremely thorough and detailed. It's a book! Because imidacloprid is not labeled for use on cannabis, Bayer refuses to recommend it's use, however, they were very interested in our results, which I can only describe as absolute. Since the single application we haven't had any insects whatsoever. I have no experience with ground applications but there is a lot of information in the directions.

ozzieAI · Nov 2, 2018

i had to deal with termites in the past...neem meal/cake in the soil fixed that and neem oil drenches help get rid of them as well...

good luck...

Flying Monkey · Nov 3, 2018

Thanks dirtbag. Sound advice. Yup P nut my dude- came to the same conclusion doing some research on the salts- Ozzie ive never found meal but can probably source oil. If i can i will definitely do a bit of a trial...40 deg south this is something new... Ive used electric fences in my parts to keep the wild goats off my girls but never in the plant itself... Im damn intrigued... Im guessin the tree would go to ground through the plant yes. Ive definately zapped myself a bit on grass with the ol stallion fence. Gonna give this a bit more thought...

Thanks hermanos good to have friends i can count on.

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