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Caution when using "Hot Shot No-Pest Strips."

Mr.Hades

Member
Growers should use caution when dealing with NPS because of its toxicity to humans and animals. You shouldn't use "No-Pest Strips" and other products containing Dichlorvos on flowering plants because of its chance of leaving residual amounts of the active ingredient on your plants. Dichlorvos (The active chemical in No-Pest Strips) is considered a carcinogen and if used with your plants, it should only be used in the vegetation cycle and plants rinsed with water before flowering so you dont have a chance of leaving chemical residue on your harvest if possible. The active chemical (Dichlorvos) can be rinsed off and breaks-down in water but is also a dangerous insecticide and should NOT be used in living areas where people have a chance to inhale the chemical. (People growing in their homes with children, pets etc.)

There needs to be a sticky thread about this because I seem to see plenty of people on the internet using these things improperly.

Info about Dichlorvos:

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts88.html

http://envirocancer.cornell.edu/FactSheet/Pesticide/fs20.dichlorvos.cfm

http://safe2use.com/poisons-pesticides/pesticides/misc/dichlorvos.htm

*****This is NOT a thread to discuss the effects of Dichlorvos. It is simply a thread to give caution to those using NPS.

Im not telling you NOT to use them... I have used them myself and still do. They are a very fast, easy, and efficient solution to get rid of spidermites. I am asking you to be cautious because it is a dangerous chemical like most chemical pesticides. The only reason I am posting this is because I have been reading how people are using these things lately. (using them in closet grows where people sleep etc.) I actually noticed this a couple years ago, but even more now.

When used, they shouldn't be used in rooms where people and animals will be, and make sure too use no and/or low ventilation for no more than 7 days... Then plants rinsed off with water to break down the active chemical if there is any possiblity of leaving a residue. The NPS makes your grow room a little gaschamber for the mites and will kill them dead.
 

Phillthy

Seven-Thirty
ICMag Donor
Veteran
They tell you not to use them anywhere where a human will occupy the space for more then 4 hours a day.
 

Haps

stone fool
Veteran
I put one in bloom at the start of 12's, with all the fan action, it is mostly depleted in a week or two. 8 weeks later at harvest there is none left. Everything can kill you, used carefully, these are not a problem. I can see how it could be, used too much or late in flower. Better than the fucking borg.
H
 

Mr.Hades

Member
They tell you not to use them anywhere where a human will occupy the space for more then 4 hours a day.

Yes, they do... But I have read of many who use them throughout the grow as a preventative... Inhaling fumes as their plants grow... And many use them throughout the flowering process. Then the buds get smoked with trace amounts of this active chemical on them. Inhaling combusted chemical fumes of this kind cannot be good... Even in trace amounts.

Yes, It may keep out pests, but what could it possibly be doing to your health?

And using them with a fan and ventilation kind of defeats the purpose of using them as a pesticide because it takes a little while for the gaseous fumes to build up in the room... It turns your growroom into a tiny gaschamber of Dichlorvos which kills the pests quickly. And it doesnt deplete in a week or two. Ive had peststrips that Ive had to use a few times that lasted more than a year. Thats why they used to put them in office buildings, schools etc. because of the low-maintnence.

Im not telling you NOT to use them... I have used them myself... They are a very fast, easy solution to get rid of spidermites. I am asking you to be cautious because it is a very dangerous chemical. The only reason I am posting this is because I have been reading how people are using these things lately. I actually noticed this a couple years ago, but even more now.

If used, they should be used with no or low ventilation for no more than 5-7 days... Then plants rinsed off with plenty of water to break down the active chemical if there is any possiblity of leaving a residue.
 
I think this is just fearmongering due to the fact that dichlorvous gas is chemical based. I MIGHT be wrong, but consider this: Dichlorvous gas was toned down in concentration over the years to be safer, and has not once been observed(by me at least) to be harmful to plants. If it was as bad as the anti-NPS people said, we'd have well documented cases of poisoned plants. I've never even seen or heard of a plant reacting in the slightest to a NPS.

Yet MANY people have fucked their plants up with natural products like neem, homemade brews, other anti mite spray. Not only that but they're more expensive, more tedious to use, and nowhere near as effective as the mite-genocide that NPS bring.

I've said it before, NPS should always be the first step in killing mites and other pests, for they are unmatched in price, effectiveness, availability(home depot/lowes), and ease of use. The one and only thing I've heard negative is that some places like CA have NPS resistant mites.
 
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Phillthy

Seven-Thirty
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Hades, you make a lot of valid points. Any pesticide is going to be harmful in one way or another. I would not have one hanging in my kitchen. As a matter as fact I only place them in my grow room a week at a time depending on what i see (1 gnat, fly, etc.). lol.
 
T

theratings

Hot Shot No-Pest Strips work wonders on spider mites, but as always, you should be mindful of what you're adding into your grow.
 

Mr.Hades

Member
I think this is just fearmongering due to the fact that dichlorvous gas is chemical based.

I've said it before, NPS should always be the first step in killing mites and other pests, for they are unmatched in price, effectiveness, availability(walmart), and ease of use. The one and only thing I've heard negative is that some places like CA have NPS resistant mites.

I dont think it's "fearmongering" at all... Just facts... There have been plenty of studies... Which is why they are no longer used in public offices, schools, etc. I dont wear foil on my head. ;)

Yes, They're are a very good way of removing pests, This is not what I am trying to get at. This is already known. And no where in this thread have I said they were harmful to plants. I say that they should NOT be used on flowering plants for a simple reason, You are putting trace amounts of carcinogenic chemical residue on your harvest. You probably dont notice, but it can't be very healthy.

I am simply trying to set a warning that can be viewed by all so that they know what they are dealing with.

And fyi, "NPS resistant mites" are not found just in CA. Spidermites can adapt and become immune to the chemical anywhere if used incorrectly to dispose of them. I believe this happens when the NPS are left in the rooms for long periods of time with regular ventilation as preventative measures which causes a low enough concentration over a period of time for the mites to simply get used to them. Its no different from how they grow resistant to other insecticides.

Like I said, the correct and safer way to use NPS to get rid of mites is to use them in a room with no ventilation for 5-7 days or until there are no signs of pests... Then you simply remove the NPS and rinse your plants thouroughly after.
 

Phillthy

Seven-Thirty
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Like I said, the correct and safer way to use NPS to get rid of mites is to use them in a room with no ventilation for 5-7 days or until there are no signs of pests... Then you simply remove the NPS and rinse your plants thouroughly after.

;)
 
I dont think it's "fearmongering" at all... Just facts... There have been plenty of studies... Which is why they are no longer used in public offices, schools, etc. I dont wear foil on my head. ;)

Yes, They're are a very good way of removing pests, This is not what I am trying to get at. This is already known. And no where in this thread have I said they were harmful to plants. I say that they should NOT be used on flowering plants for a simple reason, You are putting trace amounts of carcinogenic chemical residue on your harvest. You probably dont notice, but it can't be very healthy.

I am simply trying to set a warning that can be viewed by all so that they know what they are dealing with.

And fyi, "NPS resistant mites" are not found just in CA. Spidermites can adapt and become immune to the chemical if used incorrectly to dispose of them anywhere. I believe this happens when the NPS are left in the rooms for long periods of time with regular ventilation as preventative measures which causes a low enough concentration over a period of time for the mites to simply get used to them.

Like I said, the correct and safer way to use NPS to get rid of mites is to use them in a room with no ventilation for 5-7 days or until there are no signs of pests... Then you simply remove the NPS and rinse your plants thouroughly after.

I wish there was a way we could test this, as it's the only way this little debate can be solved. This isn't a fogging/gassing in days of old, it's a faint fume slowly released by a resin. I'll admit I don't know if it does accumulate in any amount on the plant, but my money is on it not mattering, and that combustion releases more carcinogens to be released than any residue. Also, maybe the faint water vapor from the plants' respiration breaks it down, IDK. It's just that you say not to use it during flower. I did that and it was the only time I ever used NPS, they kicked ass, so did the weed, and I'm still healthy. Keep in mind that it was toned down, I'm assuming partially in response to being sued.. And I'd rather leave my plants unwashed than destroy trichomes and risk mold. Just my opinion/hypthesis. Don't take it too seriously.
 
B

Blue Dot

It's just that you say not to use it during flower. I did that and it was the only time I ever used NPS, they kicked ass, so did the weed, and I'm still healthy.

You don't get it. This isn't how cancer works. You don't just inhale a product once or eat something once and Bam you've got cancer.

It is the slow accumulation over time that reaches a critical level, then you're doomed.

Think about how many cancer patients go to the doctor and the doctor asks, well lets see if we can narrow down your source for this cancer.
Tell me your history.
The patient is like, well one time I spray painted my house, and oh yeah I accidentailly dipped my hand in a jar or such and such and I eat at McDonalds every third day and yeah I had a grow where I used NPS and I have to sit in traffic an hour a day, etc, etc, etc.

Why do you think cancer is such an epidemic today, because we are surrounded by toxic chems, everywhere we go.

No need to add that one last straw that broke the cancer camels back by using NPS.

Not to mention the neurotoxic effects that have nothing to do with cancer.
 

10k

burnt out og'er
Veteran
I'm going to sticky this for a while.
Someone once told me they are "phytotoxic"....
IE: somewhat toxic to plants. Is there any information to back this up ?
 

Mr.Hades

Member
"And I'd rather leave my plants unwashed than destroy trichomes and risk mold."

Thats why I say they should not be used in flowering... Even if you did rinse them, there could still be residue inside the buds from the NPS being in the room throughout the flowering cycle because you obviously cant wash inside of them.

Im not trying to make this a debate thread.

Thats not what this is about, Its already been proven to be a carcinogen...

The point of this thread is to give caution to people about what they are using on their plants and in their homes where not only they live but family and pets aswell.

Also, to inform people on the safer way to use them so that NPS doesnt start showing up in everygrow as a "cure-all" remedy and have growers all over the world breathing in carcinogens...

Just think, If years from now, marijuana growers start getting cancer, they will blame it on marijuana itself and not on the pesticides and chemicals that are being used to produce our fine herb.
 
T

TheMintMan

Thanks for the info Mr. Hades. I've used NPS once several years ago...had some plants in the beginning stages of flowering that were infested. Luckily I haven't had to use them since. One-time exposure is one thing...I'd hate to find out the hard way what the cumulative effects would be.

I will be much more careful if I ever need to use them again...and certainly not in/on/near flowering.

K+ :joint:
 

gladysvjubb

Active member
Veteran
Well I have been using them continuously for 3 years. No spidermites, no fungus gnats, no nothin'. I even use smaller one in my photorons, no problems. Just wash your hands after handling and do not stick your nose in them and you will have an infestation free grow.
 
The debate isn't whether it's carcinogenic, it's whether the specific NPS product leaves any kind of residue that settles on the plant. I've read all the links posted in this thread(the most recent one is 12 years old), and none of them suggest anything about that.
 
N

NOYB

I put one in bloom at the start of 12's, with all the fan action, it is mostly depleted in a week or two. 8 weeks later at harvest there is none left.
I've used these before and worked great but that was once and prefer not to use em. How do you know that they are mostly depleted in a week or two? Is that from manufacturers info/testing or are you just guessing?
 
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