Mites with two weeks left in flower...

[Hydro-Soil]

What's gonna happen with the mites once I harvest that plant though... Also would it not be a good idea to trim this plant where there are plants that are vegging close by...thank again ...

I agree with eclipse as far as the water, just make sure there's sufficient air-flow afterward, during lights off.

Also, keeping the temps below 75F will significantly slow down their breeding. 85F and you're screwed... fornication day at the beach with full energy levels. Ouch.

When you trim? Depends. Personally I'd do a wet trim of all the large fan leaves and as much of the sugar leaves as possible.

Put the trim in a bag and put that in the freezer for a couple of days.

Hang the plants and use something like tangleroot or another sticky product on the line... between the plants and the walls. The mites are going to go looking for live plant as the one they're on dies and dries out.

Stay Safe!

 

[EclipseFour20]

Yeah I agree with u except I just can't seem to bring myself to spraying water on the plant... Won't the buds get bud rot... Trust me, I've had my fair share of bud rot... I think I'm just gonna let it ride like isaid there's only less then a week and ill take her down... What's gonna happen with the mites once I harvest that plant though... Also would it not be a good idea to trim this plant where there are plants that are vegging close by...thank again ...

Think light autumn misty/rain a few days before harvest...not 40 days and nights of torrential downpour. An oscillating fan blowing air on them for about an hour or so will hasten the drying process. Water is a magic solvent.

 

[RetroGrow]

Thank you all for the replies... As for the size of the garden, it's pretty small with only 4 plants in it... Only 1of the plants has the mites and it is the only plant that is bedded in fox farm ocean forest soil... That is the only thing I did different this time and it was actually a test of sorts to try out that soil compared to the other soil sunshine mix4... The plant that has the mites is the only plant in that soil so that's what I'm thinkn is the cause of this... Anyway it's been a few days now and things are going better then I had even hoped... I have only seen a couple since... I have decided that I will just take that 1 plant down a tad early but only by a week... What will happen to the mites that are left when I do harvest this sage n sour plant... Will they just die or flee or what... Last question. Is what should I clean the entire room down with a bleach solution of some sort... Thank y'all...

As I explained earlier, heat will kill all mites and their eggs, whether on the plants, or in an empty room after tear down. They won't just "flee" on their own. This is accomplished without any chemicals, and it's well known to professional exterminators. It's how they eliminate bed bugs & scabies 100% without chemicals.

 

[nickman]

I agree with eclipse as far as the water, just make sure there's sufficient air-flow afterward, during lights off.

Also, keeping the temps below 75F will significantly slow down their breeding. 85F and you're screwed... fornication day at the beach with full energy levels. Ouch.

When you trim? Depends. Personally I'd do a wet trim of all the large fan leaves and as much of the sugar leaves as possible.

Put the trim in a bag and put that in the freezer for a couple of days.

Hang the plants and use something like tangleroot or another sticky product on the line... between the plants and the walls. The mites are going to go looking for live plant as the one they're on dies and dries out.

Stay Safe!

I have always trimmed plants while wet... Then I'll hang the buds on a line...I'm just nervous that like u said the mites are gonna go lookn for the other plants... Thank again...

 

[medicalmj]

I have always trimmed plants while wet... Then I'll hang the buds on a line...I'm just nervous that like u said the mites are gonna go lookn for the other plants... Thank again...

You could gently dunk each bud/plant/stalk into hot (125F) water for 10-15 minutes the day of/before harvest. It will kill them. But I'd test this before doing on something that wasn't gonna be harvested in a day or two as this was recommended for dormant speciman.

 

[xmobotx]

i will defo try heat {not hot water ~bringing the room up to 120*} next time i have this concern

no pest strips; not only seems like a poor choice {contaminating the crop} but last time i tried NPS w/ mites it was inneffectual

physically knocking them off w/ a spray of water does help but one would just about have to do it daily to make a real gain & like mentioned many feel uncomfortable about spraying liquids on plants in flower {some dont mind; i am on the fence ~i dont like to spray buds w/ anything tho}

 

[the gnome]

no pest strips; not only seems like a poor choice {contaminating the crop} but last time i tried NPS w/ mites it was inneffectual

someone please...
show where/how NPS will factually *contaminate a crop?
it is approved to be used in food storage area's

xmbot, the NPS didn't work against your spider mites because you didn't use the NPS the fashioin needed
to kill spider mites
read the label, and SM's are not menitoned

read my posts on stickies on the use of NPS... and you will kill them

 

[RetroGrow]

You could gently dunk each bud/plant/stalk into hot (125F) water for 10-15 minutes the day of/before harvest. It will kill them. But I'd test this before doing on something that wasn't gonna be harvested in a day or two as this was recommended for dormant speciman.

Don't try this. I did, & it ruined the plants. Try it on one plant first and see what happens. I don't think you will like the results.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

someone please...
show where/how NPS will factually *contaminate a crop?
it is approved to be used in food storage area's

Food doesn't breathe. Food in storage bins does not breathe.

People, pets and plants breathe. Cannabis is AWESOME at sucking up and holding on to chemicals. NPS's are not rated for areas where people and pets are breathing all the time.

You want to use them? Just be real and let your end users know you're using them on their meds. That's all.

Stay Safe!

 

[sith44]

+1 to let em ride it out and keep your fingers crossed!

 

[medicalmj]

Don't try this. I did, & it ruined the plants. Try it on one plant first and see what happens. I don't think you will like the results.

The question was how to kill mites on plants ready for harvest not plants that needed to live.

The study used as a reference was on dormant plants. Probably will kill ganga that's why I said only do it in the last day or two. It don't matter.

So yeah, you are probably right.

 

[Dr. Buddington]

Most elegant solution: take 1.5" ABS pipe (or whichever diameter fits your wet/dry vac) drill a few hundred holes no more than 1/4 in diameter, I did 1/8. Attach to your vac and suck all of the mites up, repeat every other day. Make sure to empty the vac away from your growing environment. Good luck

 

[Hydro-Soil]

Most elegant solution: take 1.5" ABS pipe (or whichever diameter fits your wet/dry vac) drill a few hundred holes no more than 1/4 in diameter, I did 1/8. Attach to your vac and suck all of the mites up, repeat every other day. Make sure to empty the vac away from your growing environment. Good luck

Awesome! Probably NEVER would have thought of that....

Thanks for posting it.

Stay Safe!

 

[GadgetGuy]

I have had great success in "showering" the mites away with water. Not the velocity of a fire hose, but greater than what comes out of spray bottle. Mites and water are not friends.

I took the plants outside, gently sprayed them with water (hose with spray attachment), let them drip for 5 minutes, then back to the grow environment. I did this in the morning and once more before they went to sleep. Also by removing the more infested buds/leaves--you will stop some in their tracks.

Or...if it is just one or two plants, I kick the nasty ones outside and shower with water daily until they finish, that way the ones inside are safe (but then I put on my leaf inspector hat--and remove any leaf with the famous yellow/white dots).

Hope this helps...whatever you do, spraying with chems is not necessario being so close to harvest.

Yes, this. It also helps to use COLD water that has been in the fridgerator. The cold stuns/paralyzes them temporarily and makes it even easier to knock them off the plant. I use a pump sprayer and it has a pretty decent power but not enough to injure the foliage or buds.

 

[medicalmj]

Yes, this. It also helps to use COLD water that has been in the fridgerator. The cold stuns/paralyzes them temporarily and makes it even easier to knock them off the plant. I use a pump sprayer and it has a pretty decent power but not enough to injure the foliage or buds.

I've never tried this but I would think to use warm water say around 90-100F for two reasons:

1. When you make bubble hash you use cold water because that makes the trich heads brittle and they fall right off. So wouldn't spraying cold water have similar effect?
2. Mites hate heat, hence the heat treatment to kill mites. While 90-100F won't kill them I understand it does disrupt them.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

I've never tried this but I would think to use warm water say around 90-100F for two reasons:

1. When you make bubble hash you use cold water because that makes the trich heads brittle and they fall right off. So wouldn't spraying cold water have similar effect?
2. Mites hate heat, hence the heat treatment to kill mites. While 90-100F won't kill them I understand it does disrupt them.

1. No. Unless you're going to be agitating it like bubblehash? Gentle spray with cold water is fine.

2. Don't know crap about hot water... sorry.

Stay Safe!

 

[RetroGrow]

The question was how to kill mites on plants ready for harvest not plants that needed to live.

The study used as a reference was on dormant plants. Probably will kill ganga that's why I said only do it in the last day or two. It don't matter.

So yeah, you are probably right.

Plants ready for harvest are still alive, and dunking them in hot water WILL ruin them. I have tried it, and plants came out looking like soggy spinach. Ruined.
But you can kill any mites with hot air with no damage to plants, even in late flower. 120 degrees does the trick. Go to the Broad mite thread for details. Last ten pages or so....

 

[Neo 420]

No pest strips with a 2 week harvest window? Not good......

 

[xmobotx]

yeah i was told to only use them in veg which is how i tried them to literally zero effect

later i found some info suggesting NEVER use NPS for anything EVER

I remember some info to the effect that they had been re-formulated and the old gold-painted cardboard foldout version from the 70s had cause some social health considerations from use in the kitchen

IDK the details but they dont seem to be all that good for people

 

[medicalmj]

Plants ready for harvest are still alive, and dunking them in hot water WILL ruin them. I have tried it, and plants came out looking like soggy spinach. Ruined.
But you can kill any mites with hot air with no damage to plants, even in late flower. 120 degrees does the trick. Go to the Broad mite thread for details. Last ten pages or so....

So 120 air no prob, but 120 water will turn to soggy spinach? Hot water dunks are listed in several academic studies without this happening. I will do a 125F dunk for 5 minutes and see what happens on something I am not gonna keep.