Spider Mites Questions

Redoctober

Well-Known Member
I have a bad case of the mites and whatever I throw at them, they just chuckle and keep on commin'

My first concern is: can spider mites migrate off the plant and survive elsewhere? Do they invade your home, or are they reliant on plants leaves to survive? I noticed a few crawling across the table where I was cutting clones. I smushed them but there may be a few fugitives that escaped. Will they die on their own, or multiply? I don't even want to think about them infesting my bedroom area!
 

lobsterxmanx

Well-Known Member
ive delt with mites before, all i can say is, theyre resiliant. they came from another of my moms [outside for my clothes i guess] plants and they survived through everything i threw at them in my carpet/crevices. their eggs just wait for the right conditions to hatch. the final thing that seemed to make them disappear, was moving the plant to another growing area, and spraying it down with neem oil solution. if you dont have somewhere that they arent already, than i dont know what else could kill them for good.
 

fred flintstoned

Well-Known Member
They have a 3-4 day reproduction cycle. Your job is to interrupt it! Organic sprays, pyrethrum, neem, azamax, etc, only kill adults. So, you need to spray every three days. Be on time! One round of this should work. Make sure you spray top and bottom of leaves, pots, shelves, floors, wall, bottom of your shoes, your grandmother, your dog, every fucking thing even remotely connected to the grow room. Well maybe not the dog and poor ol grammy.
There are products that kill all life phases of the little bastards (floramite) but they're pretty fucking lethal. Maybe after you use them you should just sell the dope to someone you don't like.
Good luck brother,
Fred
 

xebeche

Well-Known Member
Doktor Doom!
Yep, I agree. Fog the entire bedroom + closet (or whatever you're growing in). They do travel on pets, clothes, etc, so you might continue to see them around unless you treat your whole house according to the instructions...but you could probably manage 'em with periodic treatments in just the bedroom.
 
Whatever you use - make damn sure you don't soak the leaves of your plants to the point where they are dripping. I killed a number of young plants by overdoing it with the Doktor Doom spray (green can). Dr. Doom will tell you that they expect you to both bomb and spray with their products to achieve maximum effect. I've actually found that Need oil has worked best for me. As noted above, be certain you spray the underside of the leaves, as that's where the little bastards live. In a couple extreme cases I've actually completely immersed an infested plant in a bucket of the Neem solution. That's probably the most effective approach, but it's hard on the plant. In my case it was some mothers I wanted to hold on to, and it took a solid month until they were back to the point where I could take cuttings.

There are a couple approaches I haven't tried that sound seriously lethal. One is to get a CO2 rig and push the PPM to 5000 for an hour or so. The other is predator mites. I've managed to knock the little bastards back pretty far so I don't know if it will come to this - but if I can't eliminate them soon I'll be dropping the $45 for some predators.

All I can say is, "Sorry 'bout your luck" with regards to the infestation. As noted above, you HAVE to stay on top of the little shits just to keep them manageable. If you come across anything that really works for you PLEASE share with the rest of us! And GOOD LUCK!
 

Bron Anon

Active Member
I tried everything, what worked for me was a: shutting down most of the grow- all unnecessary stuff was destroyed. For the rest, I used Attain brand bifenthrin spray, 2 oz. bombs, pop one then 3 days later another and three days later another in your grow space.

It did the trick where no other stuff would. Might have lost a few extra brain cells, though!
 

Redoctober

Well-Known Member
Maybe after you use them you should just sell the dope to someone you don't like.
Haha!! Instead of Steven Segal, I thing these little bastards should have starred in "Hard to Kill." I've tried some of the things you guys have suggested. I bought a Doktor Doom fogger but haven't used it yet, I'd like to try the spray can version first. My few plants are in a room with a piano and I'd rather not fog the piano. I do have drop cloth covering the floor though.

FirstRule, I actually did the neem dunk thing when the plants were still small clones. Dunked em every three days for like 2 weeks to no avail. I'm beginning to think these things are fucking invincible! I'm thinking of doing the predator mite thing myself, I just wish there was a way to breed and maintain them so I'd always have a steady supply of predators on hand in case I needed them, but I think you need special setups for this. Is that true?

Anyone know how to breed predator mites?

frmrboi, thank you as always for the recco! I've never heard of the No Pest strips but I just looked em up and the got great reviews. I did come across a somewhat alarming article about DDVP, the active ingredient in the strips, and it's hazards, but I think it was for long term chronic exposure. The product does warn not to use in areas where you spend a lot of time e.g. bedroom, living room etc. But I think using them for a week or two to knock out this infestation won't be too terrible. It did kind of scare me a little, but the mites gotta go!

lobster, so how long can the eggs remain dormant? Are you saying that even if I removed every plant from my house, 3 months down the road, I'd still find mites crawling across my floors?
 

Sensibowl

Active Member
I have a bad case of the mites and whatever I throw at them, they just chuckle and keep on commin'

My first concern is: can spider mites migrate off the plant and survive elsewhere? Do they invade your home, or are they reliant on plants leaves to survive? I noticed a few crawling across the table where I was cutting clones. I smushed them but there may be a few fugitives that escaped. Will they die on their own, or multiply? I don't even want to think about them infesting my bedroom area!
I always turn to this article when I have to deal with spider mites, which is hardly ever anymore. Yeah, I think they need plants to survive.

http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/articles/3109.html

Spider mites are about the size of a poppy seed. They insert a tube into the plant and suck out its juices. Indoors, where they are not combating nature's challenges, mites multiply quickly and overwhelm gardens. Mites lay eggs after they mature, about two weeks after hatching. The females lay thousands of eggs over their lifetime. They hatch in about three days.
Mites inhabit the underside of the leaf and are not readily apparent. The first indication of their presence is usually the sight of tiny brown spots circled by small yellow areas. These areas indicate sites where mites have used their proboscises to puncture the leaf surface and suck the plant's sweet juices. As the population increases they begin to build webs and can be seen commuting from one feeding area to the next.
If only one plant or one section of a plant seems to be infected or if a plant is much more infected than the others in the garden, wrap it in a plastic bag to prevent infecting the other plants as you remove it from the garden.


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If your plants are growing vegetatively you have quite a few options. First you can wash them with a moderately vigorous spray to knock down the mite population. This will help the plants by lessening their loss of vital juices. Prepare a spray with a teaspoon of real soap such as Dr. Bronner's peppermint or eucalyptus liquid soap per gallon of water, or spray with Safer's horticultural soap to help dislodge and suffocate the pests. Mites are found on the underside of the leaves and must be sprayed there. If the plants are small or easy to handle it might be easier to dip them in the soapy water. Spraying can remove most but not all the mites, and it doesn't remove the eggs.
A small mite infection left unchecked is a temporary condition. So it is unwise to go into flowering with infected plants. The problem is that after the plants are one third of the way through flowering, two to three weeks, you want to avoid spraying with water or soapy water to wash off the suckers.
Mites must be eliminated before forcing or when they attack plants in the early stages of flowering. If not they will multiply with disastrous results. The skimpy buds will be low quality and covered with dead mites. It's not an enjoyable smoke.
Spraying can be used to control mites through the vegetative stage and for the first two or three weeks of flowering. However, other means must be used to get the plants to the zero tolerance level. By far the easiest method is to use an acceptable miticide.
There are several commercial miticides that can be used early in the season to kill mites.
Pyrethrum has been used to kill mites. It is a natural pesticide produced by a close relative of the chrysanthemum. The problem with using it is that many races of mites have developed immunity to it. However, it is the first miticide you should try.
Cinnamite comes as a concentrate that is diluted and sprayed on the plants. It contains a miticide derived from cinnamon oil. It is very safe and is rated least hazardous. It is quite effective but it doesn't kill the eggs. It should be used every three days for two weeks to make sure all the mites are killed soon after they hatch. It is a contact spray so plants should be dipped or sprayed on the leaf undersides. It is also effective against powdery mildew.
Neem oil is a natural miticide derived from the nuts of the Neem tree, which is found in India. It is a mite repellent as well, so some gardeners use it as a prophylactic, spraying it on a weekly basis. I mix neem oil with Cinnamite to eliminate small infections. Cinnamite and neem oil are also used against powdery mildew.
For growers who distrust anything commercial, try an ?herbal tea? that acts as a miticide. To each quart of water use a tablespoon each of ground cinnamon, ground clove and 2 tablespoons of ground Italian seasoning. Heat the mixture until it starts to simmer, then turn off the heat. Add 2 tablespoons crushed fresh garlic when the water cools to warm. Let the tea sit until it cools. Strain and save the water using a cloth or coffee filter. Add a few drops of liquid soap or dishwashing liquid to the water. It is ready to be sprayed on the leaf undersides. After spraying the mites off with water, spray it on the leaf undersides. It will eliminate the mites if it is sprayed every three days after the wash. Within two weeks the mites will probably be gone.
Avid is a miticide registered for ornamental plants. Its active ingredient is abamectin, a derivative of a toxin originally found in soil bacteria. Avid is not registered for use on vegetables except in certain restricted situations. Other brands of abamectin such as AgriMek by Syngenta are registered for a wide range of crops. The AgriMek label calls for a minimum of a seven day wait between application and harvest. I wouldn't use marijuana if I knew it was treated with this pesticide during the last few weeks of flowering.
Some gardeners have reported success controlling mites using predatory mites or other predators. These carnivorous mites reach an equilibrium with the herbivorous mites, keeping damage to a bare minimum. I have tried introducing mixed species of predatory mites a few times but have never been satisfied with the results. They did not get the problem under control. However, they can work and some gardeners swear by them. I probably didn't provide them with the right conditions. There are also other predators that eat mites, but I have no experience using them.
Ultimately, the solution to the mite problem and the pest problem in general is to prevent the garden from becoming infected. Following certain simple rules will help:
Wear freshly washed clothes or change into a garden outfit when going into the garden.
Never work outdoors, especially in a garden or other vegetative or turf area right before working in your indoor garden.
Pests are frequently carried in on shoes. Do like Mr. Rogers and change your footwear before you enter the garden.
Don't use outdoor soil, tools or containers in the indoor garden
If a plant is to be introduced to the garden, first do a close examination and then put it in quarantine for five or six days. Examine it closely, especially the underside of leaves, before placing it in the garden.
Close up any unfiltered airways or holes through which plant pests might enter. Make sure that air intake from outside is filtered.
 

Redoctober

Well-Known Member
thanks sensibowl, some good info in there :) I may give the No Pest strip a try and see what that does. Then maybe some Doktor Doom or that herbal tea that Ed Rosenthal described in that article.

I thought about Floramite, but I think it's just too toxic and nasty. My hydro shop doesn't even carry it.
 

Redoctober

Well-Known Member
frmrboi, I just got a the Hot Shot No Pest Strip you recommended :)
Few questions:
Does it matter if the fans are on, or should the air be more still?
How long do you leave the strip in the room? Days, weeks, months?
Where is it best to position it? - I was going to put it in the center of my plants
 

colonuggs

Well-Known Member
Combine 8 drops of Avid and 5 drops of Forbid (both available on ebay) in a 32oz spray bottle of water....spray all your plants while in veg.

One application is usually all you need to do

Use a Dr. Doom bomb in/on your grow area
 

frmrboi

Well-Known Member
frmrboi, I just got a the Hot Shot No Pest Strip you recommended :)
Few questions:
Does it matter if the fans are on, or should the air be more still?
How long do you leave the strip in the room? Days, weeks, months?
Where is it best to position it? - I was going to put it in the center of my plants
I wouldn't leave it in the direct path of the fan that would extract too much of the chemical but leave your fnas on it will help distributeing the chemical.
I just left the strip hanging in the vicinity of the fan. I left mine up until I saw no activity from the mites (you can see them moving around when they're alive) Usually about a week. Then I resealed it in that pouch it came in and stored in the fridge. When the mites return and they will, I just stuck t back in the room again.
Depending on how big a room your dealing with one strip should do you fine your whole grow.
If you have an exhaust fan exchanging your room air then you would have to turn it off during lights out and only hang it out then.
 

Xcon

Active Member
I might have missed it, but I'm surprised nobody suggests this. It's only water and it knocks a lot of them off your plant. Even if you're applying a remedy (pest strips or whatever), doing this first will increase your chances of success as it lowers the population drastically. You might even find (like I did) that no other remedies are needed....

Go to a home improvement store and check their pesticide section, see if they have pump sprayers. They're cheap around here, you can get a small one for $8. They come with a wand on a hose that makes it easy to get under the leaves and give it a powerful spray at the same time. Spray your plants with distilled water twice a day, make sure you get real good under the leaves and make sure they dry out before lights out.

Surprisingly, this knocks a large part of the population off the leaves. Apply whatever remedy you want with the sprayer, I don't use anything but water and climate control.
 

colonuggs

Well-Known Member
water will not kill the thousands of eggs that hatch continuosly....the adults sure .. eggs are attached to the underside of your leaves

just like dr doom kills the adults but does nothing for eggs...thats why repetetive treatments are nessary


Combine 8 drops of Avid and 5 drops of Forbid (both available on ebay) in a 32oz spray bottle of water....spray all your plants while in veg.

One application is usually all you need to do

Use a Dr. Doom bomb in/on your grow area
 

Redoctober

Well-Known Member
Thanks frmr! I am exchanging the air in the room as well as using a fan, so there probably won't be too much opportunity for the No Pest vapor to build up and affect the plants except at night like you said. I'll leave it in there all day anyway. I'll probably supplement it with a spray of some sort. Spider mites are EVIL! Hot Shot makes a lot of other products that I saw at home depot so maybe I'll try one of their direct sprays...can't do any worse than all the expensive stuff I've gotten from the grow store!

Xcon, I know where you are coming from but colonugs is right, water just won't get the job done. I only say that because I had the same idea and tried it over and over and over. I thought it'd be easiest when they were still little clones. I held them under the faucet several times thinking that it would dislodge the mites...and it did. Except they came back, and back, and back. Each time I did it, it would indeed knock the mites off, but their eggs must've remained behind. I even did manual crushing sessions where I would rub the leaves between my fingers thinking I'd squish the mites and their eggs, but it's damn near impossible to get them all. I did water/soap/neem dunks, sprays, miticides, even resorted to playing justin bieber at them in the hopes that they would die...no luck yet :(
 

frmrboi

Well-Known Member
Safers Soap was my alternativce treatment, it's good as the mites cannot build up a resistance to it. I just used the strip the last few weeks of flowering so that I didn't risk tainting the buds with any off tastes.
 

Redoctober

Well-Known Member
Safers Soap was my alternativce treatment, it's good as the mites cannot build up a resistance to it. I just used the strip the last few weeks of flowering so that I didn't risk tainting the buds with any off tastes.
Kool! Great recco! Judging from my initial google search, that looks like something I can get at home depot or a hardware store (I like it when I don't have to go through the grow store). Also seems as though I can use it on my vegtables outside in the garden as well because it says it's totally organic! Major reps frmr :)

(I think I repd you but my browser didn't look as though it was doing anything...how do I tell if my rep worked?)
 
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