Spider Mites - First Time :(

Hi Guys

I’m half way through my second week into flower and noticed spider mites, pretty bad in some places where they have started to create webs etc etc

does anybody have any proven methods suggestions to get rid of them completely/manage them or have I caught them too late

Any help would be deeply appreciated.

Chwers

Are you flowering yet?

The dilemma is at this point in the grow the workable solutions can be carcinogenic.

You could try lady bugs.

Get two bags of lady bugs, next day air and keep us posted.

I’m based in the UK, I’ll have to try and source. If I do source them, how does this work? Just release them into the grow area? Do you then have to try and remove them once the job is done?

Lavender oil and regular dawn dish soap. Add 1/3 to 1/2 ounce to glass container, then add 3-5 ml of dawn dish soap, mix very well, add to a gallon of water, IN THAT ORDER. Spray every 2-3 days with the lights off from top to bottom and underneath leaves. This mix kills mites and eggs. And can be used from seed to harvest.

jcdws602 said:

Lavender oil and regular dawn dish soap. Add 1/3 to 1/2 ounce to glass container, then add 3-5 ml of dawn dish soap, mix very well, add to a gallon of water, IN THAT ORDER. Spray every 2-3 days with the lights off from top to bottom and underneath leaves. This mix kills mites and eggs. And can be used from seed to harvest.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply and info. When you say add 1/3 to 1/2 ounce to glass, is that if the lavender oil?

steve1989 said:

I’m based in the UK, I’ll have to try and source. If I do source them, how does this work? Just release them into the grow area? Do you then have to try and remove them once the job is done?

Click to expand...

I've never used lady bugs so can''t say but have read good things about them here on RIU. Maybe someone else can speak to Lady Bugs.

When I combated spider mites in the past I nuked them with miticides pre-flower.

I_grow_weed said:

Are you flowering yet?

Click to expand...

I am on day 12 today of flower

1 or 2 drops of dish soap in a spray bottle and mist all the leaves top and bottom. Worked for me but there are products out there

No more then 1 or 2 drops or you will burn your plants. If your going to repeat this daily.. Idk how bad your infestation is but if you need to repeat daily then I would suggest rinsing off the soap/water mist with just water so soap doesn't build up and burn the leaves. I learned this from experience. Maybe not the best method but readily available and easy and with some patience it works

You are early enough where neem oil foliar spray is a good idea

Order some ladybugs on Amazon while your at it, express shipment will get them to your house within a few days to make sure they don't die in the cold, and they can get to work quicker.
A couple hundred of them in a 4x4 will knock out the spidermite population pretty quick

You can order ladybugs from more than one place, if Amazon won't ship, somewhere else should....
Can you really not order off Amazon in UK?

steve1989 said:

Thanks for the reply and info. When you say add 1/3 to 1/2 ounce to glass, is that if the lavender oil?

Click to expand...

Yes 1/3 to 1/2 ounce lavender oil.
Sorry I forgot to specify. This absolutely works and is also an inexpensive method to eradicate mites and their eggs. Enjoy.

Damn crabs. Agree with water, dish soap (no perfumes), and a tad of vegetable oil for adhesion. Make sure you spray the tops and bottoms of the leaves.

First, and this sounds strange, but,,, vacuum the plant from top to bottom. This will get rid of a large number of the nymphs and adults. Make sure to remove all of the webbing.

Second (and I have and do use this), mix a half gallon 70% isopropyl alcohol with a half gallon water. Add 2 tsp potassium bicarbonate and around ¼-½tsp castile soap.
You can also still mix in spinosad, at this point, if you like. However most people will not continue using the spinosad through the rest of the flowering cycle.

Spray every other day for the first week, covering the plant top to bottom. Make sure you get it everywhere. Spray the walls, floor, ceiling, equipment, pots and everything else in the area. The second week spray every third day.
Keep monitoring the plants using magnification and check everywhere.

This mix can be sprayed all the way through flowering. The alcohol kills on contact and then quickly evaporates away, the soap (and spinosad) leave some residual effects, and the potassium bicarbonate will help prevent and or kill fungal infections.
The soap and potassium bicarbonate can be used in greater amounts during vegetative growth. You can also add silica for foliar applications with this.
Good luck friend!

steve1989 said:

Hi Guys

I’m half way through my second week into flower and noticed spider mites, pretty bad in some places where they have started to create webs etc etc

does anybody have any proven methods suggestions to get rid of them completely/manage them or have I caught them too late

Any help would be deeply appreciated.

Chwers

Click to expand...

You aren't too late!

steve1989 said:

Hi Guys

I’m half way through my second week into flower and noticed spider mites, pretty bad in some places where they have started to create webs etc etc

does anybody have any proven methods suggestions to get rid of them completely/manage them or have I caught them too late

Any help would be deeply appreciated.

Chwers

Click to expand...

Also, in case you are wondering, the alcohol will not harm the plants or damage the trichomes. I use this stuff for any pests and to prevent powdery mildew and bud rot both indoors and outside.
In really bad cases of spider mites (during veg or early flowering) we also used to add a solution made by soaking cigarettes in water overnight. The nicotine concoction was used as one quarter of the water portion of the before mentioned mixture. Nowadays people seem to frown on that addition. It did seem to work wonders through.

JimmiP said:

First, and this sounds strange, but,,, vacuum the plant from top to bottom. This will get rid of a large number of the nymphs and adults. Make sure to remove all of the webbing.

Second (and I have and do use this), mix a half gallon 70% isopropyl alcohol with a half gallon water. Add 2 tsp potassium bicarbonate and around ¼-½tsp castile soap.
You can also still mix in spinosad, at this point, if you like. However most people will not continue using the spinosad through the rest of the flowering cycle.

Spray every other day for the first week, covering the plant top to bottom. Make sure you get it everywhere. Spray the walls, floor, ceiling, equipment, pots and everything else in the area. The second week spray every third day.
Keep monitoring the plants using magnification and check everywhere.

This mix can be sprayed all the way through flowering. The alcohol kills on contact and then quickly evaporates away, the soap (and spinosad) leave some residual effects, and the potassium bicarbonate will help prevent and or kill fungal infections.
The soap and potassium bicarbonate can be used in greater amounts during vegetative growth. You can also add silica for foliar applications with this.
Good luck friend!

Click to expand...

Great info, never heard of the soap before, is this the correct one - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Suezbana-Liquid-Castile-Soap-Organic/dp/B01F2NSPK6/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?adgrpid=80928934214&dchild=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgomBBhDXARIsAFNyUqNhyN6gOKIki0jUOj-3zGPF3_79jqIFrtxBR-dcvv5OANMpyQD3fO4aAja8EALw_wcB&hvadid=394701118271&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9046651&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=16310316747124427991&hvtargid=kwd-313079191334&hydadcr=7782_1725876&keywords=castile+soap+uk&qid=1612912011&sr=8-5&tag=hydrukspg-21

You caught them in a nick of time - another week or two and your options get really limited. Neem is kinda slow at stopping mites and if you have webs, that usually means they are well established. Not a fan of ladybugs; they have tendency to fly into lights and kill themselves. If you're going to use a predator, I'd use predatory mites. Here's other some solutions:

First, I'd remove webs and any badly infested leaves. Mites live on the underside of the leaves, so that's where you need to apply the insecticide.

1) Pyrethrum (oil) every 3 days, three times.
2) Rosemary oil - mix up just like @jcdws602 said to mix Lavender. No comment on Lavender, never used it. Use it like Pyrethum 3 times 3 days apart. 3) Diatomaceous earth. Stops them in their tracks, you can literally watch them under a microscope and they refuse to move. You'll need a "duster" to apply the powder. Wear a mask so you don't breath in the dust and leave it on the leaves for a ~week. You can wash it off after words.
4) Isopropyl alcohol. I've used ~50/50 Iso to water. Kills eggs too, so this is a one shot one kill solution.
5) SM-90 - apply per directions, then wash off an couple hours. Apply during lights off. This is another apply 3 times, three days apart.

I'm sure I have a few other solutions I can't recall them right now. If your plants are healthy and vibrant, then you can use the oils or alcohol. Isopropyl would normally be my go to because it's a one shot one kill solution - the oils require 3 applications. Unfortunately, with Covid, Isopropyl isn't always readily available or cheap if it is available. If the plants aren't doing that well, then I'd go with predatory mites or Diatomaceous Earth. Diatomaceous earth can be a little messy, but it's super effective. It's leaves a dusty residue behind that kills mites or any other insect that wants to make you plant it's home. Wash the dusty residue off after about a week, which in your case would probably be the last time you want to be spraying those plants.

The nice thing about Rosemary and Neem is they are also anti-fungal, so you're killing 2 birds with one stone there. I'd imagine Isopropyl is a good anti-fungual too, but I've never used it for that purpose.