ladybug release?

I found mites a couple weeks ago in my greenhouse, I set off a Pyrethrum TR bomb and hit the GH with it. It didn't really do much i was still finding mites, it did kill spiders and fliers that were coming out of my soil. I just dropped 1500 ladybugs in the greenhouse. Im 2-3 weeks from harvesting, I was wondering if those ladybugs are gonna stick and die on my buds? Its pretty sticky in there. Thanks

I'm sure you can see them running around looking for mites.

I don't think they'll stick to your plants to be honest.

Ladybuds aren't great for Spider mites, you should check out Phytoseulius persimillis, Neoseiulus fallacis, Amblyseius californicus they re each much more effective against mites. I really suggest the fallacis as they tend to overwinter and colonize the area and keep on fighting mites in future years.

corky1968 said:

I'm sure you can see them running around looking for mites.

I don't think they'll stick to your plants to be honest.

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I just covered the greenhouse a half hour ago, ill be looking at 7am. I hope they go to work, the package said to mist water where ever the problem is. We have fully set buds, so i wasn't trying to spray them. I just misted part way up the stalks i dropped most of them below the canopy, i was only in there for a few minutes but it seemed like they were sticking toward the soil

Chimera said:

Ladybuds aren't great for Spider mites, you should check out Phytoseulius persimillis, Neoseiulus fallacis, Amblyseius californicus they re each much more effective against mites. I really suggest the fallacis as they tend to overwinter and colonize the area and keep on fighting mites in future years.

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Are those green lacewings? if so we looked into them, i heard it takes a few weeks for them from egg stage to finally get to work. Thanks Chimera for chiming in. I will be looking into your seeds. Ive heard nothing but good things

Noonin NorCal said:

Are those green lacewings?

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No, they are not lacewings.

Check this post and watch the video links.

systemic control for spider mites?

corky1968 said:

No, they are not lacewings.

Check this post and watch the video links.

systemic control for spider mites?

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Thanks, i will be sure to look into that. Its crazy with all the grow shops in my area even wherehouse shops they still don't have most of the stuff that i get off this form. Sure they can order it, but i guess i can also.

Right on Noonin, looking forward to seeing you rock some of our gear

No, lacewings are Chrysoperla rufilabris, I understand they will eat mites but they will also eat each other if mites are low. I am always concerned when appying biologicals that some beneficials will eat each other, I tend to shy away from bugs that are cannabalistic or feed on other predators, but in some situations you have no choice when building a fighting force.

The ones I suggested are predatory mites, persimillis being the "fire jumpers' that you introduce in emergencies, high TSM (two-spotted mite) infestation levels etc. The californicus work best when pest levels are low. I've been having great results with the fallacis - you can release them anytime, but over veg seems a good idea to get them established. With predators the key is having all problems under control before flowering begins. I've been inoculating my veg space and then every crop about a week or two before they get introduced into flower.

Also, fallacis and californicus will eat pollen, so put some local wildflowers in the GH early, and any mites will subsist on pollen when the TSM populations are really low... everything we can do to help the good guys out is a benefit to us!

Thanks Chimera and corky. I caught them before they started doing real damage. No webbing around buds yet knock on wood, just etching on leafs and turn it over to find them and egg looking sacks

Shit! Get those temps as low as possible to slow their role, increase ventilation (oscillation) an have the harvest crew on standby... the little bastards multiply quickly.

Death to TSM!

Chimera said:

Ladybuds aren't great for Spider mites, you should check out Phytoseulius persimillis, Neoseiulus fallacis, Amblyseius californicus they re each much more effective against mites. I really suggest the fallacis as they tend to overwinter and colonize the area and keep on fighting mites in future years.

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Yup N Fallacis are the best I have found...release them quarterly in my gardens I wouldn't go without.

the ladybugs were a waste of time/money only paid 8 bucks for 1500 i think. I released them the other night. Didn't see any flying or working on plants the next morning. Im guessing it had something to do with the pyrethrin we bombed the GH with a few days before? I saw a bunch of LB on the ground laying on their backs, they were still alive just moving really slow. Has anyone tried Mighty Wash? and can you actually spray it on buds? I've heard thats its safe to use till about 7-10 days before harvest? Thanks

Chimera said:

Shit! Get those temps as low as possible to slow their role, increase ventilation (oscillation) an have the harvest crew on standby... the little bastards multiply quickly.

Death to TSM!

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We have been fighting high temps in the GH all season. It has gotten up to 100 more then a few times. We can't do much more there are 2 fans at the back wall that blow constantly all day towards the door which is open, we don't turn the exhaust fan till it gets up to 90 or so. The exhaust fan is super loud. Temps get down to 55-60 when its tarped and uncovered in the morning, we run a dehumidifier when its closed/ dark, if we didn't there would be condensation/moisture all over the inside panels. Its a Solexx Greenhouse

lotusland farms said:

Yup N Fallacis are the best I have found...release them quarterly in my gardens I wouldn't go without.

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Would these bugs that you guys are suggesting only stay in your garden if you do have a mite problem? would they wonder off if there is no food for them, and how long will they take to hatch if i got some. Thanks

Noonin NorCal said:

Would these bugs that you guys are suggesting only stay in your garden if you do have a mite problem? would they wonder off if there is no food for them, and how long will they take to hatch if i got some. Thanks

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Yes they will wander if your space becomes free from their food, but like any organism they can only go so long without food. This is why I suggested getting some local wildflowers which you can start from seed (therefor contain no pests themselves)- the wildflowers will flower and the fallacis can live off their pollen. One wants to do al they can to maintain the fallacis or other predators during times of low TSM presence.

The point of buying established breeding colonies on bean-leaf is that you have a population (army) ready to do battle with the TSM. Yes eggs are present on the leaves, which are ready to be the second round of attack, but you already have a population containing adults and nymphs that can do battle by eating adult TSM and TSM eggs. This is different from when they come on vermiculite, which are really mostly males that come in ready to battle and eat the TSM voraciously, but they don't colonize and form breeding colonies very easily. Breeding colonies that establish themselves are the best bet for total control. Seems at this point, being so close to harvest, getting the population under control as fast as possible might be more important than establishing colonies - for now. I would however learn fom this years experience, and add fallacis now, but again for sure next spring and early season to establish a defense force early in the season.

At this point I think all you can really do is to get yourself a "buckethead" vacuum from home depot and go around the garden sucking up as many as possible, then spray with water to knock off TSM and see if you can raise the humidity. TSM also hate shaky leaves and plants, so increase the ventilation as much as possible to make life difficult for the TSM. This ain't a TSM spa, it should be TSM hell!

TSK also much prefer a stable vertical "stalk", so you can insert bamboo stake straight up the middle of the plant and the TSM will actually migrate up the bamboo towards the top (this is a natural behavior of TSM when the population gets established). You can then daily come and wipe the bamboo bottom to top with a cloth soaked in isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, to kill off as many as you can and remove them from the breeding population; you need to do whatever you can at this point to make sure as few as possible can breed and add to the the evil TSM attack force.

Noonin NorCal said:

We have been fighting high temps in the GH all season. It has gotten up to 100 more then a few times. We can't do much more there are 2 fans at the back wall that blow constantly all day towards the door which is open, we don't turn the exhaust fan till it gets up to 90 or so. The exhaust fan is super loud. Temps get down to 55-60 when its tarped and uncovered in the morning, we run a dehumidifier when its closed/ dark, if we didn't there would be condensation/moisture all over the inside panels. Its a Solexx Greenhouse

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Higher humidity actually slows TSM growth, of course late in flower this is problematic for mold reasons; when the plants are not flowering however, you can use high humidity as an adjunct to help slow the TSM multiplication.

I have to say Noonin, waiting until 90 degree to turn on the fan is a mistake. At 90 degree the TSM replicate incredibly quickly. You should be cranking that fan way earlier to try and keep the temps as low as possible all day - allowing the temps to rise when you have TSM is a really bad idea, as it only allows the TSM to reproduce faster, creating more of an adversary for you to fight.

Chimera hit on a lot of good points here. Take notes. I remember the first time I got mites, I had no idea what to do. I ended up just trashing everything, and started over.

Did I read that correctly, you pyrethrin bombed 2 weeks before harvest?

Douglas.Curtis said:

Did I read that correctly, you pyrethrin bombed 2 weeks before harvest?

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Yep, more like 3 weeks out

I used ladybugs often in an indoor, tent-based environment. They work really well controlling gnats, and do some control with thrips/ mites. They also are really smart and never get stuck to my yellow sticky traps in the soil. I think youll be fine. I have never seen one get stuck to a bud.
I do think they are not the best solution for a greenhouse with spider mites. The other folks here have suggested some good options.
good luck!

Ladybugs are in fact a good source to help with pest control, unfortunately not so much in regards to the mites problem. Hope things have been fixed with all these wonderful suggestions in this thread to help deter pests from your cannabis grow before harvest!