Organic Spider Mite Control: Predators

Andyo · Apr 22, 2012

I had success with them

I had success with them

Though people dont like to believe all i heard was they dont work
well you maintain the right conditions and add enough they work fine

After first success i never got mites back again .
24 kw gro 3 years after no mites .A

moses wellfleet · Sep 19, 2012

to update this thread: califorinicus have been used successfully to control broad mites as well.

broad mites have been running rampage recently if you have used californicus against them please share your experience here!

SeaMaiden · Sep 19, 2012

Missed this thread, thanks for bumping moses.

RanchoDeluxe · Sep 20, 2012

BlueCheer said:
Thank you Moses for bringing this closer to the light. Lady Bugs have been on patrol so far, they're not skinny by any means. You can't help to get attached to the little critters!

Cheer

Hey man, be real careful on how many you release at a time. A couple years back we released a shitload in our rooms. I'm sure you know how suicidal they are. If too many die on top of the bulb it can cause a fire. If I hadn't been in the room when the bulb caught on fire I don't know if I'd be typing this right now.

supermanlives · Sep 21, 2012

lady bugs can be a bitch . release at night \dark . heard wetting em works too but never tried it.

moses wellfleet · Sep 21, 2012

some pics of californicus:

Dkgrower · Oct 11, 2012

Hey Moses, i was under the impression that the use was more wide spread.

I am glad that u push this method because it is very good and much more easy that most methods, very effective.

Also i only have xp with phytoseiulus persimilis against spider mites.

Before i started with phytoseiulus persimilis i used a Bayer garden product, based on a systemic posion, used a shit load off those sprays, bad bad bad fore my health and enviroment.

I grow Lonestar killer Queen and spider mites just love her and phytoseiulus persimilis keep them at bay i only had 1 branch that was infected this year.

Using biological control is good but if u grow in a constant, no flux, low hum enviroment then u bio control will have a hard time.

Flux in Temperatur and Humidity is also important, constant enviroment give certain bugs optimal conditions, low humidity favors spider mites.

moses wellfleet · Apr 25, 2013

Thanx Dkgrower we need more people to post their experiences here...

Andyo · Apr 26, 2013

acclimatisation of predators over generations

acclimatisation of predators over generations

I believe predatory mites can acclimatise to your individual grow room over generations
I stands to reason that some of the offspring of thousands would perform better than others in grow room climates as they that do best in that specific climate are more efficient ,hence multiply faster.

Obviously the need to provide as near ideal climate as possible.
though i provided temps of 29C ,84 F humidity 75/80 for 6 weeks of veg
at 2 weeks into 12/12 i cut the misters and dropped humidity to 60 and temps to 25 c, 77f still finding persimilius moving around ,
next crop from cuttings after rooms empty for 4 weeks in august no spider mites that i could see ,i did spot the occasional phytoselius.A

Old_Headbanger · Apr 26, 2013

Anyone have a link for the predetors? Cool thread.

moses wellfleet · Apr 26, 2013

Old_Headbanger said:
Anyone have a link for the predetors? Cool thread.

I got mine from koppert in Europe. They ship all over the place. Or do a google search for your area as they should be cheaper if obtained locally!

Andyo · May 24, 2013

video predators in action

video predators in action

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87w_GVHA0yY =Neoselius californicus

Canniwhatsis · May 24, 2013

Starting to want to lean my grow towards all organic. Currently housekeeping and Neem oil keep spider mites at bay for me. But I've got a small grow >1500w (including fans and other equipment), so making sure I clean and spray every corner is pretty easy.

Out of curiosity, do the persimilis patrol in the soil as well? I've got a healthy population of springtails in my pots, fungus gnats explode when I bring in new soil, but settle down pretty quickly. I've got lots of little red mites running everywhere in my soil,... every now and then I see one take down a spring tail, so I know theyre predators. Just not sure what.

moses wellfleet · May 24, 2013

No you will never find persimilis in the soil. What you have is most likely hypoaspis miles. It is a soil dwelling predatory mite and is known to feed on fungus gnat larvae and springtails. It is native to North America so it's quite common that people find these little helpers in their gardens!

Canniwhatsis · May 24, 2013

That's the one! You certainly know your bugs.

moses wellfleet · Jun 11, 2013

Persimilis was a good guess though, they do seem to look quite similar, persimilis probably moves a lot faster!

You lucky to have those in your soil. A lot of people pay good money to introduce them into their grows!

Muleskinner · Jun 12, 2013

I used the predatory mites on my one infestation with 100% success.

It's not just a great solution for mites, once flowering begins, it's the ONLY solution. If you want to remain 100% organic, which is my way.

In small gardens of only a few plants, the mites will devour the spider mites and then disappear. They just run away, I never saw any trace of them on the lamp. In commercial-size greenhouses, it's possible to keep a population going forever.

If you're using the predatory mites during flowering, look for a vendor that sells them on a sawdust mix, not vermiculite or something else. A few bits of sawdust going into your pipe or vaporizer is harmless and not noticeable.

VerdantGreen · Jun 12, 2013

the mites always win against the persimilis for me. shame. and you stop spraying etc because you have added the predators. i get caught out.

i spray neem in the first half of flower, im just careful to not get the buds too wet. never smelt or tasted it in the smoke.

moses wellfleet · Jun 12, 2013

I have had mixed results with these to date, when they work they work great, but sometimes they don't get on top of the situation!

VerdantGreen · Jun 16, 2013

does anyone know if spraying with neem will kill the persimillis predators as well as the spider mites???

Organic Spider Mite Control: Predators

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