What's new
  • ICMag with help from Landrace Warden and The Vault is running a NEW contest in November! You can check it here. Prizes are seeds & forum premium access. Come join in!

Anyone ever try high PPM CO2 for killing spider mites?

Mikell

Dipshit Know-Nothing
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Lost my research on a flash drive but there are good articles on Research Gate.
 

Ringodoggie

Well-known member
Hate those flash drives. I keep all my backups on 5 1/4" floppies. Very safe media and will never be outdated. Now, if I can just find a 5 1/4" MFM floppy drive. LOL

I will check out Research Gate. Thanks.

One problem with predator mites is the high humidity environment they require to breed and thrive. I am thinking small glass or plastic 'bulbs' like terrariums with persimillis 'farms' hanging in the branches. I'll have to figure a way to 'weave' the leaves through the 'bulb' to allow the preds to get out and feed.

I always wanted one of those really cool 'ant farms' when I was a little kid. But, like everything else n live, I was deprived and not allowed. Now, is my chance to make it all up. See though persimilis farms.......




.
 

Ringodoggie

Well-known member
This has become thoroughly disgusting. No way I will smoke this weed.

They are no longer just on the leaves. They are now crawling all over the buds. I found one bud with some webs starting. I saw 30 to 50 mites on a single bud.

I got the vacuum cleaner out and vacuumed all the webs I could see. Only a couple small ones. Then, I looked at the buds and noticed the vac had little effect on the mites themselves but had no effect at all on the trichs. So, what the fuck. I stuck each bud into the vac and sucked off any webs that might have been there.

I have applied preds (in 3 different species) twice in 3 weeks and they seem to do almost nothing. I will release one more batch of 5000 later this week.

I fucking itch all over. I hate these mother fuckers.

2 1/2 weeks until harvest but, like I said, no way I'll smoke this shit.


Will the mites leave the plants during the drying and curing process?


Where will they go?

Will they die on the buds (OMG, gross)?

When the buds go into jars, will they suffocate? Doubtful.

I ain't smokin' this crap.

I could press the entire harvest for rosin and vape their little guts and brains with the rosin.

I could make edibles from the entire crop.Yummy... mite soup.

This is some fucked up shit, for sure. Never, ever in 50 years of growing have I ever had to deal with something this fucked up.

I have 1 crop coming in in 2 1/2 weeks and the other (which is actually not badly infested???) which is coming in in 3 1/2 weeks.

Instead of Red Dragon, this crop is Mitey White.

Did I say how fucked up this is, yet?
 

AgentPothead

Just this guy, ya know?
The borg strike again.
hmies.gif
 

Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
I remember reading cannabis plants can tolerate 100% helium for 18hrs, while mites cannot. Anyone have any personal experience with this?

When you harvest and hang your branches the mites will crawl off the dying material and go looking for juicy plant material. You can use tanglefoot in appropriate areas to trap the army as they try to leave. ;)

Soooo.... extract city for this batch? Ouch! Hoping everything gets cleaned out well soon.
 

hyposomniac

Well-known member
Veteran
This has become thoroughly disgusting. No way I will smoke this weed.

They are no longer just on the leaves. They are now crawling all over the buds. I found one bud with some webs starting. I saw 30 to 50 mites on a single bud.

I got the vacuum cleaner out and vacuumed all the webs I could see. Only a couple small ones. Then, I looked at the buds and noticed the vac had little effect on the mites themselves but had no effect at all on the trichs. So, what the fuck. I stuck each bud into the vac and sucked off any webs that might have been there.

I have applied preds (in 3 different species) twice in 3 weeks and they seem to do almost nothing. I will release one more batch of 5000 later this week.

I fucking itch all over. I hate these mother fuckers.

2 1/2 weeks until harvest but, like I said, no way I'll smoke this shit.


Will the mites leave the plants during the drying and curing process?


Where will they go?

Will they die on the buds (OMG, gross)?

When the buds go into jars, will they suffocate? Doubtful.

I ain't smokin' this crap.

I could press the entire harvest for rosin and vape their little guts and brains with the rosin.

I could make edibles from the entire crop.Yummy... mite soup.

This is some fucked up shit, for sure. Never, ever in 50 years of growing have I ever had to deal with something this fucked up.

I have 1 crop coming in in 2 1/2 weeks and the other (which is actually not badly infested???) which is coming in in 3 1/2 weeks.

Instead of Red Dragon, this crop is Mitey White.

Did I say how fucked up this is, yet?

Wash those buds.. dunk em right under water​ and shake em up good.. leave em submerged a bit.. wash them like nasty produce
 

Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
Wash those buds.. dunk em right under water​ and shake em up good.. leave em submerged a bit.. wash them like nasty produce
3% hydrogen peroxide per gallon helps quite a bit as well. :) Make sure you start with 35% or stronger and dilute to 3%. The 3% stuff in the store has an added stabilizer. ;)
 
I would vaccum the plants 2-3 times a day, and then when you cut hang the branches upside down(duh) and leave a little stem so they will crawl towards the top of the bare stem and web that up, now you can vaccum the drying plants a couple times a day or as needed. Also check the crevices where the branches meet the stem.

Within 4 days it's much less. But be aware wherever you hang them they can spread further, so I would dust the floor and entrance to drying space with diatomaceous earth and/or take other precautions.

Good luck man, it's no fun with spider mites around
 

Ringodoggie

Well-known member
I have been vacuuming the tops and some leaves but it's hard to get any good coverage.

I absolutely plan to hang them and vac them as they gather at the top end of the stem.

I have never washed pot but I am willing to try anything. I will wash a couple in clean cold water and a couple more in the Hydrogen Peroxide.

I have something else to consider. The tent that I use to dry and cure my pot is only a few feet away from a tent that I have a crop growing in. I will be harvesting that tent right after this crop dries. Do you think the mites will migrate from the drying tent to the tent with live plants (in one week or less)?

Something else worth mentioning. I talked earlier how I bought 6 of the ultrasonic pest thingys to try. I have 5 of them plugged into a surge strip and that surge strip is hanging in front of a single cola. That cola only have a few mites on it compared to the other plants. I believe this device does have SOME effect. Perhaps enough to warrant some experimenting. It is definitely having SOME effect.

I fucking itch every time I come out of that room. I usually spend a lot of time with my plants. I touch them a lot and keep leaves trimmed. I am not even touching these plants. LOL Grossing me out just to visit and water.

The good news is, they are frosting up nicely and I only have about 15 days until harvest. I am counting down by the minute. LOL

Thanks again for all the input, except the asshole that made some rude comment about mole hills. Shove a mite up his ass. LMAO
 

Attachments

  • image1.jpg
    image1.jpg
    76.3 KB · Views: 44

Bballyanks23

New member
Mites on my buds

Mites on my buds

I don't want to spray anything either. They are on the buds so I was thinking of blasting with a hose or vacuuming or using lady bugs. What do you think?
 

Attachments

  • 20180904_081733.jpg
    20180904_081733.jpg
    84.5 KB · Views: 47
  • 20180904_081242.jpg
    20180904_081242.jpg
    68.8 KB · Views: 47
  • 20180904_084124.jpg
    20180904_084124.jpg
    20.1 KB · Views: 48
  • 20180904_081329.jpg
    20180904_081329.jpg
    54.2 KB · Views: 48

hyposomniac

Well-known member
Veteran
3% hydrogen peroxide per gallon helps quite a bit as well. :) Make sure you start with 35% or stronger and dilute to 3%. The 3% stuff in the store has an added stabilizer. ;)

Good day Douglas,
Have you had to do this?
I did the h2o2 thing a few years back on some outdoor w a bit of pm and mold. Did the whole lot as a precaution.
There was no more spread during dry, it really did help BUT...
The buds and leaves took on an unusual texture. Cottony, papery, crumbly even.. idk its been several years but I remember noticably weird.
Now my strategy is: don't get mold
 
100% the mites will make it from drying tent to plants in same room. They will seek light heat food and shelter. Try not to give it to them.
 

Ringodoggie

Well-known member
Thanks. How will they get there? My room is carpeted and the tents are about 4 or 5 feet apart. A journey like that would have to take a mite several hours if not a day or longer. If I vacuum over and over, I wonder if I can stop them.

They don't fly and I doubt they will make the journey via the walls. How far can a mite travel in 24 hours. LOL There's a fun fact I'll bet we don't have an answer for. LOL

Here is an idea. How about if I soak the carpet around the drying tent with Azamax. Any mites that try to get away will hit the 'moat'. Or, even cinnamon or garlic water.

I really don't have much choice. My space is limited and I'm not in a legal state so I have certain restrictions. This will have to work.

Thanks for the input.
 
I understand it has to be there. But mites have their ways. I have my buds hanging on fishing line attached to screws in the wall and I can assure you they web up the screws, and make it around the room. I usually put really sticky tape on the line so they get trapped and don't make it to the walls so easily. They also can just fall to the ground, or their eggs.
Don't ever underestimate a mite.

Not to mention they have over winter eggs which can last months. So if just one stashed an egg somewhere you haven't gotten it starts all over again.
 

Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
Good day Douglas,
Have you had to do this?
I did the h2o2 thing a few years back on some outdoor w a bit of pm and mold. Did the whole lot as a precaution.
There was no more spread during dry, it really did help BUT...
The buds and leaves took on an unusual texture. Cottony, papery, crumbly even.. idk its been several years but I remember noticably weird.
Now my strategy is: don't get mold
Good strategy. ;)


I would guess you used too much h202 and it fried the plant material. I've personally smoked a bowl of PM infested cannabis a neighbor grew. He did the h202/water wash, about a 3 minute soak and then a fresh water rinse. It didn't seem to affect the physical properties of the plant, I remember it being 'regular' cannabis quality. I was surprised I could only barely taste mold on the exhale, which means most people wouldn't notice at all.


Still, no mold is infinitely better. :)
 

Ringodoggie

Well-known member
Just tossing out another observation.....

I have 2 crops going. Same age. Different strain. They are in the same room 15 feet apart.

One crop is overrun with mites. The other crop hardly has a single mite. I see a few here and there but they all came from the same place. Started at the same time. Had the same family of mites from birth (as they shared a room as clones). Just about everything.....except. One crop is under a 1000w HPS and the other is under a mismash of 6 T5's bloom color, 8 T5's veg color and an 1800 Mars LED.

The mismash tent is definitely under powered compared to the HPS test but as they are so close and have a similar background, I wonder why one is wildly infested and the other hardly has a touch.

How many people running T5's have NEVER had a mite problem? Or, maybe it's the LED. Maybe mites don't like the blurple color as much.

Maybe nothing. But, I tend both gardens and they are close together and share many things. It's just odd that one is so infested and the other is not.

I am planting Peas. I don't think they will be ready in time but I may use them for some tests. I read that 2-spotted mites absolutely love pea plants. Perhaps some companion planting will help.

I am not letting these mother fuckers beat me. They may win this battle but I am going to find something that they don't like. I may not save myself, but, I can save others.
 

Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
You'll find different strains repel/attract mites at different rates. I've had multiple strains under a 1k HPS before, and only had one strain get completely infested. ;)
 

Latest posts

Latest posts

Top