Anyone ever try high PPM CO2 for killing spider mites?

[Itsmychoice]

The only fungicides posted are organicide(sesame and fish oil), nuke em(citric acid) and maybe green cleaner(soybean oil, alcohol, citric acid) all food grade, none of which require chemical suit protection. Avid gets my full respect and in my set it is only used on empty rooms with a fogger on a timer vented before re entry. Floramite and forbid are more systemic and I do wear a simple respirator when spraying. I also spray biowar and other beneficial teas the first half of flower and all of veg. I appreciate your no spray policy and once shared that philosophy but after years of success with that policy it no longer worked for me in my location. Please do not doubt the concern I have for my health.

 

[Ringodoggie]

I don't remember the last time I was told to suit up in a has-mad suit because of bugs.

Didn't you read my post above.... where my wife was laughing her ass off because I was head to toe in a hazmat suit just to face the mites. LMAO

These fuckers freak me out. I itch every time I leave the grow room. So, for harvesting, I bought a Tyvek hazmat suit, with hoodie and booties. LMAO

I just finished and everything is all cleaned up and drying.

OK, maybe a little overkill. LOL

There are definitely 2 schools of dealing with pests. One is zero pesticides. The other is preventative.

I am in the "no spray" group (as much as possible). People have told me, "It's only garlic and food safe stuff." Well, I ain't smoking garlic, either. LOL

However, I definitely understand and respect the preventative methods also. Especially in a commercial environment where infestation is catastrophic, financially.

If I were selling it and not smoking it, I would be spraying as much DDT as I could and still pass the required tests. And, I am guessing that's where most commercial growers are. After all, they are in it to MAKE MONEY.

But, for ME.... I ain't smokin' none o' that chit. LOL

I'm sure most of it is harmless. And, all of it is less than the 35 years of cigarettes and booze and fucking pizza at 3AM that has been my life. So, to be a little cautious of pesticides when I am so near the end....... well, it's really just stupid.

However, if I can stay that way, I will. Uh, not stupid. Rather, pesticide free. LOL

Still, these fucking mites taught me a lesson. I will definitely be using preventative measures against them in the future. Even if that means a spray some time before flowering.....I just wish I could find something that was harmless to the plants (and me) but would still kill the mites....... like rap music.

I am going to maintain one plant in this room and hope it gets heavily infested. Then, I am going to start experimenting.

I am going to use a 1'x1'x1' clear plastic box and place several infested leaves in there.

Then, I am going to play Biz Markie, E-40 and Fat Joe music for 24 hours and observe.

Might also try tobacco smoke.

Vibration / ultrasonic

IR UV

Methane gas... farting in box.

Helium

Johnny Mathis. Look at me. I'm as helpless as a mite upon a leaf. I get misted just eating you pot.

Really really REALLY LOUD noises.

Do mites hear?

On a related note, the lady bugs were incredible. As I cleaned out the room, more and more were clinging to the walls and floors. I found several nests. EVERYBODY was fucking and having a good time. I found a zillion little tiny itty bitty baby lady bugs. Pretty cool.

I sucked them all up in the vacuum and took it outside and opened it up.

Ever heard a lady bug cough? LOL

Most all of them lived and flew away, eventually. The vac is still outside clearing.

I would say the ladies actually did a pretty wonderful job. And, where most people said I would be picking dead lady bugs out of my buds forever.... I don't know. I brushed some off while trimming but unless they are way way deep inside the bud, I think I got them all. I guess we'll see.

After some brief experiments with the mites, then comes the task of clearing and cleaning the room. Once again, I will be asking your advice on how and what.

I am more open to pesticides on an empty room. But, the room is in my house and I don't want to die. Well, yes I do but I don't want to get sick first. LOL

Thanks for all the tips, everyone.


I owe ya all a buzz.

 

[hyposomniac]

Colas looking good..
Single cola plants? How many in a 4x4? Root space?

 

[Ringodoggie]

I trim the bottom branches but it's not just a cola plant. I grow below the canopy as well. Popcorn for rosin and hash.

I usually do 16 plants. 4x4 in #3 nursery pots (about 2.5 gallons). I get about a pound or pound and a half every few months. Works for me.


Cramming 16 plants in a space that size has it's share of problems. You can't get to the plants to tend them very well. I water them and pluck off some dead leaves. However, if you get a problem like mites, you can't do shit because it's just too crowded to get any kind of access.

I have experimented with few plants and I get a similar yield. I may go to a different style soon. Other than a few experiments, I have been doing it this way for 50 years. LOL Fucking habits are hard to break. LOL

Thanks.

Fucking house smells like harvest. LOL


This is what was left after taking all the colas. Probably 3 to 5 ounces of popcorn.







.

 

[Ringodoggie]

Thinking about using ozone for post harvest cleanup. Going to jot some notes...


Ozone can adversely affect indoor plants, and damage materials such as rubber, electrical wire coatings and fabrics and art work containing susceptible dyes and pigments (U.S. EPA, 1996a).


The OSHA website cites several ACGIH (American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists) guidelines for ozone in the workplace:

• 0.2 ppm for no more than 2 hours exposure
• 0.1 ppm for 8 hours per day exposure doing light work
• 0.08 ppm for 8 hours per day exposure doing moderate work
• 0.05 ppm for 8 hours per day exposure doing heavy work

For more information, see the OSHA webpage regarding ozone: https://www.osha.gov/dts/chemicalsampling/data/CH_259300.html


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10529990




Activated carbon filters can be very effective at ozone removal, although not indefinitely because chemical reactions of ozone and carbon change the carbon. ... Moreover, it was not feasible to regenerate the filters by simply removing them from ozone-laden air.







.

 

[OldSchoolGrow]

I would consider those pest strips also, when no plants are in the room.

 

[Ringodoggie]

FUCK!!! FUCK FUCK DOUBLE FUCK Son of a fucking bitch. After all that trouble...


Is this mold? I am hoping it is webbing but it looks more like mold. A whole fucking 2 pound harvest and 6 months work.


I think I am done with cannabis. I am going to get drunk. Fuck this. No more pot for me.

 

[Ringodoggie]

This appears to be only on a few of the colas. I am still so pissed. Now, the entire batch is not above suspicion.

Fortunately, because of the mites, I didn't plan to smoke this. Only edibles and rosin.

Also... I opened up the buds and spread them out to take pictures. Now, a few hours later, most of the mold is gone???????

I assume the danger is still there?


Here are the close-up pics. This is mold, right?






.

 

[Ringodoggie]

Little fuckers left their exoskeletons behind......

 

[St. Phatty]

I've used CO2 to kill fleas.

For that I needed a 100% CO2 environment.

In the movie Prometheus, one of the actresses says that 3% CO2 will kill a human being.

I breathed it once, not pleasant.

If you are intent on doing it, one relevant formula is
PV = nRT.

V= volume of your grow space where the spider mites are.

Personally, I prefer making a dip tank. That's easier with rockwool. For a plant in a soil pot, I make a little cardboard cover to hold the soil in when it's dipped.

Though you can sometimes bend the stem and get the plant fully dunked in Safer's, without holding the pot upside down over the Safer's.

Usually, some dirt falls into the Safer's tank, which is no big deal.

 

[igrowone]

it does look like mold, sorry
if going the edible route, shouldn't a problem, bubble hash for example can be used to make a safe product
even smoking can be safe, in particular vaporizing
mold spores are killed in that process, and anything mite related
think about people smoking weed from the outdoors, you think that shit is pristine?

 

[gladysvjubb]

Just get a couple of No Pest Strips. Put hem in your grow room. You will not have mites anymore!

 

[Itsmychoice]

It is mold but I bet it’s only in a few bigger buds. It looks nice and dense and I bet there are still a bunch of nuggets in there. Just cut it out and throw it away and get it right for the next run.

 

[Dirtyeyeball]

Forbid 4f
Used only in veg will fix your problem
There is no substitute

 

[Dirtyeyeball]

Just be careful, and just don’t plain attempt this, it’s nonsense. I know when people get bugs they scramble to something that they think might fix the problem. Every bug has a different antidote, mites, broad mites, thrips etc.
So don’t freak out because there are a million companies selling and only a few curing so be cautious. If your a weathered grower you know what I’m talking about.