Im not sure how but I’ve got insects. Im assuming this is leaf miner damage?? I have spinosad and botanigard on hand and debating which to use. I’ve looked and looked no trace of bugs crawling around. Right now I think I can save the plants if I get on this quick. Anyone have suggestion as to what this is and how best to treat? Thanks.
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Insect damage... what’s best for this
- Thread starter blondie
- Start date
Dime
Well-known member
I would say they need to be made healthy and strong first and that will help them fight and not have to deal with the extra stress of being sprayed unless absolutely needed.Get a magnifying glass and look for the bugs to identify and make sure you have any before using anything,dig up the soil gently and have a look and at the stem and the underside of leaves carefully and often and take a pic if you find any and post it. Sometimes bugs will take a bite and leave if they don't like it . If you know you have bugs then I would spray with endall which has K to help and let them dry out between watering. Best of luck
Get some yellow stickies so you can catch them. Bugs are easy to see when they get stuck to the stickies. Yellow stickies do two things, catch insects and help you spot them.
You have some leafhoppers.
Also there are some magnesium/nitrogen issues, which may come from a low pH.
I'd have to know the medium, nutrients used and their pH and PPM or EC.
- medium used
- nutrients used
- pH, EC or PPM
morgellons
Active member
Hey mate, i really suggest you to germinate other seeds if you can do it, because its still 1 week alike plants you have so you can do it right now after disinfecting all your box with alchool based spray 
The single leaf with lines are Leafminer damage as you said blondie. I also see some other rasps (damage from chewing/sucking) that may be from something different. Could be Flea Beetles or Thrips, their damage looks similar. The Spinosad will knock out the Thrips, but BT var. kurstaki is your natural Beetle blaster. Somestimes sold as control for Japanese Beetles (Junebugs).
And be on the lookout for Leafhoppers like @TanzanianMagic said. They're big enough to see, and will move around the stem to hide when you find them.
And be on the lookout for Leafhoppers like @TanzanianMagic said. They're big enough to see, and will move around the stem to hide when you find them.
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Thanks everyone. The small seedling pic 1 was very recently transplanted from peat pellet to out of the bag happy frog. Fed rainwater only. No other nutes. LEDs at about 70%. Height very roughly 3ft from plant top. PH should be neutral one would think. PPM of water is low 10-20. Runoff PPM is unmeasured. I’ve used this exact method many times before with no nute type issues. Also used the same bag of soil on 7 plants a few weeks prior with no issues. A few days before this picture the plant was perfect health. I assumed first pic plant had to be bug damage since I was sure leaf miner was the other damage. I’ve just not seen leaves look like that before and really don’t know what to make of it. I had the magnifying glass on the undersides of all plants but saw zilch. I busted out the loupe and still saw nothing crawling. Tons of smutz on the leaves, nothing looking like eggs or bugs. I have two yellow stickies up but they need to be replaced.
I looked at endall but that seems to be mostly neem oil. I shy away from that product. Also looked at lost coast. That one may work but I’m not sure I like the idea of peppermint left over.
I checked the label for botanigard and it hits all sorts of stuff including leaf hoppers, some beetles. On the fence for using this, since I have it.. Or picking up BT. Leaning on being lazy and using what’s on hand.
I looked at endall but that seems to be mostly neem oil. I shy away from that product. Also looked at lost coast. That one may work but I’m not sure I like the idea of peppermint left over.
I checked the label for botanigard and it hits all sorts of stuff including leaf hoppers, some beetles. On the fence for using this, since I have it.. Or picking up BT. Leaning on being lazy and using what’s on hand.
BotaniGard® 22WP
BotaniGard 22WP controls multiple life stages of a wide variety of soft-bodied insects in greenhouse, field and nursery crops. Commonly controlled insects include whiteflies , thrips , aphids , psyllids , mealybugs , beetles , plant bugs and weevils . BotaniGard 22WP has the highest spore...
www.arbico-organics.com
Citric acid useful for some bugs, H202 is useful but they need a wetting agent imo.
Without a wetting agent insects don't really get wet, if you check out surface tension in water.
The hairs form a safety bubble because of surface tension and a wetting agent robs that surface tension and they drown/suffocate.
Most insects don't breathe like us they absorb oxygen through their bodies and they can't afford to get sodden wet.
A good example of surface tension is springtails on the surface of water, a few drops of wetting agent Jr dish soap and they fall straight through the surface and drown!
Fwiw I've observed the bubble forming on spider mite under a microscope, you can bet your life on it they form a protective bubble without a wetting agent.
Good luck!
Without a wetting agent insects don't really get wet, if you check out surface tension in water.
The hairs form a safety bubble because of surface tension and a wetting agent robs that surface tension and they drown/suffocate.
Most insects don't breathe like us they absorb oxygen through their bodies and they can't afford to get sodden wet.
A good example of surface tension is springtails on the surface of water, a few drops of wetting agent Jr dish soap and they fall straight through the surface and drown!
Fwiw I've observed the bubble forming on spider mite under a microscope, you can bet your life on it they form a protective bubble without a wetting agent.
Good luck!
Use cold-pressed neem oil mixed with a drop of soap in warm water. Spray down the plants on top and bottom of every leaf. Repeat in 3 days to kill the freshly hatched new bugs. Keep doing it for 12 days total.
Shirleyknowsbugs
New member
I don't think that's any insect at all. I think that's an environmental response called Oedema. I can't remember exactly how it works, but it has to do with with the root pressure and relative humidity are out of balance. It's like a cancerous cell growth, but change the environment and the new growth will be fine.
