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Spider mites AKA The Borg

qupee

Member
Just my 2¢ about my experience with Forbid™ 4F miticide by Bayer, they kill my headaches and now my mite problem, thanks Bayer.

I've been battling mites for 20+ years, I've tried so many products, and a few worked somewhat but most just barley kept them at bay, my garden size is larger than most (6kw+) so trying to beat, but just keeping at bay the borg has been a real challenge for me, then I heard of Forbid just 6 weeks ago and read up on it and decided to try it, mite (lol) as well huh?. I ordered some from ebay, I used it at its recommended full strength taking note of its warnings, and have in the last 5 weeks sprayed my plants 3 times with Forbid and can say that this is the best miticide I've ever used, checks on lower and upper leaves of the plants show almost zero mites, I did find like 2 on 3 leaves checked today, before it would have been 20+ per leaf at times, man there almost gone, its amazing, I'm seriously impressed with Forbids killing power. I do believe that continued use will lead to a 100% eradication of my mite problem?, will see.

Its odorless, looks like milk and very easily emulsifies with water, does not change my PH, its super concentrated and you only use 1.2ml per gallon (4L), this small bottle will make an estimated 16 gallons (64L) of spray, and short of a systematic pesticide which I wish someone would make for us, this stuff is my best recommendation to you all.


I'll echo your success. After trying several products to no avail I got some Forbid, looks like I ordered from the same place as you even.

One application. No mites returned. It's been almost a year.

It may not be systemic (my memory on that is a little fuzzy), but it does translocate through the leafs so that the mites will come in contact with it even if you don't get 100% under the leaf coverage.

Unlike you, my plants showed no issues with it whatsoever after being sprayed and in fact within 24 hours they were reaching up and "praying" with their happy happy leaves.
 

spunion

Member
I'm thinking about just dunking my plants in a 5 gallon bucket full of spinosad water, every 2 days. Spraying the bottom of the leaves is too much work.

That forbid is tempting though, is that an actual poison that stays in the plant like the floramite/avid type stuff? Spinosad "works" but only on contact pretty much.
 
SPUNION BRO,

HOT SHOT, pest strips. THEY WORK.
kills all bugs in the room, i know theyve been mentioned already and lots of bickering about there safety/health. the box says dont expose yourself for more than 4hrs.

i tried everything, nothing worked.
then.....HOTSHOT........all mights are gone. best part is all you do is hang or place somewhere, no spraying ect.

after a bad round and trying potent bombs and sprays org and chem, they started coming back, so after reading about the hotshot pest strips i got some, put up a HOTSHOT and ALL mites are GONE.
IM VERY HAPPY I GAVE THEM A TRY! the mites where driving me mad.

thats just my opinion, worked for me.
 

spunion

Member
I actually put 2 of those no pest strips in my veg room and I'm pretty sure they don't work very good. Seems like they weren't doing anything after a day or two.

Am I missing something? They stunk pretty bad the first day, I just placed them on different sides of the room.

Anyway I think dunking the plants in water seems better than trying to completely soak the underside of the leaves with spraying. If I had a good sprayer I'd probably continue to do that, but I'm using a bottle. Probably going to get some neem oil and apply that after the plants dry up and continue to use the neem from now on. I think if I had used neem oil and pest strips off the bat I probably wouldn't have ever had problems.
 

qupee

Member
Not everything works the same for everyone.

Spinosad was like meth to my mites. Their population exploded each time I sprayed with it.

Forbid is translaminar, it is not systemic. It will travel through the leaf, but it does not travel through the vascular system.

It is a fairly safe pesticide. I can try and find some legitimate studies to post, or you can google yourself. I try to look for EPA or Health Canada "decision documents" on the active ingredient, which is spiromesifin in Forbid 4F.

Here's some of those documents for your reference: http://www.regulations.gov/#!searchResults;rpp=10;po=0;s=spiromesifin

Technical spiromesifen shows low acute toxicity (Toxicity Category III, IV) via the
oral, dermal and inhalation routes of exposure. It was neither an eye nor dermal irritant
(Toxicity Category IV), but showed moderate potential as a contact sensitizer in a
Magnusson and Kligman maximization assay.
Spiromesifen is believed to exert its effects through the inhibition of lipid biosynthesis.
....
3.1.2 Toxicological Effects
Acute dietary exposure limits for all populations, including infants and children, were
not necessary because an endpoint of concern attributable to a single exposure (dose)
was not identified from the oral toxicity studies. In addition, there are no
developmental concerns based on rat and/or rabbit developmental toxicity studies. The
rat two-generation reproduction study was selected for chronic dietary, and long-term
dermal and inhalation exposure risk assessments. This study provided the most
sensitive endpoint in the database, which in this case is spleen-weight changes in both
males and females and significantly decreased growing ovarian follicles in females
observed at the LOAEL; it will provide the most protective limits for human exposure.
Spiromesifen shows no significant developmental or reproductive effects, is not
neurotoxic, is not likely to be carcinogenic, and lacks in vivo and in vitro mutagenic
effects.

etc, etc. I'm not seeing anything even remotely alarming.
 
I actually put 2 of those no pest strips in my veg room and I'm pretty sure they don't work very good. Seems like they weren't doing anything after a day otwo.

Am I missing something? They stunk pretty bad the first day, I just placed them on different sides of the room.

Anyway I think dunking the plants in water seems better than trying to completely soak the underside of the leaves with spraying. If I had a good sprayer I'd probably continue to do that, but I'm using a bottle. Probably going to get some neem oil and apply that after the plants dry up and continue to use the neem from now on. I think if I had used neem oil and pest strips off the bat I probably wouldn't have ever had problems.

I dont know bro,

the strips worked great for me, seemed to drive them right out.
the neem oil didnt do anything for me,
but like qupee just said, everyones experiences are probably different.
either way, good luck bro:tiphat:
 

spunion

Member
Well I'm going to keep dunking them every couple days for a week or so and see what happens. I guess I'll try Forbid next, although I kinda want something like systemic that actually stays in the plant and will poison the mites that try to drink from the plant...to me that seems like the best way to completely eradicate.
 

Dr. Purpur

Custom Haze crosses
Veteran
The trick

The trick

The trick is to clean up your grow area, and use the forbid or plant vitality once only when the plants are very young. Then keep your tent clean from then on. No more spraying of anything .
 
i just found these cobwebs on one branch of my buds, caught it early i think cause it is isolated from what i can see.

the plants need about a week to go, i can get away with pulling it now but dont want to if i dont have to. What do you guys think i should do?

for now im going to cut that branch and let it dry out, inspect the rest of my plants as well. should i cut them all down now?
 

ChaosCatalunya

5.2 club is now 8.1 club...
Veteran
I'm thinking about just dunking my plants in a 5 gallon bucket full of spinosad water, every 2 days. Spraying the bottom of the leaves is too much work.

That forbid is tempting though, is that an actual poison that stays in the plant like the floramite/avid type stuff? Spinosad "works" but only on contact pretty much.


Spend E60/$100 on a really good backpack sprayer, here called ""Matabi" - look on Google Images... The easy action makes very easy work of spraying the underside of leaves, a joy almost for those who have had years with cheap sprayers.

Spraying a [light strength] Foliar Feed with Wetting Agent every other day on Vegging plants will kill them naturally. w

Flowering plants with big problems can be sprayed with water and wetting agent, it can keep infestations in check.

TORQUE / TALSTAR kills Mites and their Eggs 100%, alwasy use with Wetting Agent.
 

Endur

Well-known member
Veteran
Anyone know where I can purchase Forbid, in a small amount, that will ship to CA?
I found it on ebay, but they're clear they can't/won't ship to Cali.

Please PM me if you know of any places, no hassle shipping.
Thanks
Endur
 

MPL

Member
I'm looking for a good mite prevention routine. I had a mild attack of them one a couple of plants but I have been able to keep them in check by completely removing the leaves or branches they're on and spraying with Liquid Ladybug.

After this cycle I'm going to bomb (good bomb recommendations?) my grow room and since there are rose gardens everywhere I will need a good preventative routine. I was thinking spraying every week or two with Azamax and alternating that with something else. Any ideas here? Money isn't a real issue - the mites left unchecked will cost way more than any preventative measures. I also don't want something that might affect the health of those who smoke my weed.
 

Maximo

Member
Again, "Forbid 4F" by bayer, can be found on ebay by searching, it will... I repeat will 100% kill all of your mites with just 2 sprayings, its a miracle for the grow industry, seriously.
 

ChaosCatalunya

5.2 club is now 8.1 club...
Veteran
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05507.html

Found that just now, good list of popular miticides and their active ingredient. Sure wish I could get a $20 bottle of that hexygon product. That doesn't say Talstar kills eggs though, only the Hexygon. Also says horticulture oils are possibly the best thing to use for home application.

Talstar / Torque does kill eggs, trust me, done it many times, killed all mites in one application, once on 6m indoors with a sillly 1L hand pump sprayer or a vegged scrog a day before Flowering, zero mites all crop.
 

greenluv707

pit wisper/ rare strain collector
here ill make it easy for you folks get AVID....... thell never come back. also if you see them, run the room in really cold temps so they have a hard time moving around. with thoes two thing they dont stand a chance. they hate the cold seems like they have a hard time reproducing and spreedin everywhere.


had them a couple years ago. every clone that i get ,gets fully sumerged in a tub of water/avid mix and no worries after that.
 

Hydro-Soil

Active member
Veteran
here ill make it easy for you folks get AVID.......
Fuck Avid!
Fuck chemical bullshit.

All you need is preventative maintenance and neem oil extracts. (azamax or azatrol)

All this other shit is harmful and a waste of money. (edit: Ok... there are other natural alternatives and things like Mighty Wash may be effective as well. Just no need for Proven harmful chemicals and their residues.)

Wake the F' up people.

Stay Safe! Damn it!
 

Can420

Member
My friend and I mostly use Ladybugs. And we both learned some of our friends dont seem to have clean houses( they have mites ) so they are no longer welcome in the house and we dont goto their place anymore also.
 

MPL

Member
I am ok with any chemical that will not be systemic long enough to be present in the plant at harvest. That said, I strongly prefer something labelled for use with crops intended for human comsumption (food crops), though I haven't found anything that seems worthwhile yet.

Right now I'm leaning towards Floramite, just because it IS systemic for a few weeks and will continue to kill any mites that might show up or hatch.

I still gotta look further into Avid and Forbid. Now that I have time at my comp lemme go check them out in more detail than I have in the past.

This is my first pest problem, EVER. I never want to have to deal with mites or bugs or whatever again. I only had/have a minor infestation, I can't imagine how frustrated those with severe mite problems are.
 

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