Spider Mites

[guest4098]

Nasty nasty nasty...
Not the entire plant has been infected. Notice the last photo is of part of the same plant and it has no mite damage. Things can go down hill very fast in a dry/hot greenhouse. This plant was removed after the photos were taken.

I think I am going to start spraying with plain water regularly to help keep the mites at bay. I am at a loss with the buds being so far along. I have experimented with neem and it sure does give things a nasty taste when smoked. Not recommended. Maybe a mister or fogger system? I wish I had preped better by starting with a cleaner environment and introduced predator nematodes during veg. This is my first grow in a greenhouse and I am starting to realize how much of a challenge pest control can be.

 

[Tripsick]

Damn how long did it take for them to build that web?

You can get a tri pack of miticide from ebay Avid, Floramite, and forbid
maybe some Hotshot no pest strips and use all 4...

or start over

 

[kigy]

Yeah its really something you kind of have to be on top of before they web up like that and take over. I noticed that switching between sprays (azatrol, avid, neem, etc.) and spraying at the very first sighting of mites tends to be the most effective. In the bay area we have mites that have evolved to become resistant against most miticides, so I have to spray at least 1-2 week up til the last week or two of flower. Once they've made their web colonies its damn near impossible to get rid of them completely so prevention is key.

 

[Nicoli]

Damn. that's pretty gnarly. I dont know there is much you can do at this point honestly.

 

[guest4098]

I have used cold pressed neem, azamax (same as azatrol, a neem byproduct), organicide (fish oil), avid (only early in veg), sucrashield (tobacco byproduct), and spinosad throughout this crop. I could definitely have done more for prevention early on but still things were going well enough until I cut back on my routine (due to flowering). This plant developed these webs over the course of only a couple days. It is amazing how fast things go downhill when they go.

All the plants just outside the greenhouse have *no* mite damage what-so-ever. I wish I could open up the sides.

 

[simos]

That's quite the borg colony...

Good decision with the removal. Some would have recommended the vacuum method or any number of half-solutions, but that baby was gone gone gone.

Stay vigilant next year!

 

[FillthePotmore]

Update: Eradicating Mites

Update: Eradicating Mites

I recently added this post to the, "Growing Big Plants Outdoors" thread...

Dr. Bronner's = Eradication of Mites? We shall see!
"Insecticidal soaps are a rather mean way to kill mites. Derived from organic soaps like Castile soap, insecticidal soaps kill mites and other plant pests by compromising their cellular integrity, causing cells to rupture and die. In other words, insecticidal soaps dissolve the spider mite from the inside out, slowly turning them into mush.

I came across this information concerning the dreaded Spider Mites last evening... Apparently Dr. Bronner's Soap should do the trick... (Coincidentally, my wife picked a new bottle up today)... Farmers add canola oil as a wetting agent; plus, garlic and jalapeno peppers as a compounded deterrent (I apply this on rock borders to detour slugs, goats, dogs and other pests around garden beds on the Islands). However, I'm going to add Yucca with the recommended 1TBS per quart or 2oz per gallon of soap to water and do a tester spray this morning on a small mite colony recently found on a Blue Dream tree. The Blue Dream has another month until it will be ready for harvest. If it doesn't damage the plant then I'll be bringing the atomizer to the forefront and introducing the "soap" solution this weekend!

UPDATE: I applied the Dr. Bronner's Soap and Yucca potion to the Blue Dreams that had had visible signs of Spider Mite infestation... And it worked wonders! In fact, I ended up applying this solution three days in a row. It didn't harm the plants a bit, while diminishing the signs of the Spider Mites significantly. As a safety precaution, I ended up atomizing the entire Blue Dream Blvd. A note of caution: I wouldn't apply Dr. Bronner's "Peppermint" Soap if harvesting within a week or two for the peppermint essential oil and the soap compounds could effect the texture, flavor, and smell of your flowers. However, if harvest is beyond two weeks the Bronner's soap should have plenty of time to wash off and deteriorate in the Fall weather.

"The recipe for Insecticidal soap is 1 teaspoon of real soap, not a detergent, in 1 quart of water. You only need about 1 percent soap solution to be effective and you do not need oil or anything else. What makes the insecticidal soap effective is the fatty acids from the animal fats the soap is made from which is why you need real soap and not a detergent. Those fatty acids dissolve the target insects exoskeleton so they dehydrate."

"After 100 years, Fels Naptha Soap is still used everyday in hundreds of households for everything from poison ivy treatment, garden fertilizer and insecticide as well as laundry detergent to stain removal." and... "...use it as a general cleaner for floors, tubs and showers, or dissolve it in water and spray as an insecticide in the garden."


Here's what they said about Dr. Bronners: "As a preventative mix 1 tablespoon Dr Bronner's Peppermint soap per quart water. Spray on vegetables on a regular bases or first sign of trouble. On specific pests mix 5 tablespoons per quart water. Test first on plant/bug to see if it is too strong or not strong enough."

 

[pearlemae]

Fillthepotmore, try a different flavor of Bronners. I've found a spray called Pyganic to work on mites. Works real well it organic pyrtheins from So Africa. degrades in bright light and air movement but kicks mites in the ass.

 

[kmk420kali]

Cloudbase, I feel for ya man!! Our greenhouse is in the desert, and it is very difficult to deal with mites...the li'l bastards come out of nowhere!!
I know this doesn't help you now, but it is imperative that you start aggressive treatment from day 1--
That being said, you look to be what, a couple weeks out??
If you start throwing water on it multiple times a day, you will almost certainly promote mold or PM--
Myself, I would take a li'l dustbuster and vacuum it as good as you can-- (Drench the inside of the vacuum with raid, to kill them as they are collected)
Then, use some Einstein Oil (It doesn't have the horrible smell that neem does) and hold your sprayer directly over the top, letting the spray just mist down, that way it only hits the tops of the leaves, for the most part-- That will help a li'l to keep them in check long enough to harvest--
Or you can just vacuum them everyday--
It is very difficult to deal with that, this late--
The only (sort of) good news is, when you chop and hang, the live mites will leave the plant-- (Cover the line you hang them on with undiluted neem, so they don't start wandering around)
Good luck man--

 

[TokinPrincess]

That was one bad looking web, the ones I had were pretty icky too. I've had plenty of mite issues this time around, and hopefully now we know better to get aggressive of them from the start.

 

[Stress_test]

I wouldn't use any kind of insecticide or even soap or fogger or any other conventional method on a plant that far into bloom.

A few weeks ago I had spider mites hit a couple of my flowering plants and lost part of the lower growth before I caught them. But it was easier to rid my room of them than I had thought. But I did completely eradicate the little fockers.

Here is what I done:
2 cinnamon sticks.
1 table spoon whole cloves.
2 habanero peppers (chopped)
2 cloves fresh garlic (chopped)
1 Can frozen apple-juice concentrate.
Put it all on a pan and bring to a boil. Let set until cooled to room temp, (an oily looking film will develop on top of the liquid).
Pour through a coffee filter to remove solids.

Remove lower fan leaves as that seems to be where the lil bastards prefer to hide. Spray plants generously with tea paying particular attention to undersides of leaves.
You will see the bastards die on contact. Wait 30 minutes after spraying.
Make apple-juice as instructed and then dilute 50% with fresh water. Spray generously.
Rinse with clean water after about 30-45 minutes.

Check in a day or 2. If any bugs are found spray again with apple juice solution.

Some people use the tea by it self and other use the apple juice by it self. I have better luck using one and then the other and the plants seem to love both.
Also since both are completely organic you can use the through the entire life of the plants without worrying about contaminating your crop with chemicals you really don't want to consume later.

EDIT: I forgot to mention: Spray tea solution around room and on top of pots, be careful to NOT spray on lights.

 

[CanIgetsum]

Wow, did this happen overnight? Or is it that you don't check on them on a regular base??

 

[guest4098]

Thanks for all the great advice on dealing with spider mites. I am learning all I can about them and really want to get them under control for my next round. Doing a so-so job during veg just won't cut it with mite prevention.

I am thinking about one of these 6 headed foggers: http://www.airosale.com/

 

[Stress_test]

Foggers are ok but I wouldn't even consider using one during the flower cycle. Try to eliminate the lil bastards organically if you can and then use a fogger when the room is empty, then you won't ruin your current crop with poison chemicals.

 

[has_some_sinse]

Like someone else stated earlier, take a dust buster and suck off as much webbing as possible, it sucks that you are going to have to disrupt the glands, but if you want to salvage it, there is no way around that now. Don't worry about overdoing it on the Azamax, it has minimal residue and won't build up to induce mold as long as air can move around the plant. You can safely apply azamax in 4 day intervals, this would be a double dose. A light application is a 14 day regimen, and a 7 day application rate is moderately aggressive and that's all the mfg will recommend, but you can safely apply in 4 day intervals, not much can stand up to AZA extract A & B, for extended periods....I know people will say resistance, resistance, resistance.
you need to do apply every 4 days, 4 times total...for a total 16 day treatment....if there is anything alive beside the plants, in that area....RUN!...it's going to tackle and kill you.

 

[shadetreemco]

i put some plants outside earlier this year to let nature take care of the mites, and the cops took em >.<

 

[TanzanianMagic]

Nasty nasty nasty...
Not the entire plant has been infected. Notice the last photo is of part of the same plant and it has no mite damage. Things can go down hill very fast in a dry/hot greenhouse. This plant was removed after the photos were taken.

Is that really from mites? They look like spider's webs or cocoons for catterpillars. Usually you get a strand here or there from spidermites, but not dense webs like that.

Anyway, there are a lot of ways that you can fight and prevent mites, although they are tough to get rid off.

1) Eradication

Once you have an outbreak, you can spray with non-toxics or biodegradeables like Neem oil and Pyrethrum. I like to mix the two, so you get a combined effect. The Neem oil works on their skeletons, if it is thick enough it suffocates them, the neem fills their stomachs so they starve to death, and it also thickens the leaves so they are not as appetizing to eating insects. The pyrethrum works on their nervous system. So they get paralyzed, smothered, and their reproduction is interfered with all at once. Plus, the water itself may flush them off the leaves. Be sure to also spray the soil where eggs fall, and the undersides of the leaves.

Also, you can very thinly dust the plants with lava meal or other rockmeal, which dessicates and gets into the moving parts of the mites. Or an old method is mixing gardening lime with gardening grade sulphur and spraying that on.

2) Containment

Predatory insects. These will keep a population in check, if it has not gone out of control. Also, regularly spraying the plants with water will help flush some off the leaves.

3) Prevention

Companion plants/herbs. There are herbs and flowers that attract and nourish predatory insects, and their larvae. These should be included in every grow, in my opinion, as they can make insecticides unnecessary. They also prevent your predatory insects from moving away, as they can find an alternative source of food nearby.

4) Diversion

Other plants can attract aphids and other pests, which means they won't snack on your plants. In fact sick plants can serve such a function, as long as there are other measures in place.

Conclusion

I think the biggest problem comes from the fact that we are still approaching growing as the creation of hundreds of individual plants, rather than the creation of a biotope in which all creatures have a place. In nature, there are always different sizes of plants, with different root depths and different light requirements growing next to eachother. Maybe an idea for people growing in raised beds to include some companion plants.

 

[PoopyTeaBags]

no thats a serious mite infestation for sure.. lol... most people will never see them get that bad... in fact thats by far the worst ive seen them...

 

[richards666]

ive had mites but holy crap thats real bad.last time i had them i the greenhouse i used flea and tick shampoo worked ok for me

 

[Dkgrower]

That is one hard infected plant, good u chop it down.

They can only get that infected if u have low humidity over a long periode, a fogger and clean non infested clones fore the next run will give u the upper hand.

Keep humidity high around 80% in veg and in midflower.

U can also hose down the plants in that interval to flush down any dust, spores, mites, that what rain does fore us in the nature.

Mite infested buds and the worst to manicure but it can be done with a vacum cleaner and alot off time.....

Good luck and stay green