Spidermites during Flower

[Tinksworth]

Hey all,


I have mites again, I thought I wiped them out after my last grow but they're back...


I need some suggestions, I'm currently 21 days into flower and I grow organic so I'm looking for organic solutions preferably. I read the stickied thread and I've read a million others but I can't seem to get a definitive answer. I also have a veg tent that I'm pretty sure is infected as well. So far I haven't seen any webs or anything like that but I have seen quite a few eggs (the small clear balls) and a few live mites running around. I ordered some predator mites but I'm looking for additional suggestions. I need to kill these things asap, I'm so over this shit.

 

[Mr D]

Cut down everything in flower so that your flower room/tent is empty. You can leave the plants in veg.

Home Depot sells a 3 pack of Raid foggers for under $10. Set one off in the veg tent leaving the tent open. Set another off in the flower room/tent.

The following day and every other day for a week mist the plants in veg with alcohol and distilled water mix to remove any residual pesticide. All mites and eggs will be dead.


Or you can dump a ton money in to predators and essential oil sprays and most likely never rid yourself of the problem.

 

[Yiddish Boy]

I'm gonna disagree with earlier comment. You can get rid of mites with of oils and just water. Rosemary oil is great. Neem also works but is a bit harsher. If you dont want to spray any chemicals on buds you can just use water as well. The physical act of washing knockes em off/ mites are sensitive to water and drown.

The main thing with spider mites is consistency. You gotta hit multiple times.

Also, no sprays matter if you don't have a clean space. First step should really be cleaning up and clearing out debris, sweep up. Then youre gonna wanna scrub shit down.

Even if you kill the pests on the plants with some sprays, if you have a dirty environment, the pests will still be there.

 

[bushed]

Its not what anyone wants to here but you will probably understand this as you already thought you got rid.

Throw away all your plants, clean everything with bleach. Leave you space empty of plants or any organic material for a month. Put some seeds in paper towels. Move just your light out, leave it a day or two, clean it again. Veg the seeds in your spare room well away from your grow space.

You can spend so much time and effort trying and failing, spraying with neem ect. For me the mites always came back. I think the thing is there are just so many types of mite so just because someone managed to get rid doesnt mean you will. Good luck.

 

[Guest]

#1 OG Biowar; use all 3 packs systemically (drench)
also
Neem/Karanga meal in/on the soil/medium for systemic protection.

Get several well know insect deterring essential oils (or they make specific blends) and put on a cotton ball/or similar near your intakes. (you will need to replenish often)

Go to the grocery store and grab a few bunches of organic cilantro. Chop up and soak in water for 24 hours. ( longer is ok) strain and spray the plants top and bottom. It's a trick I remember from CC. It's the linalool in the cilantro that works against the mites.

Of course torching everything and starting over is an option...

 

[nickman]

Yeah, I just found I’ve got spider mites too.... I had them once before, years ago....

It’s my own fault though... I let my plants in the veg room go and get root bound and ate up all their organic food in the soil... they were just unhealthy and I don’t know how the mites came in but it’s cold out now kinda so it’s the last thing I’d think of getting while it’s getting cold outside...

I repotted all the plants and I’ve been pinching the mites I see on the leaves with my fingers and I’ve also been spraying with water here and there. I’ve got some stuff called SMITE but it’s old and not much left...

I remember getting rid of them last time with dr doom.

 

[TanzanianMagic]

Hey all,


I have mites again, I thought I wiped them out after my last grow but they're back...


I need some suggestions, I'm currently 21 days into flower and I grow organic so I'm looking for organic solutions preferably. I read the stickied thread and I've read a million others but I can't seem to get a definitive answer. I also have a veg tent that I'm pretty sure is infected as well. So far I haven't seen any webs or anything like that but I have seen quite a few eggs (the small clear balls) and a few live mites running around. I ordered some predator mites but I'm looking for additional suggestions. I need to kill these things asap, I'm so over this shit.

In flowering, all you can do is have deterrents and try to confuse insects with different smells and flowers. Last resort is that you can use a spray of clear water to dislodge them and to make their environment more humid.

Asymmetric warfare

Use microbes against insects, nutrients against microbes and environment and pH against nutrient deficiencies/lockouts.

Nutrients: extra silica, potassium, sulfur. Silica makes the plant cells tougher, potassium is associated with general health and sulfur creates the smell that distracts/repels insects.

Cannabis has all kinds of defense mechanisms against insects, however they need a good environment of good airflow, temperatures and relative humidity.

The following may be more ptractical outdoor, however if you want to experiment...

Insects have to have something else to eat other than the plants - so add a few actual flowers (lavender, roses, etc.) and even an open compost bin. This also creates a nice habitat for predator insects.

Basically, indoors in where there is a single kind of plant in a single kind of medium, we've created a monoculture with all the problems of monoculture.

 

[goodforyou]

Spider mite always comes back to us because we bring them from the outside. They are on our clothes, shoes ...
With neem, you should get this round to the end. Use 10ml neem per 1L water and spray the plant top and bottom every 4 days and repeat 3 times. If you use a pure neem, add one tablespoon of soap and half a teaspoon of baking soda. You can also add lavender essential oil. Freshly or dryed soaked in water (24 hours) is also good.. the scent of lavender chases away insects. Do not use neema 10 days before harvest, it will feel in your smoke.
After the harvest, you mast everything well cleaned and disinfected.
Sorry for my bad english.
You can also use Neem preventative regularly twice a month.
Good luck

 

[THC123]

If I get mites in flowering i just relax and order some CHrysopa Carnea (gren lacewing larvae).

They are cheaper than ladybugs, and just as effective, mobile and voracious. They work much better than predatory mites on cannabis plants because they are much more mobile and they can cover a lot of area in one day.

Also they don't get stuck on the resin so easily like predatory mites. After 3-4 weeks they will transform into green lacewings and fly away. Since they can be seen with the nakes eye, they are also easy to get rid of at harvest.

One more thing I am going to do this year is order tape that they use around trees to trap insects. I am going to install them around my pots to have an extra barrier.

I dont know where you are from but I order my larvae at biobest or koppert. But on amazon they also sell eggs. You would need like 2000 to cover one tent and it is best to use them as soon as possible and then 3 weeks later again.

 

[dimodz]

Plant vitaly from B.A.C

Purolyt

 

[ISOMERO]

hi
why don't you do an inoculation with antagonist mites?there are several options ..and works all well.
Phitoseiulus persimilis..amblyseiusu anderson..etc are specific predators of mites.
Crisopha carnea isnt specific predator of spider as well as ladybug(prey aphids). Absolutely

 

[zachrockbadenof]

dr doom..... haha... i lifted all my plants off the ground onto a table with slats, and blasted the plants from underneath with this shit - next day checked out the plants, mites were having a picnic....put in a no-pest-strip for 3days, this time they were dancing... finally took em all outside, which was a large pain in the ass, sprayed em with a combo of 1/4 cup Baking Soda
1/2 cup Apple Cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
2 drops dish detergent
1/4 Teaspoon Epsom Salts (thanks to the guy on ic who shared this)

and it seems (fingers crossed) to have done the trick - also cleaned out the tent , and sprayed it with above like a mofo... did this at the 7day mark of flowering- i'm sure they will come back, but hoping i can get 70days out of it ...

i had also tried floramide previously , and afterwards still found some mites- i just think you can never get rid of em- u gotta keep their numbers low...

 

[THC123]

Hey Dimodz the UVC lamp doesnt kill the spider mites sadly, I have one. But it is perfect for mildew!!

 

[THC123]

hi
why don't you do an inoculation with antagonist mites?there are several options ..and works all well.
Phitoseiulus persimilis..amblyseiusu anderson..etc are specific predators of mites.
Crisopha carnea isnt specific predator of spider as well as ladybug(prey aphids). Absolutely

I know but on cannabis they work better than the specific predators because they are more mobile and dont get stuck to the resin. I never had much success with predatory mites indoor or outdoor. They cost a lot and you have to use them quite often. The Chrysopa work much better and since I switched to using them 8 years ago for spider mites, I haven't had to use insecticide!!

 

[Tinksworth]

I know but on cannabis they work better than the specific predators because they are more mobile and dont get stuck to the resin. I never had much success with predatory mites indoor or outdoor. They cost a lot and you have to use them quite often. The Chrysopa work much better and since I switched to using them 8 years ago for spider mites, I haven't had to use insecticide!!

This is extremely inspiring information, if you're in the US who do you order from typically? What should I order exactly. I have a 4x2 tent and a 3x2 tent.


Thanks for the advice everyone, there's absolutely zero chance I'm culling my plants. I'm sure we can fix this other ways.

 

[igrowone]

been exactly where you are now
used a commercial organic mix of essential oils
got my harvest, fine tasting to boot
key is persistence, the borg do have 9 lives

 

[MedFaced]

I’ve been pinching the mites I see on the leaves with my fingers and I’ve also been spraying with water here and there...

This is the way I’d go if in flower. Keep them manageable until finished, and then do a deep cleaning.

 

[ISOMERO]

I know but on cannabis they work better than the specific predators because they are more mobile and dont get stuck to the resin. I never had much success with predatory mites indoor or outdoor. They cost a lot and you have to use them quite often. The Chrysopa work much better and since I switched to using them 8 years ago for spider mites, I haven't had to use insecticide!!

I dont know where you buy or which species have you used but they have always worked where they were used. If you have a specific problem is better to use specific predator. Crisopha work well in prevetion this is true because in the absence of specific prey can go on other.
Ladybug dont eat spider.. this is joke.
I don't know the prices in your part but here 50,000 individuals(persimilis, andersoni,swirski)are on 30/40 dollar.

However it is interesting. thank you for the information. I'll try.

Ps do you use crisopa in prevetion or when you already have a spider attack?

 

[Tinksworth]

I know but on cannabis they work better than the specific predators because they are more mobile and dont get stuck to the resin. I never had much success with predatory mites indoor or outdoor. They cost a lot and you have to use them quite often. The Chrysopa work much better and since I switched to using them 8 years ago for spider mites, I haven't had to use insecticide!!

I dont know where you buy or which species have you used but they have always worked where they were used. If you have a specific problem is better to use specific predator. Crisopha work well in prevetion this is true because in the absence of specific prey can go on other.
Ladybug dont eat spider.. this is joke.
I don't know the prices in your part but here 50,000 individuals(persimilis, andersoni,swirski)are on 30/40 dollar.

However it is interesting. thank you for the information. I'll try.

Ps do you use crisopa in prevetion or when you already have a spider attack?

Where are you buying your predator mites? I'm paying 20-30$ for 1000 or 2000 and this is after checking multiple sites.

 

[dimodz]

Hey Dimodz the UVC lamp doesnt kill the spider mites sadly, I have one. But it is perfect for mildew!!

yes that right is great for PM