DGP
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Hey, just had a war with thrip larvae and spider mites. Both seem Borg-like to me!
However, I won. In the past few grows I sprayed preventively and got a little behind schedule this cycle. Sure enough the mites came in and as some of you know it happens quick. I got on it quick before it was to the webs stage and at infestation levels but was still pissed at myself for slipping up on PM.
I thought I would share what I have been using the past year or so because it seems to really work and is quite safe and completely non-toxic.
I started out with a commercial plant oil preparation but because the material is so freakin expensive I make it myself now. What I started with is a product called Trifecta Crop Control. It has Thyme oil 14%, clove oil 10%, Garlic oil 9%, Peppermint oil 4%, Corn Oil 3%, Geraniol 3%, citric Acid 2%, Rosemary oil2%, filtererd water and vinegar.
It worked quite well but once the mites or thrips get to the point where I am seeing them even one or two on a leaf then I Gas E'm!
I grind up whole habenero peppers in a food processor including the seeds and all and then put them in a saucepan and pour just off the boil water over them (about a pint of water to the pound of pepper) and let them steep in the garage until my eyes start to water and then I break out the respirator mask, gloves and goggles. I strain the peppers out using a metal coffee filter and pour the pepper concentrate into my spayer with a gallon of the plant oil preparation and mix. Then pump it up and gas the little F'ers. Even with a mask etc. By the time I am about done spraying the grow rooms my eyes are watering a little and I have sneezed about 3 or 4 times inside my mask (yuk). that is how potent this is.
I watch some on a leave that i put a drop of this solution on and it was like a 2 minute long death scene in cheap B movie. the borg wiggle around and just die. also, the plants seem to like it. I even have sprayed with lights on and since I am using LED COBs I just turn the intensity down while they dry for an hour or so with the fans running.
I have even sprayed this on my latest crop that was in it's final week. I rinsed the buds lightly and no after taste. No toxic materials, no worry, no harm (except to the borg).
I even spray this on 1 week old seedlings with no harm to the little plants. Although sometimes I think people spray all kinds of materials and then blame the spray when the leaves look worse but often it is the bug damage that is showing up a few days after the borg got done chewing.
I know people have gobs of ways they deal with mites but I am not wanting to ever use any conventional toxic pesticides, insecticides or fungicides. All I know is with persistant spraying of this plant oil and pepper mix every 3 days for a week or more knocks em down nicely. This time since it got away from me it took a week and a half but I searched and searched with the loup tonight and only saw a few bugs but they were dead. still see a few eggs so back to preventive maintainence.
DP
However, I won. In the past few grows I sprayed preventively and got a little behind schedule this cycle. Sure enough the mites came in and as some of you know it happens quick. I got on it quick before it was to the webs stage and at infestation levels but was still pissed at myself for slipping up on PM.
I thought I would share what I have been using the past year or so because it seems to really work and is quite safe and completely non-toxic.
I started out with a commercial plant oil preparation but because the material is so freakin expensive I make it myself now. What I started with is a product called Trifecta Crop Control. It has Thyme oil 14%, clove oil 10%, Garlic oil 9%, Peppermint oil 4%, Corn Oil 3%, Geraniol 3%, citric Acid 2%, Rosemary oil2%, filtererd water and vinegar.
It worked quite well but once the mites or thrips get to the point where I am seeing them even one or two on a leaf then I Gas E'm!
I grind up whole habenero peppers in a food processor including the seeds and all and then put them in a saucepan and pour just off the boil water over them (about a pint of water to the pound of pepper) and let them steep in the garage until my eyes start to water and then I break out the respirator mask, gloves and goggles. I strain the peppers out using a metal coffee filter and pour the pepper concentrate into my spayer with a gallon of the plant oil preparation and mix. Then pump it up and gas the little F'ers. Even with a mask etc. By the time I am about done spraying the grow rooms my eyes are watering a little and I have sneezed about 3 or 4 times inside my mask (yuk). that is how potent this is.
I watch some on a leave that i put a drop of this solution on and it was like a 2 minute long death scene in cheap B movie. the borg wiggle around and just die. also, the plants seem to like it. I even have sprayed with lights on and since I am using LED COBs I just turn the intensity down while they dry for an hour or so with the fans running.
I have even sprayed this on my latest crop that was in it's final week. I rinsed the buds lightly and no after taste. No toxic materials, no worry, no harm (except to the borg).
I even spray this on 1 week old seedlings with no harm to the little plants. Although sometimes I think people spray all kinds of materials and then blame the spray when the leaves look worse but often it is the bug damage that is showing up a few days after the borg got done chewing.
I know people have gobs of ways they deal with mites but I am not wanting to ever use any conventional toxic pesticides, insecticides or fungicides. All I know is with persistant spraying of this plant oil and pepper mix every 3 days for a week or more knocks em down nicely. This time since it got away from me it took a week and a half but I searched and searched with the loup tonight and only saw a few bugs but they were dead. still see a few eggs so back to preventive maintainence.
DP
