Spinosad? Mites in tent @ 5 wks into 9-wk flower

[Mothman]

Capt jacks is a one and done solution homie.
It really is pretty amazing stuff….if you can, add it to your toolbox has spinosad in it.
Wait for lights out, gets ta sprayin’ it takes out anything I have used it in in one go.
Now if you absolutely have to use it lights on, just throttle your light back and get some fan action on it to dry them ladies then turn them lights back up.

That last bit,
Only in extreme cases would I do that.
Hope you get it squared. Let us know how that stuff does?

Thanks for the advice, bossman. Does that consider the extensive flowering that I have going on now? That’s my dilemma at the moment. Also,

That last bit,
Only in extreme cases would I do that.

Not sure what you’re referring to by “that last bit.” Washing buds at harvest using a bit of detergent to get off any oil residue from the GrowSafe?

 

[Deadstill]

That's not going to help with russets though....lol...

It literally does kill russet mites. Lol.

Please update after you've used this in flower. It is oil based, just like neem. I'd like to know if you personally can taste it or if it hits your lungs hard. Says from seed to harvest, but seed to harvest tomatoes isn't the same as seed to harvest smoke.
Thanks.

Look, I'm not trying to give anyone bad advice here, and I'm not trying to argue with anyone or tell anyone their opinion is wrong. That being said, I've used this stuff for years on personal crops and commercial crops of cannabis and industrial hemp for edible and smokeable consumption. Most Neem oil contains a systemic which you're not going to get rid of with any measure, this is just basically soy, corn and sunflower oils. Oreos have more dangerous ingredients. As far as leaving residue on buds? Nothing you will be able to discern from an untreated bud. I've used this stuff literally the day before chop to kill aphids before bringing buds in to dry. No issues what-so-ever. No smells, no taste, no "film" or visible residue, period. It has the slight smell of a deep fryer when you first spray it, but that quickly goes away after it dries.

Personally I would rather use something simple and organic that I know works, over some chemicals or even organic, systemics that could definitely cause problems.

But hey, don't listen to me, I've only been growing cannabis for 25 years, use Eagle 20, that's the shit

 

[Mothman]

It literally does kill russet mites. Lol.

Look, I'm not trying to give anyone bad advice here, and I'm not trying to argue with anyone or tell anyone their opinion is wrong. That being said, I've used this stuff for years on personal crops and commercial crops of cannabis and industrial hemp for edible and smokeable consumption. Most Neem oil contains a systemic which you're not going to get rid of with [i[any[/i] measure, this is just basically soy, corn and sunflower oils. Oreos have more dangerous ingredients. As far as leaving residue on buds? Nothing you will be able to discern from an untreated bud. I've used this stuff literally the day before chop to kill aphids before bringing buds in to dry. No issues what-so-ever. No smells, no taste, no "film" or visible residue, period. It has the slight smell of a deep fryer when you first spray it, but that quickly goes away after it dries.

Personally I would rather use something simple and organic that I know works, over some chemicals or even organic, systemics that could definitely cause problems.

But hey, don't listen to me, I've only been growing cannabis for 25 years, use Eagle 20, that's the shit

Thanks, DS, I really appreciate the detailed info from your experience.

Regarding the captain’s recommendation of Jacks super insecticidal soap, have you tried that, too? Just curious.

 

[Mothman]

But hey, don't listen to me, I've only been growing cannabis for 25 years, use Eagle 20, that's the shit

Public Service Announcement:
For the newer growers who maybe didn’t get the joke, @Deadstill was not serious about using Eagle 20!!

 

[erb4all]

It literally does kill russet mites. Lol.

Look, I'm not trying to give anyone bad advice here, and I'm not trying to argue with anyone or tell anyone their opinion is wrong. That being said, I've used this stuff for years on personal crops and commercial crops of cannabis and industrial hemp for edible and smokeable consumption. Most Neem oil contains a systemic which you're not going to get rid of with any measure, this is just basically soy, corn and sunflower oils. Oreos have more dangerous ingredients. As far as leaving residue on buds? Nothing you will be able to discern from an untreated bud. I've used this stuff literally the day before chop to kill aphids before bringing buds in to dry. No issues what-so-ever. No smells, no taste, no "film" or visible residue, period. It has the slight smell of a deep fryer when you first spray it, but that quickly goes away after it dries.

Personally I would rather use something simple and organic that I know works, over some chemicals or even organic, systemics that could definitely cause problems.

But hey, don't listen to me, I've only been growing cannabis for 25 years, use Eagle 20, that's the shit

Lot of clone dealers use eagle 20....lots of'em.....too many! It's sad...I've always wondered what chemical is 90% of the herb I see and turn down left and right. Lol. It's got a funny smell like a fudged up chocolate smell to it. Little diffi to describe...there's no smell to the smoke but that shit smell...Any ideas? Eagle 20 imid...why is it guys?

 

[Thatoneguyyouknow_]

Arbico organics ships overnight. Not sure about guaranteed shipping

Wouldn't waste time on nature's good guys. Had more die with them than arbico...

i ordered 5000 through amazon prime several weeks ago, showed up day after next. Most still kicking it. just picked a random seller/listing though lol.



Spinosad will pretty well alter your end flavor, and early redden your pistils at this point. Doesnt seem to cause any problems other then i dont enjoy smoking the flower nearly as much when spinosad has been applied in flower. Do NOT put neem oil on flowers after week 2 of flower. Just dont lol.

Id finish doing nothing about the mites before i sprayed them with spinosad at this point, youd prefer the end product in the end most likely. IF its this minor post week 5 your probably going to be ok.


You can spray some dilluted horticultural oils carefully to the undersides of the fan leaves though. Will drive most away if it seriously concerns you lol. Like rosemary or something. Youll prob still detect the aroma in the end flower though.


A mild citric acid solution will annoy the mites enough to not reproduce much and drive many away for a period of time. is another option. Keep it out of your soil if you do that and its a container plant though.

 

[Deadstill]

i ordered 5000 through amazon prime several weeks ago, showed up day after next. Most still kicking it. just picked a random seller/listing though lol.



Spinosad will pretty well alter your end flavor, and early redden your pistils at this point. Doesnt seem to cause any problems other then i dont enjoy smoking the flower nearly as much when spinosad has been applied in flower. Do NOT put neem oil on flowers after week 2 of flower. Just dont lol.

Id finish doing nothing about the mites before i sprayed them with spinosad at this point, youd prefer the end product in the end most likely. IF its this minor post week 5 your probably going to be ok.


You can spray some dilluted horticultural oils carefully to the undersides of the fan leaves though. Will drive most away if it seriously concerns you lol. Like rosemary or something. Youll prob still detect the aroma in the end flower though.


A mild citric acid solution will annoy the mites enough to not reproduce much and drive many away for a period of time. is another option. Keep it out of your soil if you do that and its a container plant though.

 

[Captspaulding]

That's what i use also, unfortunatlely i did'nt spray after i had given my outdoor plants a shower cooling down a few weeks back in early flower and now i'm paying for it, i slacked off and those itty bitty worms i might of killed off got a grip on my budding plants. I've hit them now but i see the dryed damaged areas they sucked out and pooped on killed trichomes.

The bastids!!!!!
So it you take a few towels pack them onto the medium, real well, if they aren’t too cumbersome, that will allow you to flip the plants over with minimal spillage. So you can get all up in them plants bizzzz. What is above will also be below.
Sorry to hear that. Case in point as to why I never take them out side. Bath tubs work too, just a bit more tedious.

 

[Mothman]

Id finish doing nothing about the mites before i sprayed them with spinosad at this point, youd prefer the end product in the end most likely. IF its this minor post week 5 your probably going to be ok.

I’m kinda in line with your thinking, OneGuy. Maybe I got to them very early, but whatever the reason, the population seems to be very hard to find ATM. I have my GrowSafe handy but the idea of doing nothing (watchful waiting and leaf inspection daily) may be my plan. I assume it’ll get worse so I’ll be watchin! Whichever way it goes, I think this justifies giving the buds a nice bath at the end. And I’ve learned not to do brush clearing before tending the plants.

 

[Thatoneguyyouknow_]

I’m kinda in line with your thinking, OneGuy. Maybe I got to them very early, but whatever the reason, the population seems to be very hard to find ATM. I have my GrowSafe handy but the idea of doing nothing (watchful waiting and leaf inspection daily) may be my plan. I assume it’ll get worse so I’ll be watchin! Whichever way it goes, I think this justifies giving the buds a nice bath at the end. And I’ve learned not to do brush clearing before tending the plants.

the mite populations on my outdoor plants are "present but not expanding"

Im just letting em ride. i knocked em down real good early flower with those predator mites, and theyve come back, but just on a leaf here or there, i have to look close to find any blisters. And if i do find a blistered leaf its late enough and theyre big enough i just pull the damn leaf off, rolled it up into a mush and toss it.

ive had both aphids and spider mites pop up[ week 5 and on before, and ive always just ridden it out. The buds were usually just fine, if not even higher resin content than otherwise by finish.



they can get pretty bad late flower and most the consequences will stay out of the flowers.... mostly. YMMV when it comes to russets and certain nastier spider mites though.


i cant believe i dug these up. These photos are almost a decade old lmao. This is my peaceblaster cross' great grandmother lol. My first run of her was rough. Brought in a gelato clone and it introduced some mites at like week 5 flower. and they actually got pretty bad because i had a new gf at the time and didnt notice for a while.

 

[Putthataway]

Someone on this site who’s a commercial grower has stated spinosad shows up in their required test cutting it out a week before flower.

 

[erb4all]

Someone on this site who’s a commercial grower has stated spinosad shows up in their required test cutting it out a week before flower.

Why does spinosad get used for mites? Is it the synergist in it killing them. Is it the soil bacterium in it killing mites. Is it listed for killing mites?

 

[kls1633]

My first rodeo with mites (discovered yesterday & found a web this morning). I can’t be sure of which kind of mite, but I’m sure I brought them in after working outdoors.
View attachment 2271367
Sorry for the shaky video but you’ll see one crawling over the edge of the leaf—pausing it may give you a decent image.
View attachment 2271368
I’m 1/2 way through flower and plan to prune affected leaves, then remove the plants to outside this evening where I’ll spray them (from top and bottom) with a water hose. Then I’ll clean the tent with 70% isopropyl, then back into the tent for the night when the plants are finished with their drip dry.

Meanwhile I’ve lowered my AC temp to low 70s and raised my humidity into the mid 60s in order to make the mites less frisky with each other.

I’d like to treat my 3 plants with Spinosad asap but I’m unsure if it will be safe to use on flowers. Any residual taste or smell on smoked indoor plants? If so, is there a good alternative treatment? I’ve used 50% alcohol on plants before, don’t want to do it again, and I’m not convinced that H2O2 is worthwhile on mites.

I’m hoping to hear from *experienced* indoor mite murderers! TIA

I am not experienced as a grower, but I have tangled with spider mites and a few other bugs growing outdoors. The only thing I've tried that worked well is vacuuming. Tedious and time consuming - but I thought I'd mention it for after you do all the other stuff.

 

[Mothman]

The only thing I've tried that worked well is vacuuming.

Thanks 1633, I’ve heard of that. I’ve been finger crushing them pretty much daily.

I’ve read that they don’t reproduce well under cool and humid conditions, so I’ve been trying to run that way since I discovered the little sheetz! It seems to be true, I’m not seeing the wave of mite reproduction that I’ve read about from others. I’m gonna try to ride it out til chop using vigilance… and my fly eyes!

 

[Natep]

I got a mite in my grow room a few years back that last threw like five cycles. I tried everything. It kicked my ass over and over.

 

[erb4all]

I got a mite in my grow room a few years back that last threw like five cycles. I tried everything. It kicked my ass over and over.

What mites did you have? I've never had them...lucky me I guess...

 

[ImpulsiveGrower]

I seen some people mention arnica organics and natures good guys. Both great companies to get predator mites.

Another option is to do a sulfur burn. Get a shitty old pan and an electric skillet and quality sulfur. Don’t make the same mistake I did getting this powder kind that did not burn properly. It was meant for spraying I imagine. Make sure you can seal the area or don’t be around while you do the burn. Check YouTube and other resources but it was around like 3-4 hour burn on low. Use a fan to lightly circulate the air but not directly on the plants. Sulfur will kill them instantly and I’ve heard of guys doing a sulfur burn all the way at week 6 with no harm done to the flower. It will also kill any powdery mildew.

 

[Mothman]

I seen some people mention arnica organics and natures good guys. Both great companies to get predator mites.

Another option is to do a sulfur burn. Get a shitty old pan and an electric skillet and quality sulfur. Don’t make the same mistake I did getting this powder kind that did not burn properly. It was meant for spraying I imagine. Make sure you can seal the area or don’t be around while you do the burn. Check YouTube and other resources but it was around like 3-4 hour burn on low. Use a fan to lightly circulate the air but not directly on the plants. Sulfur will kill them instantly and I’ve heard of guys doing a sulfur burn all the way at week 6 with no harm done to the flower. It will also kill any powdery mildew.

I appreciate the recommendation, Impulsive, I’ll keep it in my mites folder. I’m guessing this would just about 100% wipe out all the mites including those hiding, hoping to return one day and restore their little mite world?

 

[Natep]

What mites did you have? I've never had them...lucky me

I have no idea. It was hell. I ended up killing them with predator mites.

 

[420always420]

I wouldn't use spinosad that far into flower. 1 gal of water 1.5 tbsp of citric acid powder and 2 drops of dawn dish soap will help kill them without trichrome damage. 9wks in you might be better to harvest a bit early then nuke your tent lol. Your plans to kill sounds good. Ozone generators are great for killing pest and sterilizing grow areas. You can use this solution citric acid anytime in flower might turn some pistils orange but again no trichrome damage. Then do a bud wash after harvest. Especially with the spider mites. Either way if you decide to smoke it or make concentrates you're gonna want to do a bud wash. Good luck bud.

My first rodeo with mites (discovered yesterday & found a web this morning). I can’t be sure of which kind of mite, but I’m sure I brought them in after working outdoors.
View attachment 2271367
Sorry for the shaky video but you’ll see one crawling over the edge of the leaf—pausing it may give you a decent image.
View attachment 2271368
I’m 1/2 way through flower and plan to prune affected leaves, then remove the plants to outside this evening where I’ll spray them (from top and bottom) with a water hose. Then I’ll clean the tent with 70% isopropyl, then back into the tent for the night when the plants are finished with their drip dry.

Meanwhile I’ve lowered my AC temp to low 70s and raised my humidity into the mid 60s in order to make the mites less frisky with each other.

I’d like to treat my 3 plants with Spinosad asap but I’m unsure if it will be safe to use on flowers. Any residual taste or smell on smoked indoor plants? If so, is there a good alternative treatment? I’ve used 50% alcohol on plants before, don’t want to do it again, and I’m not convinced that H2O2 is worthwhile on mites.

I’m hoping to hear from *experienced* indoor mite murderers!