Are these Spider Mites? Please help.

Chem77 · Jun 15, 2021

No them are not spider mites. Maybe aphids, or thrips. I’m not sure.

cottageman · Jun 15, 2021

What magnification is this? I’m no expert but they look clear with 8 legs, not a two spotted spider mite, thrips are more cigar shaped and aphids are usually big, like you can see them easily with the naked eye. Russet mites are extremely small and look like beneficial mites which is kinda what this looks like. Once again not an expert at all but at first glance maybe a beneficial bug or (hopefully not) a russet mite?

Pisano · Jun 16, 2021

@cottageman 60x.. just a cheap phone magnifier. Probably time to get a better one.. if you have any suggestions, I’m all ears.
No webs found at this point. Still just the one but there has to be more. Hit up another friend that thinks they are spider mites in the adolescent stage??

ComfortablyNumb · Jun 16, 2021

It looks like baby Thrips. They have a nymph stage that is very similar to this. But the extra legs makes me think Aphid.
I don't think they are mites, at least not from these pix.

You have 3 choices:
1. Ladybugs will eat many different kinds of bugs off your plants, not just aphids. They are my first choice for outdoor grows.
2. An organic wash or spray designed to kill them.
3. Insecticide.

Madbud · Jun 16, 2021

Probably aphids, hose them off. Neem oil works for a while. I’m thinking of crushing some and adding them to a spray-on soap solution now.

Farmer88 · Jun 16, 2021

ComfortablyNumb said:
It looks like baby Thrips. They have a nymph stage that is very similar to this. But the extra legs makes me think Aphid.
I don't think they are mites, at least not from these pix.

You have 3 choices:
1. Ladybugs will eat many different kinds of bugs off your plants, not just aphids. They are my first choice for outdoor grows.
2. An organic wash or spray designed to kill them.
3. Insecticide.

+1 Juvenile thrips. Insecticidal soap for sure. M-Pede is reliable. Thrips are very easy to destroy at this stage.

Ladybugs are a great option in an enclosure. I have never found good efficacy outdoors. Ladybugs and other predetory IPM insects are also relatively hard to source this year.

Pisano · Jun 16, 2021

@Farmer88 @ComfortablyNumb I wish I could post the “live” photo so you guys can see what I do..I don’t think they are thirps because these bastards they have 8 legs. @Madbud i believe that rules out aphids too.

Someone could school me here and I’m all for it but I think I’m down to spider or broad mites. What I know...
8 legs (95% sure)
Found on leaf close to top of plant
No webs found
Seen initially with naked eye.. photos above are 60x.

Anyone have experience with broad mites?? Could you even see those with naked eye at first? (It was obviously extremely small but I could see a red spec move on the leaf)

karolanne · Jun 16, 2021

I see 8 legs

Pisano · Jun 16, 2021

I shouldn’t be able to see broad mites without magnification, anyone know if that’s true?

RealizedReal000 · Jun 16, 2021

Pisano said:
I shouldn’t be able to see broad mites without magnification, anyone know if that’s true?

Go check out my post. I got the same thing. Can’t figure it out.

Farmer88 · Jun 16, 2021

Pisano said:
I shouldn’t be able to see broad mites without magnification, anyone know if that’s true?

Upon further inspection, and calling the local Entomologist, broad mites is a better guess. You can still use M-Pede but efficacy will drop significantly if they are in the adult stage. Depending on your growing style finding a light duty arachnacide shouldnt be to hard. I believe Avid is publicly available. If you have a licence (probably not) you can try and find a commercial miticide however I would check local guidelines if you are going to apply it to a plant in the ground. Otherwise you can always try and find a guy with a licence and see if they will help you out, time is a factor so this is not a very practical solution.

One last ditch effort I can think of, and I'm not sure of the availability, is predatory mites. They can be purchaced from specialized labs. I do not have any leads on those. If the plants are outside then predatory IPM is very inefficient.

@RealizedReal000 I think this applies to your thread as well

Madbud · Jun 16, 2021

Montdorensis? Antenna and movement would be a predator.

Pisano · Jun 16, 2021

I wish these things had antennas... I thought there were at first but it’s just their front legs @Madbud

Pisano · Jun 16, 2021

@Farmer88 I starting to think the same... I hope they don’t wipe me out. Any experience with them?

cottageman · Jun 16, 2021

Pisano said:
@Farmer88 I starting to think the same... I hope they don’t wipe me out. Any experience with them?

Do not use avid, if they’re broad/ russet mites I’ve heard a ton of people go the sulfur route if you’re not late in flower. Dipping everything you can in sulfur and using a safe spray on between helps out a lot. I know purecrop1 and power si control can be used in an ipm regiment with sulfur unlike most oil sprays

Farmer88 · Jun 16, 2021

Pisano said:
@Farmer88 I starting to think the same... I hope they don’t wipe me out. Any experience with them?

Yes, when I used to manage feilds of hops. I used a mix of neem and m-pede and nufilm. However this was in a very early stage of thier development. I have never had a mite problem get so bad that it fully ruined a crop. That being said I had and still have a very strict IPM system. I just don't farm hops anymore because it's not a financially viable crop where I farm. The man who opened and invested all his money in that project didn't believe me when I told him that. I'm still farming, he isn't.

Farmer88 · Jun 16, 2021

cottageman said:
Do not use avid, if they’re broad/ russet mites I’ve heard a ton of people go the sulfur route if you’re not late in flower. Dipping everything you can in sulfur and using a safe spray on between helps out a lot. I know purecrop1 and power si control can be used in an ipm regiment with sulfur unlike most oil sprays

A sulphur based miticide is definitely an option. I see there are a handful of wettable powders on the market. I do not have any experience with these so I cannot speak to the efficacy of the products.

ComfortablyNumb · Jun 16, 2021

You can use Lost Coast Plant Therapy until late in flower.

PizzaBob · Jun 16, 2021

100% not spider mite. Almost certain broad mites. Pylon is the best miticide imho because it is translaminar but not systematic and it will destroy all mites. I had a terrible russet mite infestation and I tried everything like that lost coast stuff you got. I dipped while plants fir 5 minutes and it did nothing. 2 consecutive Pylon apps 1 week apart and wiped em out.

Are these Spider Mites? Please help.

Are these Spider Mites? Please help.

Pisano

Chem77

cottageman

Pisano

ComfortablyNumb

Madbud

Farmer88

Pisano

karolanne

Pisano

RealizedReal000

Farmer88

Madbud

Pisano

Pisano

cottageman

Farmer88

Farmer88

ComfortablyNumb

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