P
PharmHand
- 846
- 143
Azamax works great for mites. It doesn't provide an immediate knockdown its a growth regulator/anti feedant/ repellent and typically I'd use it in veg and pre flower. Mix with a small amount of non ionic surfactant for best results for mites. How far into flower? I wouldn't spray it or anything really on floral clusters as there will be some residue in the finished bud but it is certified organic so not the worst thing to smoke lol..... If it's a small outbreak selective pruning and stethorus beetles can help. If u run floor fans forget the beetles the fan will kill them pretty quickly.
SOURCOOPER
- 15
- 3
Thanks for the reply! It is one small plant just starting to show a few white hairs. It is very thick so it may not be possible only to spray the leaves. Thank you.
B
brimck325
- 215
- 63
i'm assuming your not in flower??? trim the hell out of the plant and spray everything. every 3 days you spray, for 2-3 weeks and you "might" kill em off. hudson sprayers (pump garden sprayer) work best for getting underside of leaves, ime.
SOURCOOPER
- 15
- 3
Thank you for your help, my plant is small and outside in a pot and has just started a show white hairs, so I guess it is starting to flower. I am thinking about trimming some of the leaves and spraying it. Fingers crossed.
sixstring
- 7,079
- 313
SOURCOOPER
- 15
- 3
Sweet that is good to hear! Been super bummed about the whole thing. I am starting today! Thanks for your time and reply.
AJGirlsGrow2
- 223
- 63
I spent a lot of time researching and so far it seems to be working for me so what I did after viewing tips on the growweadeasy website and some extra care. First we sat and used a wet paper towel and wiped each and every underside of the leaves, wiping and basically crushing any mites, you can see them on paper towel, then I spray from upside down with Azamax also on underside of leaves, being delicate not to soak or wet my white hairs, im only 3 weeks into flowering, and then i watered them with the azamax mixed in too, put them in front of fan to dry right after, checked back, saw none for a few days now, and today I did same thing with a spinosad product since I could not get mighty wash, same thing under the leaves. You dont want them to become immune to one product and create "super bug" so you want to use one and then come back and hit the eggs or eggs that hatched with something different. Both azamax and the spinosad are organic and you can water them with both also.
DemonTrich
- 6,394
- 313
I am really sorry about this, but if you think wiping mites and eggs with a wet towel is going to rid tour more infestation, your mistaken. Water and Spinosad, like I mentioned after your other posting, is nothing more than a day at the spa for mites. Ambectin KILLS mites, not give them a bath or pedicure. Safer soap, wipe out. 3 days apart, alternating each one for 3 cycles of each. I prefer a fogger when I did my girls. Thing worked beautifully.
AJGirlsGrow2
- 223
- 63
There are a number of resources online and as a new grower, its difficult to decide who is right and who is wrong. I plan to get a mister.
AJGirlsGrow2
- 223
- 63
This is what I have been using.
How To Get Rid of a Spider Mite Infestation
Step 1: Kill Them!
Step 2: Follow Up Again in 2-3 Days
Step 3: Repeat if Necessary
Step 4: Protect Your Plants
air circulation is great for pest prevention. Spider mites love heat and stagnant, non-moving air. They can't mate in windy conditions so a strong fan can help keep the infestation from getting worse. A breeze also helps pest treatments go better because fans help spray treatments dry on the plant.
Azamax is a time-tested way to rid your grow room of spider mites. Spray plants 15 minutes before lights out, making sure to drench the foliage under the leaves as well as the top of your soil. Use a fan to blow on your leaves to help things dry. Treat your room more than once, even if you believe the spider mites are gone. You can also add small amounts of Azamax when watering your plants, as it will not hurt your roots but will kill spider mites in the soil. You will need a mister (also called a "One-Hand Pressure Sprayer") to spray all the leaves evenly.
Mighty Wash - Use just like Azamax (drench leaves top and bottom), though it works in a completely different way so you can use both of them to attack your spider mites (though not at the same time). You will need a mister (also called a "One-Hand Pressure Sprayer") to spray all the leaves evenly.
Spinosad Products (safe & organic) - Spinosad products are organic and unlike many other spider mite pesticides, completely harmless to pets, children, and plants. Unlike many insecticides, you can spray spinosad heavily on leaves and roots with basically no negative effects. Spinosad products can be used directly to kill spider mites on contact, but can also be used when watering plants to systematically kill spider mites via the roots. Spinosad can also be effective at fighting caterpillars, thrips, and many other marijuana pests.
Can be used both as a topical spray like Azamax and Mighty Wash, and can also be used directly at the roots. Spinosad is an organic insecticide made from the fermentation of a specific soil bacteria (actinomycete Saccharopolyspora spinosa) and kills spider mites via ingestion or contact by effecting the insect's nervous system. Spinosad can be a good choice for organic and outdoor growers, because it is very toxic to spider mites, but is less toxic to many beneficial arthropods.
Note: Most spinosad products are effective for only about 24 hours after being mixed with water, so only mix as much as you will need per application. Anything left over will be waste. You will need a mister (also called a "One-Hand Pressure Sprayer") to spray all the leaves evenly.
Recommended: Monterey Garden Insect Spray with Spinosad
Essentria IC3 (organic)
Essentria IC3 Insecticide is a mix of various horticultural oils that is organic and safe for humans. It is often marketed as a "bed bug killer" but it can be effective against many bugs, including spider mties, when the plants are treated regularly. Unfortunately it only stays effective on the plant for about 8-12 hours so you will want to either apply this daily or (better idea) combine with other options. You will need a mister (also called a "One-Hand Pressure Sprayer") to spray all the leaves evenly.
Insecticidal soaps
Fatty acid salts or insecticidal soaps weaken the outer shell of spider mites but are safe for humans and don't leave much of a residue.
With soaps, coverage is very important as it does not stay on your plant for long, so follow-up applications may be necessary.
Although this is considered safe, avoid getting any on your buds so it doesn't affect the taste/smell!
Doktor Doom Spider Mite Knockout Spray - This spray is hard on spider mites, but the main ingredient Pyrethrum can also be hard on plants, especially in tight spaces without much ventilation, so keep it as a last resort if possible. Use with extreme care around humans as the ingredients can be toxic. Never use Pyrethrum-based products on your plants while your grow lights are on as it can burn your plants. Avoid using Pyrethrum products on young or sensitive plants as they can get burned even when the lights are left off.
Do cover your grow lights and vents when bombing your plants with Pyrethrum and make sure you give the area at least 24 hours to air out before you try to breathe the air. This spray can work well for a couple of plants, but you'll want a Pyrethrum fogger if you have a lot of plants to treat. Outdoors, Pyrethrum can kill beneficial insects too, so keep that in mind if you're using natural predators to control pests (like ladybugs). All that being said, this spray will work to get rid of most spider mites, and it kills them on contact. Pyrethrum kills spider mites but not their eggs, so this product usually needs to be used 2-4 times (once every 2-3 days) to stop the breeding cycle and get rid of the toughest infestations.
NoPest Strips - these emit a vapor that kills spider mites, but do NOT use these if you will be breathing air from your grow room as the vapor they give off is toxic to humans and other mammals. These are only suitable if you're growing somewhere that is NOT your living space, but can be an effective way to get rid of spider mites.
Floramite - Strong stuff with harsh chemicals, incredibly expensive, but it can often do the job when everything else fails. Use as directed and only as a last resort!
Bleach solution (1 tablespoon of bleach to 1 gallon of 95°F, pH balanced, water in a spray bottle or mister) - make sure to clean all surfaces of your room, and bleach them too if possible.
Alcohol and Water mixed together (9 parts water to 1 part alcohol) will also kill the bugs on contact and shouldn't hurt the plant. You will want to use a spray bottle or mister.
SM-90 mixed with water (1 part SM-90 to 5 parts water) kills spider mites on contact and is organic (it even smells good!). You will need a mister to get nice even coverage on all the leaves with SM-90.
Neem Oil works in a similar way to SM-90, though Neem oil doesn't smell as nice and will leave an unpleasant taste/smell on buds when used to treat flowering plants. There's some evidence Neem oil may be harmful to humans so use with care! Just as with SM-90, you will need a mister to get all the leaves evenly, especially since neem oil and water will separate easily.
Insect predators - there are also insect predators such as lady bugs and predatory mites that can provide some control and reduce your spider mite numbers, but it is unlikely these will get rid of your spider mites on their own. Insect predators can be effective if you have a small problem or if you need to get to harvest and chemical sprays are not a good option.
Diatomaceous Earth - Basically, this is fossil dust - sprinkle on the top of your soil, and anywhere else in your room (window sills, doorways, etc). This powder-like substance is harmless to mammals and plants, but is incredibly sharp at the microscopic level. Therefore it will tear and dehydrate spider mites on physical contact. This will not get rid of an infestation, but can help control and slow things down when used effectively.
Treat Entire Grow Area With Insecticide, Not Just Plants! - Treat complete room with broad spectrum insecticide (only do this for a really bad problem, or one that keeps coming back) - avoid this if you can!
Note: Many growers try to avoid chemical sprays or miticides which contain Abamectin or lindane because these are harmful to humans. Please take a look at anything you use to treat your grow room, follow the directions closely, and heed all warnings. Some treatments will work for some setups or types of mites, but not for others. As mentioned earlier, if you got your spider mites from another marijuana grower, chances are you may need to resort to extreme measures to get rid of your infestation.
Step 2: Follow up in 2-3 days with a different method to kill them (you should also re-apply your first method)
Follow up in 2-3 days with something different that will also kill their eggs and any surviving adults. The adults at this point will already be more resistant to your original method so you'll get the best results using something else for the second treatment.
Step 3: Repeat Step 1 & 2 at least one more time - always treat grow area at least once after you think spider mites are completely gone
Repeat steps 1 & 2 at least one more time to ensure that you have really cleaned out your grow room. Some species of spider mite can take days or weeks to mature and will reappear in the grow room stronger than ever. Because of this, you should treat your area at least once after you are almost certain all the spider mites are gone.
Using a mix of several different methods seems to work best for getting rid of spider mites. Some spider mites are more resistant to some methods than others.
If you can see spider mites with your eyes, it means you probably have millions in the room waiting to hatch.
Step 4: Prevention: thoroughly inspect and proof your grow area against future attacks
Once spider mites are gone, you need to worry about prevention.
With spider mites, the best offense is a good defense! Stop spider mites from ever getting hold of your grow room with good prevention....
How To Get Rid of a Spider Mite Infestation
Step 1: Kill Them!
Step 2: Follow Up Again in 2-3 Days
Step 3: Repeat if Necessary
Step 4: Protect Your Plants
air circulation is great for pest prevention. Spider mites love heat and stagnant, non-moving air. They can't mate in windy conditions so a strong fan can help keep the infestation from getting worse. A breeze also helps pest treatments go better because fans help spray treatments dry on the plant.
Azamax is a time-tested way to rid your grow room of spider mites. Spray plants 15 minutes before lights out, making sure to drench the foliage under the leaves as well as the top of your soil. Use a fan to blow on your leaves to help things dry. Treat your room more than once, even if you believe the spider mites are gone. You can also add small amounts of Azamax when watering your plants, as it will not hurt your roots but will kill spider mites in the soil. You will need a mister (also called a "One-Hand Pressure Sprayer") to spray all the leaves evenly.
Mighty Wash - Use just like Azamax (drench leaves top and bottom), though it works in a completely different way so you can use both of them to attack your spider mites (though not at the same time). You will need a mister (also called a "One-Hand Pressure Sprayer") to spray all the leaves evenly.
Spinosad Products (safe & organic) - Spinosad products are organic and unlike many other spider mite pesticides, completely harmless to pets, children, and plants. Unlike many insecticides, you can spray spinosad heavily on leaves and roots with basically no negative effects. Spinosad products can be used directly to kill spider mites on contact, but can also be used when watering plants to systematically kill spider mites via the roots. Spinosad can also be effective at fighting caterpillars, thrips, and many other marijuana pests.
Can be used both as a topical spray like Azamax and Mighty Wash, and can also be used directly at the roots. Spinosad is an organic insecticide made from the fermentation of a specific soil bacteria (actinomycete Saccharopolyspora spinosa) and kills spider mites via ingestion or contact by effecting the insect's nervous system. Spinosad can be a good choice for organic and outdoor growers, because it is very toxic to spider mites, but is less toxic to many beneficial arthropods.
Note: Most spinosad products are effective for only about 24 hours after being mixed with water, so only mix as much as you will need per application. Anything left over will be waste. You will need a mister (also called a "One-Hand Pressure Sprayer") to spray all the leaves evenly.
Recommended: Monterey Garden Insect Spray with Spinosad
Essentria IC3 (organic)
Essentria IC3 Insecticide is a mix of various horticultural oils that is organic and safe for humans. It is often marketed as a "bed bug killer" but it can be effective against many bugs, including spider mties, when the plants are treated regularly. Unfortunately it only stays effective on the plant for about 8-12 hours so you will want to either apply this daily or (better idea) combine with other options. You will need a mister (also called a "One-Hand Pressure Sprayer") to spray all the leaves evenly.
Insecticidal soaps
Fatty acid salts or insecticidal soaps weaken the outer shell of spider mites but are safe for humans and don't leave much of a residue.
With soaps, coverage is very important as it does not stay on your plant for long, so follow-up applications may be necessary.
Although this is considered safe, avoid getting any on your buds so it doesn't affect the taste/smell!
Doktor Doom Spider Mite Knockout Spray - This spray is hard on spider mites, but the main ingredient Pyrethrum can also be hard on plants, especially in tight spaces without much ventilation, so keep it as a last resort if possible. Use with extreme care around humans as the ingredients can be toxic. Never use Pyrethrum-based products on your plants while your grow lights are on as it can burn your plants. Avoid using Pyrethrum products on young or sensitive plants as they can get burned even when the lights are left off.
Do cover your grow lights and vents when bombing your plants with Pyrethrum and make sure you give the area at least 24 hours to air out before you try to breathe the air. This spray can work well for a couple of plants, but you'll want a Pyrethrum fogger if you have a lot of plants to treat. Outdoors, Pyrethrum can kill beneficial insects too, so keep that in mind if you're using natural predators to control pests (like ladybugs). All that being said, this spray will work to get rid of most spider mites, and it kills them on contact. Pyrethrum kills spider mites but not their eggs, so this product usually needs to be used 2-4 times (once every 2-3 days) to stop the breeding cycle and get rid of the toughest infestations.
NoPest Strips - these emit a vapor that kills spider mites, but do NOT use these if you will be breathing air from your grow room as the vapor they give off is toxic to humans and other mammals. These are only suitable if you're growing somewhere that is NOT your living space, but can be an effective way to get rid of spider mites.
Floramite - Strong stuff with harsh chemicals, incredibly expensive, but it can often do the job when everything else fails. Use as directed and only as a last resort!
Bleach solution (1 tablespoon of bleach to 1 gallon of 95°F, pH balanced, water in a spray bottle or mister) - make sure to clean all surfaces of your room, and bleach them too if possible.
Alcohol and Water mixed together (9 parts water to 1 part alcohol) will also kill the bugs on contact and shouldn't hurt the plant. You will want to use a spray bottle or mister.
SM-90 mixed with water (1 part SM-90 to 5 parts water) kills spider mites on contact and is organic (it even smells good!). You will need a mister to get nice even coverage on all the leaves with SM-90.
Neem Oil works in a similar way to SM-90, though Neem oil doesn't smell as nice and will leave an unpleasant taste/smell on buds when used to treat flowering plants. There's some evidence Neem oil may be harmful to humans so use with care! Just as with SM-90, you will need a mister to get all the leaves evenly, especially since neem oil and water will separate easily.
Insect predators - there are also insect predators such as lady bugs and predatory mites that can provide some control and reduce your spider mite numbers, but it is unlikely these will get rid of your spider mites on their own. Insect predators can be effective if you have a small problem or if you need to get to harvest and chemical sprays are not a good option.
Diatomaceous Earth - Basically, this is fossil dust - sprinkle on the top of your soil, and anywhere else in your room (window sills, doorways, etc). This powder-like substance is harmless to mammals and plants, but is incredibly sharp at the microscopic level. Therefore it will tear and dehydrate spider mites on physical contact. This will not get rid of an infestation, but can help control and slow things down when used effectively.
Treat Entire Grow Area With Insecticide, Not Just Plants! - Treat complete room with broad spectrum insecticide (only do this for a really bad problem, or one that keeps coming back) - avoid this if you can!
Note: Many growers try to avoid chemical sprays or miticides which contain Abamectin or lindane because these are harmful to humans. Please take a look at anything you use to treat your grow room, follow the directions closely, and heed all warnings. Some treatments will work for some setups or types of mites, but not for others. As mentioned earlier, if you got your spider mites from another marijuana grower, chances are you may need to resort to extreme measures to get rid of your infestation.
Step 2: Follow up in 2-3 days with a different method to kill them (you should also re-apply your first method)
Follow up in 2-3 days with something different that will also kill their eggs and any surviving adults. The adults at this point will already be more resistant to your original method so you'll get the best results using something else for the second treatment.
Step 3: Repeat Step 1 & 2 at least one more time - always treat grow area at least once after you think spider mites are completely gone
Repeat steps 1 & 2 at least one more time to ensure that you have really cleaned out your grow room. Some species of spider mite can take days or weeks to mature and will reappear in the grow room stronger than ever. Because of this, you should treat your area at least once after you are almost certain all the spider mites are gone.
Using a mix of several different methods seems to work best for getting rid of spider mites. Some spider mites are more resistant to some methods than others.
If you can see spider mites with your eyes, it means you probably have millions in the room waiting to hatch.
Step 4: Prevention: thoroughly inspect and proof your grow area against future attacks
Once spider mites are gone, you need to worry about prevention.
With spider mites, the best offense is a good defense! Stop spider mites from ever getting hold of your grow room with good prevention....
symbiote420
- 2,199
- 263
If your nugs just starting to form and you're not at infestation levels I'd hit them top & bottom with some Mighty Wash really good, the next day spray them down with plain ole water and repeat three days later. I've had success killing all the mites using MW one time............. I either top dress with neem seed meal or steep some for a couple days to give a soil drench, this causes the roots to take up the neem for a systemic defense against any survivors biting on the plant.
Be careful not to use too much when top dressing you could burn your plants, especially younger plants..... 1 - 2 tsp per gallon seems to be my sweet spot.
Be careful not to use too much when top dressing you could burn your plants, especially younger plants..... 1 - 2 tsp per gallon seems to be my sweet spot.
AJGirlsGrow2
- 223
- 63
I went for mighty wash but they cant sell it at my store. Its really not bad at all, some white spotting, and a few here and there, the monterey was next on the list so I got that one. So far so good. I mostly did underside of leaves and put it in soil when watering. I lightly sprayed the babies. Everything seems ok so far.
Domino
- 10
- 3
First post.
Yep, I have spider mites. Came in on a donated plant. We are currently fighting them and this is how we did it.
I am a large grower, so may have a set up that is quite different from yours. When I refer to Veg, Mother, Nursery and Flower rooms, they are all different rooms.
We found them first in the nursery. This is where we keep our pints and one gallon size plants. I made up a 5 gallon bucket of the Monterrey Garden with Spinosad. I dipped each plant. They were still there (didn't die on contact, although their numbers were GREATLY diminished). I had my gardeners fan out through the garden to determine if there were more in other rooms. We found them in Mother and Veg but not in the flower rooms. I had a second gardener double check on the flower rooms - clean. Now we have a scope.
After researching and reading, I didn't think I could kill every mite on the Mothers. So I terminated all of my mothers. We found them in Veg as well, and though not on every batch (there are 4 batches there), I did have one batch that was mostly in 20 gallon pots. Like the mother plants, I didn't think that I could kill every single mite on plants that large, so I terminated that batch too (they were about 120 days old, so large plants).
The idea here is to clean what you can save, and ONLY what you can save.
This left me with 10 gallon plants (18), a couple of 20 gallon plants, 24 five gallon plants and 24 one gallon plants in my veg room. The only way that I could see to handle them is to dip them. At home depot they had a landscaping barrel that is shorter but has a wider mouth than a trash can. I filled this with 45 gallons of the Monterrey Spinosad (about $60 US). Using three people, we dipped every plant upside down and held them under for 15 seconds. While we did have a little breakage, this procedure seemed to work pretty well. We killed almost every one (but did still find a few). We also did the nursery a second time. This did not kill every mite in the nursery either.
We waited 3 days. We then recreated the dip procedure, but this time we used Azamax at a 1 oz per gallon level. We've just finished our inspection as of this writing and they are still there. We are finding dead mites, very young juveniles that have a bit of vigor and mites that look....sick (lethargic, moving only when prodded, and the two dark patches are much darker).
We are waiting 3 more days (for any live eggs to hatch) and then we are dipping with Spinosad again. That SHOULD do it, I'm hoping.
We also use SNS209 while in Veg. This is organic (rosemary based) and inhibits a wide array of insects and mites. I think that this was why we didn't have a faster spread in our Veg area (we have 10 tables in Veg in 5 rows of 2 tables).
So what are the takeaways? No one thing seems to work against the Borg. Alternate your treatments for best results. SNS209 seems to be a good base inhibitor. You can dip very large plants, but it takes help (I grow in coco) and I made cardboard inserts to keep the coco in the pot while upside down. Spinosad is organic and doesn't hurt your plants from anything that I can see. You are not going to get out of this quickly, cheaply or easily. I've thanked the Lord many times for this not to have made it to my Flower rooms.
Dom
Yep, I have spider mites. Came in on a donated plant. We are currently fighting them and this is how we did it.
I am a large grower, so may have a set up that is quite different from yours. When I refer to Veg, Mother, Nursery and Flower rooms, they are all different rooms.
We found them first in the nursery. This is where we keep our pints and one gallon size plants. I made up a 5 gallon bucket of the Monterrey Garden with Spinosad. I dipped each plant. They were still there (didn't die on contact, although their numbers were GREATLY diminished). I had my gardeners fan out through the garden to determine if there were more in other rooms. We found them in Mother and Veg but not in the flower rooms. I had a second gardener double check on the flower rooms - clean. Now we have a scope.
After researching and reading, I didn't think I could kill every mite on the Mothers. So I terminated all of my mothers. We found them in Veg as well, and though not on every batch (there are 4 batches there), I did have one batch that was mostly in 20 gallon pots. Like the mother plants, I didn't think that I could kill every single mite on plants that large, so I terminated that batch too (they were about 120 days old, so large plants).
The idea here is to clean what you can save, and ONLY what you can save.
This left me with 10 gallon plants (18), a couple of 20 gallon plants, 24 five gallon plants and 24 one gallon plants in my veg room. The only way that I could see to handle them is to dip them. At home depot they had a landscaping barrel that is shorter but has a wider mouth than a trash can. I filled this with 45 gallons of the Monterrey Spinosad (about $60 US). Using three people, we dipped every plant upside down and held them under for 15 seconds. While we did have a little breakage, this procedure seemed to work pretty well. We killed almost every one (but did still find a few). We also did the nursery a second time. This did not kill every mite in the nursery either.
We waited 3 days. We then recreated the dip procedure, but this time we used Azamax at a 1 oz per gallon level. We've just finished our inspection as of this writing and they are still there. We are finding dead mites, very young juveniles that have a bit of vigor and mites that look....sick (lethargic, moving only when prodded, and the two dark patches are much darker).
We are waiting 3 more days (for any live eggs to hatch) and then we are dipping with Spinosad again. That SHOULD do it, I'm hoping.
We also use SNS209 while in Veg. This is organic (rosemary based) and inhibits a wide array of insects and mites. I think that this was why we didn't have a faster spread in our Veg area (we have 10 tables in Veg in 5 rows of 2 tables).
So what are the takeaways? No one thing seems to work against the Borg. Alternate your treatments for best results. SNS209 seems to be a good base inhibitor. You can dip very large plants, but it takes help (I grow in coco) and I made cardboard inserts to keep the coco in the pot while upside down. Spinosad is organic and doesn't hurt your plants from anything that I can see. You are not going to get out of this quickly, cheaply or easily. I've thanked the Lord many times for this not to have made it to my Flower rooms.
Dom
mack 10
- 1,304
- 163
Domino
- 10
- 3
Update: Winning, but haven't won yet.
Every three days we've been dipping all of our veg plants. We've just completed our third run. We are alternating our treatments. The first treatment was Spinosad (killed most of them, but not all). The second was Azamax (killed every living mite, but not the eggs). The third was Spinosad again, but sprayed SM90 on all of the holes in the pots and sprayed Tanlin on the coco coir (it's diatomaceous earth in a liquid form and shreds all bugs trying to emerge or cross it).
All adult spider mites are gone*. Nothing we're using seems to be killing the eggs though, so we are still seeing juveniles. Juveniles are SUPER hard to spot. They are translucent, have not yet developed their spots and are smaller. If you have a good scope you can find them though.
We still see eggs, and as they hatch they get treated (when the every 3 day thing comes around). The idea here is to kill them before they breed to interrupt the cycle. I have found https://420spidermites.wordpress.com/life-cycle-of-spider-mites/ to be the most accurate piece on this subject. MOST MITICIDES DO NOT KILL EGGS (from the article listed). This we have found to be the case. So by regularly scheduling treatments, we are getting them as they emerge but before they can breed.
We opted for dipping. We dip the plant down to the coco in a five gallon bucket (for clones) and into 45 gallons of solution in a rain barrel-style barrel (shorter than a garbage can and wider at the mouth).
*Now above I listed that all adults were gone. This seems to be case as we can't find them. But from what I read, eggs hatch in 3 days. I've dipped 3 times, 3 days apart (so six days) and we've still got eggs, so I'm a bit baffled by that. WTF is laying the eggs?! We have had 3 different gardeners looking for adults and no one can spot a thing. So we've sprayed our tables with a bleach spray and sprayed the holes in the pots with SM90 and sprayed Tanlin on the top of coco.
The fight continues.....
Every three days we've been dipping all of our veg plants. We've just completed our third run. We are alternating our treatments. The first treatment was Spinosad (killed most of them, but not all). The second was Azamax (killed every living mite, but not the eggs). The third was Spinosad again, but sprayed SM90 on all of the holes in the pots and sprayed Tanlin on the coco coir (it's diatomaceous earth in a liquid form and shreds all bugs trying to emerge or cross it).
All adult spider mites are gone*. Nothing we're using seems to be killing the eggs though, so we are still seeing juveniles. Juveniles are SUPER hard to spot. They are translucent, have not yet developed their spots and are smaller. If you have a good scope you can find them though.
We still see eggs, and as they hatch they get treated (when the every 3 day thing comes around). The idea here is to kill them before they breed to interrupt the cycle. I have found https://420spidermites.wordpress.com/life-cycle-of-spider-mites/ to be the most accurate piece on this subject. MOST MITICIDES DO NOT KILL EGGS (from the article listed). This we have found to be the case. So by regularly scheduling treatments, we are getting them as they emerge but before they can breed.
We opted for dipping. We dip the plant down to the coco in a five gallon bucket (for clones) and into 45 gallons of solution in a rain barrel-style barrel (shorter than a garbage can and wider at the mouth).
*Now above I listed that all adults were gone. This seems to be case as we can't find them. But from what I read, eggs hatch in 3 days. I've dipped 3 times, 3 days apart (so six days) and we've still got eggs, so I'm a bit baffled by that. WTF is laying the eggs?! We have had 3 different gardeners looking for adults and no one can spot a thing. So we've sprayed our tables with a bleach spray and sprayed the holes in the pots with SM90 and sprayed Tanlin on the top of coco.
The fight continues.....
P
PharmHand
- 846
- 143
Do you mix the soap as recommended? I used it a few weeks ago mixed at suggested dilution maybe slightly weaker and burned the shit outta my plants! I used to use it many years ago but always found it did some damage. Then recently I had a few thrips the spinosad and azamax didn't seem to be eliminating so I thought I'd give it another chance. But holy fuck never again -so much damage! All the new growth came in all distorted and mangled not even fully formed exactly like I remembered happening years ago. It definitely killed some thrips but not worth the damage for me.
P
PharmHand
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It's not always a 3-day cycle. That's in optimum conditions for mites; dry and hot. It can take much longer in less than ideal conditions. Why not just spray? Much easier with big plants. I've dipped some hurtin looking clones but big plants would be cumbersome. Tanlin or nilnat as it used to be called(tanlin in reverse) never did shit all for me. It's supposed to be liquid chitin(ground up insect or crab shell) and is listed for gnats but didn't seem to help eliminate gnats for me idk
DemonTrich
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- 313
Safer soap works right out the bottle. No dilution needed, unless buying the concentrate version. I used it in 18 plants, 9 strains. All came out w/o any issues or burning. Always do lights off. I also used a fogger/atomizer, not just a normal sprayer.
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