Need Advice On Cleaning After Lost Russet Mite Battle...

[Allan419]

I think I have to throw in the towel and start over after a loosing battle with russet mites.
This is how the last of my ladies look:

I can't seem to find any living mites after a pretty tough fight but I'm pretty certain the plants will not pull out of it and even if they do there are surely eggs and dormant mites all over the place. I assume they have made their way into the house and ducting and carpet...

So on the topic of cleaning the hell shit out of the place and starting over, I have a few questions for someone who has been in this position.

1. The soil. I reuse my soil. I have for many years and as long as I flush it well and recondition it it seems to work fine. I know my soil well and have a lot of it and don't want to toss it and get an unknown introduced into my system. I keep reading that a 115f soak of the plant and soil will kill these BORG. Do you think a 3x the pot volume slow flush with 130f water will kill the nasties in the soil, eggs and all? If it does do you think a lot of the soil life will survive intact? Another option is sterilizing soil in the oven at 180F for an hour but I think that would kill beneficial bacteria and other good stuff. Thoughts?

2. I know bleach will kill the bugs but it leaves a residue that should be cleaned up if plants could come in contact with it. Does bleach fry the eggs also? I have read to use a 10% bleach/water mix but many say 50/50 at least to kill them. This solution (at some yet to be determined strength) seems it would be good for walls and floors. Thoughts?

3. Isopropyl. I keep reading differing opinions on it's effectiveness. I have found contradictory inf. on University AG sites as well as forums and grow guides. Does anyone have any first hand experience? If it does in fact kill russet mites and eggs what strength must I use? Can I spray down equipment with it and not worry about residue?

This loss sucks. I was certain it was a stress induced deficiency (Had to move and they sat in a travel trailer grow conversion for three months). I scoped them at 30x on multiple occasions and did not see any invaders. My eyes must be getting bad because after six weeks of intensive care for a nute issue there was no improvement just further decline. I picked up a 100x scope and there they were. The BORG!

Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this and offer any advice. Peace and Good Health.

 

[Savage Henry]

After broad mites I scrubbed my rooms with soap, then 10% bleach. Then fogged the room with 10% bleach. Then fogged with 50/50 70% iso/water. Then fogged with an absurdly strong (well over label rates) mix of pyrethrin and nuke-em and dish soap. Then fogged with the iso mix again. Sometimes I'll rotate in a fog with h2o2.

So far so good.

I don't have any experience re-using media.

 

[3N1GM4]

A mushroom farmer gave me a recipe and it really works because it killed the skin and hair on my hands.
Wear gloves

One spray bottle with half white vinegar and half water

One spray bottle with 10% hydrogen peroxide 90% distilled water

Spray a small area with a few sprays of one and then a few sprays of the other right on top, wait a few seconds and then wipe clean with a dry cloth, repeat this over your whole grow area. Peroxide is a base and vinegar is an acid, when mixed a violent chemical reaction happens speeding up what the peroxide already does, killing and living cells it comes in contact with including eggs that can be resistant to other chemicals that dont penetrate the egg casing.

It will kill any living cells it comes in contact with when the solutions are mixed together so make sure to wear rubber gloves and avoid breathing the mists. It will also bleach hair and clothing.

 

[Allan419]

After broad mites I scrubbed my rooms with soap, then 10% bleach. Then fogged the room with 10% bleach. Then fogged with 50/50 70% iso/water. Then fogged with an absurdly strong (well over label rates) mix of pyrethrin and nuke-em and dish soap. Then fogged with the iso mix again. Sometimes I'll rotate in a fog with h2o2.

So far so good.

I don't have any experience re-using media.

That is very interesting to say the least! How did you fog with those items? Some kind of fog machine? Do You think a vacuum with good filters would catch them up from the dust on the floor and carpets? Thanks for the tips!

 

[Allan419]

A mushroom farmer gave me a recipe and it really works because it killed the skin and hair on my hands.
Wear gloves

One spray bottle with half white vinegar and half water

One spray bottle with 10% hydrogen peroxide 90% distilled water

Spray a small area with a few sprays of one and then a few sprays of the other right on top, wait a few seconds and then wipe clean with a dry cloth, repeat this over your whole grow area. Peroxide is a base and vinegar is an acid, when mixed a violent chemical reaction happens speeding up what the peroxide already does, killing and living cells it comes in contact with including eggs that can be resistant to other chemicals that dont penetrate the egg casing.

It will kill any living cells it comes in contact with when the solutions are mixed together so make sure to wear rubber gloves and avoid breathing the mists. It will also bleach hair and clothing.

Now that is a recipe! I will certainly put that into the mix.

Do You think a vacuum with good filters would catch them up from the dust on the floor and carpets?

I sure wish someone had and answer to my question about the hot water soil flush.

Thanks for the tips! Peace.

 

[Savage Henry]

With any infestation it'd say why take the chance with reusing the soil? The cost of getting more should be less than the potential loss from another outbreak/infestation.

I use a paint sprayer (Wagner 590) as a fogger (and only as a fogger/foliar sprayer). Vacuuming shouldn't hurt, but don't know about its true efficacy. Pet stores sell a powder you can shake on your carpets and then vacuum up, maybe look at the label of one of these products and find the active ingredient(s) then google to see its efficacy against tarsenomid mites.

 

[Allan419]

With any infestation it'd say why take the chance with reusing the soil? The cost of getting more should be less than the potential loss from another outbreak/infestation.

I use a paint sprayer (Wagner 590) as a fogger (and only as a fogger/foliar sprayer). Vacuuming shouldn't hurt, but don't know about its true efficacy. Pet stores sell a powder you can shake on your carpets and then vacuum up, maybe look at the label of one of these products and find the active ingredient(s) then google to see its efficacy against tarsenomid mites.

A paint sprayer... Wow! Good thinking.

As to soil, I agree that tossing it all is the sure way to solve the problem of infested medium but I have a lot of soil. A lot. It is well tended soil and I don't want to lose it and at this point can't afford to replace it. I have also been hearing a lot of people commenting that they think their store bought soil may have been the vector.

I know that 180F for an hour will sterilize it but I don't want to kill everything, just the bugs.

Good advice on the vacuuming.

Thanks again! Peace.

 

[Savage Henry]

Hypoapsis miles are effective predator mites for soil. I'd look into them, they won't disturb the integrity of your microherd like cooking the soil may.

 

[Allan419]

Hypoapsis miles are effective predator mites for soil. I'd look into them, they won't disturb the integrity of your microherd like cooking the soil may.

Thanks for that. I'll look into it. Be well.

 

[3N1GM4]

A paint sprayer... Wow! Good thinking.

As to soil, I agree that tossing it all is the sure way to solve the problem of infested medium but I have a lot of soil. A lot. It is well tended soil and I don't want to lose it and at this point can't afford to replace it. I have also been hearing a lot of people commenting that they think their store bought soil may have been the vector.

I know that 180F for an hour will sterilize it but I don't want to kill everything, just the bugs.

Good advice on the vacuuming.

Thanks again! Peace.

You could put it in pillow cases or burlap sacks and pour boiling water on it....what a mess...

 

[Allan419]

You could put it in pillow cases or burlap sacks and pour boiling water on it....what a mess...

Does that mean you think a slow soil flush with 3x the pot volume of 130F water will not work? The soil would stay at 120F or so for over an hour. A lot of folks are saying raising room temps to 120F for an hour kills them on the plant so I wonder if it would do the same in the soil?

I agree that pillow cases and burlap backs would get pretty messy. I'm ok with messy if it works. I think boiling water would kill the beneficials also and I don't want that.

 

[3N1GM4]

Ive heard of people baking it, pillow cases in a tub is a backbreaking mess

 

[ballbeanking]

Following

 

[ken dog]

Lol... make a 115 degree pile of mud!... You gotta be kidding.

Put the soil in the oven if you want to do that.

 

[ShroomKing]

Does that mean you think a slow soil flush with 3x the pot volume of 130F water will not work? The soil would stay at 120F or so for over an hour. A lot of folks are saying raising room temps to 120F for an hour kills them on the plant so I wonder if it would do the same in the soil?

I agree that pillow cases and burlap backs would get pretty messy. I'm ok with messy if it works. I think boiling water would kill the beneficials also and I don't want that.

Leave the soil in its original bag, then put that in a pillow case. Stand this up in a tub/ice chest, etc and pour the boiling water into/through the meduim. No mess if done properly. And works great for fungus gnats and thrips in store bought soils. But for russet mites throw that stuff away.

Best of luck.
Peace

 

[ken dog]

Leave the soil in its original bag, then put that in a pillow case. Stand this up in a tub/ice chest, etc and pour the boiling water into/through the meduim. No mess if done properly. And works great for fungus gnats and thrips in store bought soils. But for russet mites throw that stuff away.

Best of luck.
Peace

Sounds better the way you say it. LOL :)

 

[ShroomKing]

Lol... make a 115 degree pile of mud!... You gotta be kidding.

Lol... they laughed at the Wright brothers too.
Have you tried it?
I've perfected this method for sterilization of store bought soils.

 

[ken dog]

Well yeah they laughed at the Wright brothers... If God intended for man to fly, God would have given man wings!

And seriously, you've got to admit... That first flight wasn't much of a flight.

But hey, the plane flew... I'm sure your idea will fly as well.:)

 

[ShroomKing]

Well yeah they laughed at the Wright brothers... If God intended for man to fly, God would have given man wings!

And seriously, you've got to admit... That first flight wasn't much of a flight.

But hey, the plane flew... I'm sure your idea will fly as well.:)

Lol. OK ok....I did make a few mud puddles at first. Hot ones!

 

[Allan419]

Leave the soil in its original bag, then put that in a pillow case. Stand this up in a tub/ice chest, etc and pour the boiling water into/through the meduim. No mess if done properly. And works great for fungus gnats and thrips in store bought soils. But for russet mites throw that stuff away.

Best of luck.
Peace

I chose to cut and remove the infected plant, leave the dirt in the pot, spray the exterior with 91% ISO, put pots in laundry tub, flush 132F pH adjusted to 6.3 well water running at 240 ppm hardness slowly through the pots over the course of a couple hours.

Temps in entire pots of soil got to 128 for at least 90 minutes.

From the research I've done and the post treatment samples I've studied I believe I have successfully killed the mites, russet mites, fuckers, and their eggs and some other life, good and bad, but not the entire life web in the soil.

I have moved the garden, cleanly, and the beginnings have begun. I hope. This was an ugly lost fight. If only I had known sooner...

I will be starting an integrated pest management system and see how it goes. I'll keep you posted. peace.