Proactive Pest Control?

[CheebaMonkey]

My seedlings just sprouted and are looking good so far but I worry about possible infestations especially this time of year.

So can I do anything to prevent it? I hear about pest strips but are they safe to keep in your home? My grow cab is in my basement and I spend a lot of time down there working out and watching TV.

Though my grow caninet is clean I see bugs in my house all the time in the summer. Today I saw a 1-2mm flying bug with a slender body. I think it might be a thrip but the FAQ says thrips are pink so I don't know what to think.

 

[been]

You could periodically seal the cab with plastic sheeting and duct tape while running a high concentration of CO2 to asphyxiate the pests..... or neem.

 

[MediVapeMan]

The hotshot pest strips are awesome. If you place one in your grow cab, and your grow cab is sealed, I don't see any reason why it should be a problem. Those little no pest strips are the only thing I've found to be 100% effective for everything. I keep a couple in the garden at all times and never see any bugs or signs of bugs. Never tried C02 for pest control. Sounds scary. If they asphyxiate pests wouldn't they asphyxiate plants too?

 

[smoke1sun]

Ive read that neem is a good way to deter bugs. They hate the coating it puts on the leaves.

 

[MediVapeMan]

If you use Neem they will form a union and conspire to annihilate your crop on a time released egg program. I'm not even sure why they still sell that stuff. Most plants hate neem more than the bugs.

 

[darookie2000]

I've been spraying Dr. Dorights since I ran out of azamax (well, before too, but I slacked a little when I wasn't having issues and got a few fungus gnats). Both are good and don't leave residues.