spider mite resistant strains?

Bluenote · Jan 19, 2012

Here's some food for thought , some of the terpenes exuded by the cannabis plant are naturally *anti* insect , we're at the brink of learning exactly how to feed these plants to stimulate production of certain terpenes/terpinois as regard flavor , some of which such as pinene are likely to play a multi-faceted role , pinene being present in both rosemary oil and eucalyptus oil , the former being the base for SNS217 , a highly effective organic mite treatment.

There are no existing toxicity studies specifically on cannabis that I know of , however you will note that Rothschild (1977) found some larvae to be susceptible to THC in suspension , but then some weren't , He and Fairbarin ( 1980) found pure THC to be effective as a repellent for the cabbage moth , however a straight CBD compound was ineffective.

Limonene is also anti-insect and there exists some evidence ( as with pinenes) of anti-bacterial and potential anti-fungal properties , terpineol and borneol are also insect repellent.

El Cerebro · Jan 20, 2012

ibTheMan said:
Any strain you spray with Dyna Gro Neem Oil regularly , Any.

Sorry, wrong. Neem is ok but not quite that good. Some Borg don't care, and does nothing to eggs. Has to be used constantly every few days, and no good in flower.

spunion said:
Who cares what strains are resilient to mites, just get some Bayer Forbid and exterminate.

Yeah, I keep a bottle on my desk for sipping when friends drop by. This stuff is great, a health tonic for sure! Just open the bottle and sprinkle around like a priest at Easter mass. (seriously, should only be used within a real IPM plan, check related threads, this one is about strains).

El Cerebro · Jan 20, 2012

grnthumb420 said:
from what I understand they don't like high humidity and low temps...

I have also used SNS217

I've seen the same trend with environment and it's also supported by the scientific literature. The company making SNS sends very nice sample bottles free from their website. I did some simple tests with two-spotted mites, they were totally unaffected a day later, after heavy application on several leaves removed and placed in a ziplock. No effect on eggs either, hatched as normal.

Mites are very resistance-adaptable, which is why we nickname them borg. I'm guessing that's also why the OP started this thread, to consider genetics rather than just IPM? Anyway, not trying to play mod, but I'm very interested to hear more feedback on the original subject..

Bluenote · Jan 20, 2012

El Cerebro said:
I've seen the same trend with environment and it's also supported by the scientific literature. The company making SNS sends very nice sample bottles free from their website. I did some simples tests with two-spotted mites and they were totally unaffected a day layer after heavy application on several leaves removed and placed in a ziplock. No effect on eggs either.

Mites are very resistance-adaptable, which is why we nickname them borg. I'm guessing that's also why the OP started this thread, to consider genetics rather than just IPM? Anyway, not trying to play mod, but I'm very interested to hear more feedback on the original subject..

As per the resistance factor of the mites , cycling of your remedies is recommended.

Mite resistance in the plants themselves , a plant with a terpene profile high in the anti insect terpenes may well be more resistant to mites , though there is little doubt that terpene profiles will vary from plant to plant even within a strain.

By the way , I've used the predator mites a time or two with good results.

BirdDog1 · Jan 23, 2012

Bluenote said:
Here's some food for thought , some of the terpenes exuded by the cannabis plant are naturally *anti* insect , we're at the brink of learning exactly how to feed these plants to stimulate production of certain terpenes/terpinois as regard flavor , some of which such as pinene are likely to play a multi-faceted role , pinene being present in both rosemary oil and eucalyptus oil , the former being the base for SNS217 , a highly effective organic mite treatment.

There are no existing toxicity studies specifically on cannabis that I know of , however you will note that Rothschild (1977) found some larvae to be susceptible to THC in suspension , but then some weren't , He and Fairbarin ( 1980) found pure THC to be effective as a repellent for the cabbage moth , however a straight CBD compound was ineffective.

Limonene is also anti-insect and there exists some evidence ( as with pinenes) of anti-bacterial and potential anti-fungal properties , terpineol and borneol are also insect repellent.

Hmmm, good read!

El Cerebro · Jan 23, 2012

Hey Blue, will def read the literature on thc you cited, do you have any good references on the terpene studies? I also wonder if its odors that keep the mites away, or perhaps something present that they'd rather just not eat? Biflavonoids? Can they taste? Pheromone response is another possibility?

Just realized, mites are arachnids, not insects. IMO, making them even more creepy (literally)

critical · Jan 24, 2012

BirdDog1 said:
The pheno of the AlienDog dosn't get mites on her thick, shiny, waxy, sexy leaves. For me, it's a big deal not to have to spray or bomb.....not to mention the constant attack on the plants.

I'm all about finding and breeding mite resistant strains....mites jack our crap up if we don't stay on it ALL the time.

Less cost
Healthier plants
Less work......... = nice

:cool0019:

grnthumb420 said:
Hey All!! I had a pheno of Nebula that mites weren't fond of...

from what I understand they don't like high humidity and low temps... In the winter my night time temps drop to the mid to low 60s and they shut the hell down at that point...

neem oil works too with a drop of dish soap.. but it isn't just one application.. have to apply it at least 3 times, once a week.. to disrupt the breeding cycle (preferably during veg as well)

I have also used SNS217 (veg side only) I have sprayed it on early stages of flower but the pistils didn't care for it too much.. It crushed the majority on my veg side in a few short days.. the rosemary oil cuts through their shell and exploits their weak sides... and also does a number on their eggs... safe for you and your pets as well...

All in all I haven't found a end all be all solution for "the borg" other than a clean grow op, and healthy plants to combat these miserable little pricks!!

good thread though!! :cool0019:

Bluenote said:
Here's some food for thought , some of the terpenes exuded by the cannabis plant are naturally *anti* insect , we're at the brink of learning exactly how to feed these plants to stimulate production of certain terpenes/terpinois as regard flavor , some of which such as pinene are likely to play a multi-faceted role , pinene being present in both rosemary oil and eucalyptus oil , the former being the base for SNS217 , a highly effective organic mite treatment.

There are no existing toxicity studies specifically on cannabis that I know of , however you will note that Rothschild (1977) found some larvae to be susceptible to THC in suspension , but then some weren't , He and Fairbarin ( 1980) found pure THC to be effective as a repellent for the cabbage moth , however a straight CBD compound was ineffective.

Limonene is also anti-insect and there exists some evidence ( as with pinenes) of anti-bacterial and potential anti-fungal properties , terpineol and borneol are also insect repellent.

El Cerebro said:
Sorry, wrong. Neem is ok but not quite that good. Some Borg don't care, and does nothing to eggs. Has to be used constantly every few days, and no good in flower.

Yeah, I keep a bottle on my desk for sipping when friends drop by. This stuff is great, a health tonic for sure! Just open the bottle and sprinkle around like a priest at Easter mass. (seriously, should only be used within a real IPM plan, check related threads, this one is about strains).

El Cerebro said:
I've seen the same trend with environment and it's also supported by the scientific literature. The company making SNS sends very nice sample bottles free from their website. I did some simple tests with two-spotted mites, they were totally unaffected a day later, after heavy application on several leaves removed and placed in a ziplock. No effect on eggs either, hatched as normal.

Mites are very resistance-adaptable, which is why we nickname them borg. I'm guessing that's also why the OP started this thread, to consider genetics rather than just IPM? Anyway, not trying to play mod, but I'm very interested to hear more feedback on the original subject..

Bluenote said:
As per the resistance factor of the mites , cycling of your remedies is recommended.

Mite resistance in the plants themselves , a plant with a terpene profile high in the anti insect terpenes may well be more resistant to mites , though there is little doubt that terpene profiles will vary from plant to plant even within a strain.

By the way , I've used the predator mites a time or two with good results.

El Cerebro said:
Hey Blue, will def read the literature on thc you cited, do you have any good references on the terpene studies? I also wonder if its odors that keep the mites away, or perhaps something present that they'd rather just not eat? Biflavonoids? Can they taste? Pheromone response is another possibility?

Just realized, mites are arachnids, not insects. IMO, making them even more creepy (literally)

wow thanks guys this is exactly the kinda feedback i was lookin for, plus the specific resisistant strains that were mentioned before these great bits of input were another very helpful n welcome addition to the thread also.

by the way bluenote, do u know which actual strains carry the highest amount of these certain terpenes? that would be good to know as 1 of us farmers or someone else could then use the info on these certain strains to cross with eachother and/or backross the certain strains that have these terpenes to focus on them and build the world a real mite resistant strain that dosnt need any bug killer to help it out, of course it will have to tick the potency flavour n smell boxs too hehe... thanks every1 keep it green n take care

singingcrow · Jan 26, 2012

There is a good section in the beginning of "Cultivating Cannabis" that goes into terpenes, and mentions the graphs (showing) White Widow and maybe 9-12 other well-known varieties. He mentions the more well-known terpenes and how they affect flavor.

I would venture to guess that those plants with higher terpenes that are naturally insect-repellent would make good strains, at least *more* resistant to spider mites, if not completely resistant...

More study perhaps? Interesting I thought too, though....

critical · Jan 31, 2012

singingcrow said:
There is a good section in the beginning of "Cultivating Cannabis" that goes into terpenes, and mentions the graphs (showing) White Widow and maybe 9-12 other well-known varieties. He mentions the more well-known terpenes and how they affect flavor.

I would venture to guess that those plants with higher terpenes that are naturally insect-repellent would make good strains, at least *more* resistant to spider mites, if not completely resistant...

More study perhaps? Interesting I thought too, though....

thanks singing crow, so widow has nice levels ofthese terpenes then huh? cool, which other strains did u see that did also? were getin somewere now thanks farmers

singingcrow · Feb 2, 2012

Sorry bout the delay Critical, let's see... they did a cross-study with some of the old school strains like Acupulco Gold I believe. The terpene levels for strains were pretty much indicative of what you experience in flavor, for instance, a Lemon Skunk has higher levels of the limonene terpenes as well as ecalyptus and other astrignent terpenes.

I would assume strains that are well-bred for a certain taste, color, smell have had those plants with the highest levels of terpenes that were to be bred in, like say, a Lemon Skunk or Haze or a good purple strain (I grow The Purps, myself) would have extra-high levels of those terpenes adding to the aroma and flavor.

Getting frosty buds is a combination of genetics and environment. I grow The Purps, right? Well this strain loves a cool period toward the end of the grow, at night it needs to dip down into the 60's if possible. Brings out the trichome swelling and more trichome sites as well as the purple of the strain. In fact, this strain grown outdoors gets pretty purple with the natural stresses of the environment (colder nights, winds, etc).

I've learned from a few people here that if you truly try to "dial in" a strain and grow a few plants outside for reference, the outdoor plants can give you an idea of the raw nature of the strain since outdoor stressors show up easier.

So, growing hydro/organic indoors, my job is to match the grow patterns that The Purps would experience outdoors; dark purple leaves by the bud sites, a swelling of trichomes in week 4-5 of flowering, and a big jerk of N loss in weeks 2-3 of flowering (requiring some additional Cal/Mag). Ask me again in a year or two after I *really* get to know this strain. Hope this helps! I liked reading about trichomes and terpenes too!

Here's a pic of a fresh cut, without being "dialed in" quite yet, so early potential. I'll take the same pic in another 6 months or a year and probably see dank purplely, purple purple tasting buds. Did I say purple? :winking0067:

Djsamseedri · Apr 15, 2013

Green Crack is a "wicked" resistant strain and also Jack47 , Purple Haze and Qurkle are very hearty. But I have to agree a good organic pesticide is the way too go. Me personally I use strait Neem powder in the pots as a root drench and Mighty Bomb as my spray . Between the two it's like a nuke going off in the garden. I have to say though I recently found out that alot of my infestation problems were stemming from my soil. Might want to look into using coco core or one of the new coco/soil mixes. OH almost forgot make sure your spraying your room down as well as the plants IE ( floors, baseboards, walls EVERYTHING) , or they will retain a strong hold on your plants. I do have to disagree with the statement made about mites being in every garden. Once I learned how to PROPERLY spray for mites and figured out that a root wash is needed also ... I have not seen 1 spider mite in my garden for 4 cycles. so let that be testimony that resistant strains will undoubtedly help but really it's about proper elimination. Good luck and my your next harvest be the best ever !

CINDARELLA99 · Apr 15, 2013

El Cerebro said:
I have a blueberry and a mango ( both sativa leaning and purple/woody stemmed) that were totally unaffected during a skirmish with borg recently. All other plants in the room except these had crawlers and eggs. I slacked on IPM and paid for it..

Same here, I was havng a mite problem and My Blueberry was untouched also.

ttystikk · Apr 15, 2013

Out here in arid Colorado the borg are the worst, due to the low humidity. It's so bad that farmers actively bred me resistance into several stains, such as the local cut of blue moonshine. In general, indicas tend to be more resistant to mites, but more susceptible to powdery mildew.

Werunwild69 · Mar 29, 2015

singingcrow said:
Sorry bout the delay Critical, let's see... they did a cross-study with some of the old school strains like Acupulco Gold I believe. The terpene levels for strains were pretty much indicative of what you experience in flavor, for instance, a Lemon Skunk has higher levels of the limonene terpenes as well as ecalyptus and other astrignent terpenes.

I would assume strains that are well-bred for a certain taste, color, smell have had those plants with the highest levels of terpenes that were to be bred in, like say, a Lemon Skunk or Haze or a good purple strain (I grow The Purps, myself) would have extra-high levels of those terpenes adding to the aroma and flavor.

Getting frosty buds is a combination of genetics and environment. I grow The Purps, right? Well this strain loves a cool period toward the end of the grow, at night it needs to dip down into the 60's if possible. Brings out the trichome swelling and more trichome sites as well as the purple of the strain. In fact, this strain grown outdoors gets pretty purple with the natural stresses of the environment (colder nights, winds, etc).

I've learned from a few people here that if you truly try to "dial in" a strain and grow a few plants outside for reference, the outdoor plants can give you an idea of the raw nature of the strain since outdoor stressors show up easier.

So, growing hydro/organic indoors, my job is to match the grow patterns that The Purps would experience outdoors; dark purple leaves by the bud sites, a swelling of trichomes in week 4-5 of flowering, and a big jerk of N loss in weeks 2-3 of flowering (requiring some additional Cal/Mag). Ask me again in a year or two after I *really* get to know this strain. Hope this helps! I liked reading about trichomes and terpenes too!

Here's a pic of a fresh cut, without being "dialed in" quite yet, so early potential. I'll take the same pic in another 6 months or a year and probably see dank purplely, purple purple tasting buds. Did I say purple? :winking0067:

So it's been a few years now. I am a huge Purp fan and running a few now. Can you update me with your observations?

psilobuds · Apr 12, 2015

does anyone kno what chems are responsibly for mite resistance? like this 'll be somfin the plant's synthesizing yeah?

psilobuds · Apr 12, 2015

And I dont know of any strains but have heard of pesticide resistant spider mite

Werunwild69 · Apr 12, 2015

psilobuds said:
And I dont know of any strains but have heard of pesticide resistant spider mite

I think I got that strain of mite, although they are not spider mites.

mmcxix · Apr 12, 2015

Why focus on spider mite resistance, get rid of the mites so you can focus on other things like potency.
I had mite problems before, really annoying when you let it get out of control, but they are not that hard to get rid of.
Also had thrips, they are the worst! such a pain in the ass and hard to get rid of, tried a lot of products but they kept coming back.
Untill I discovered neem oil, magical product, cheap, all natural and very effective.

gymshoes · Apr 12, 2015

critical said:
anybody know of any? theres gota be some decent spidermite resistant strains out there right?

I really doubt it man... the Borg are just too darned adaptable. Because of their fast turnover, they will adapt much faster to resistant plants than the plants are able to adapt to the Borg. It's a zero sum game (IMHO).

Werunwild69 · Apr 12, 2015

mmcxix said:
Why focus on spider mite resistance, get rid of the mites so you can focus on other things like potency.
I had mite problems before, really annoying when you let it get out of control, but they are not that hard to get rid of.
Also had thrips, they are the worst! such a pain in the ass and hard to get rid of, tried a lot of products but they kept coming back.
Untill I discovered neem oil, magical product, cheap, all natural and very effective.

Hard to get rid of? While your plants are growing they surely are! I brought in supplemental heat for the better part of 8 hrs. let it cool down brought it back up for another 8, holding 135F at the canopy and 120F at the floor. The concrete stayed hot for a day afterwards I've used Forbid, Avid, Akari, Monterey, 3 in 1 . The plants took the heat not too bad. I surely thought that would of killed em all. I've been taking down plants for the past several months as well as most of today. Down to the least affected. Like my last five. Think I'll go on and can them as well.

spider mite resistant strains?

spider mite resistant strains?

Bluenote

El Cerebro

El Cerebro

Bluenote

BirdDog1

El Cerebro

critical

singingcrow

critical

singingcrow

Djsamseedri

CINDARELLA99

ttystikk

Werunwild69

psilobuds

psilobuds

Werunwild69

mmcxix

gymshoes

Werunwild69

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