T
Twomp
- 56
- 0
lol
R
radical farmer
- 176
- 0
I'm currently battling some spider mites that I got from a local club. Fucking filthy places... anyway, I've heard that high humidity will kill them? True?
I was thinking of those no pest strips, but after reading that warning about them, I think I changed my mind. My girls are little over 3 weeks into flower, so I don't think I want that stuff around them.
I was thinking of those no pest strips, but after reading that warning about them, I think I changed my mind. My girls are little over 3 weeks into flower, so I don't think I want that stuff around them.
Midnight_son
Premium Member
Supporter
- 219
- 18
From my experience, they thrive in heat and higher humidity 60-70%. Real high humidity might kill them, but probably would be bad for plants as well.
R
radical farmer
- 176
- 0
Well if I turn my vent fans off at lights off my humidity goes up to 100%! I know that this will promote heavy PM & mold, but its "fairly" early in flower, and was hoping to just focus on the mites first and foremost, and then if a problem persists from the high humidity, put that in check.
Midnight_son
Premium Member
Supporter
- 219
- 18
I'm at the 17 day mark and noticed the little bastards a few days ago. I spray with a moderate mixture of insecticidal soap once every four or five days until the last ten days. After that a few times with straight water. I just try to keep em in check.
7
7rayos
- 280
- 0
Mites find their best clima in around 40% humidity and 25C, then they breed fast. With that precise parameters you can check when the lights are just on and see a few and at the end of the light cycle they're everywhere. Rise to 60% humidity and you'll cut their breeding abilities by half, although still enough to fuck up the plant. 90% and eggs don' even hatch, but that ain't good for the buds.
If you grow just for yourself, learn to live with them. Predators, if properly used, are very effective and will clean the plant as good as the best product, but it means adding them in the right moment and making good conditions for them to thrive, which are similar to those of mites, but not equal. Not many people find this easy, and so render them useless.
If you grow just for yourself, learn to live with them. Predators, if properly used, are very effective and will clean the plant as good as the best product, but it means adding them in the right moment and making good conditions for them to thrive, which are similar to those of mites, but not equal. Not many people find this easy, and so render them useless.
R
radical farmer
- 176
- 0
Welp, turned all my vent fans off last night, humditity sky rocketed to 99%, like I said it would. Looked at a couple plants this morning (I'm working with 24 plants in a 5x5, so I can't really check all of them everyday), and they looked pretty good. I know that keeping the humidity that high every night is going to encourage PM & mold, but I figured that I should take care of the spider mites first and foremost, then keep all the other stuff in check. These guys are a real pain the ass when your working with that many plants in that size of an area! You don't even know where they could be!
Midnight_son
Premium Member
Supporter
- 219
- 18
Yeah, thats the problem with those little shits. They always manage to keep out of site until the absolute worst time. Good luck with the spiking humidity up. Let us know if it work's out for you.
J
John Smith Esq.
- 242
- 0
never had mites but aphids find there way in to my room every now and then, i tend to go out and find any carniverous beatles/insects and put them in my room and hey presto bugs are gone.
The best bit is that they hate sticky buds so they dont tend to go near the weed and when all the aphids are gone they themselves either sod off or die off through starvation, the best results ive had is with ladybirds and household spiders, not together mind cause the spiders would eat the ladybirds but i often use ladybirds because spiders are ugly, and secondly they make webs which i wouldnt want to smoke. but coincidently i have heard spider web makes you trip out if smoked...but thats another story and probably not true anyway.
Ive had a ladybird ive named Douglas for about 4 days now and hes happily chomping his way through a small colony of aphid assholes. nice one Douglas.
In nature theres a solution for everything.
Peace
The best bit is that they hate sticky buds so they dont tend to go near the weed and when all the aphids are gone they themselves either sod off or die off through starvation, the best results ive had is with ladybirds and household spiders, not together mind cause the spiders would eat the ladybirds but i often use ladybirds because spiders are ugly, and secondly they make webs which i wouldnt want to smoke. but coincidently i have heard spider web makes you trip out if smoked...but thats another story and probably not true anyway.
Ive had a ladybird ive named Douglas for about 4 days now and hes happily chomping his way through a small colony of aphid assholes. nice one Douglas.
In nature theres a solution for everything.
Peace
sedate
- 948
- 63
Midnight Sun said:
I think they do some insect equivelent of hibernating during the vegetative cycle when you had them in the grow room on the cycle before . .
I was growing some Durban's that kept fucking getting infested every time at week three of flower - without fail three grows in a row. The clones I cut looked okay during veg, but then, without fail . . .
I got so sick of it I dumped the entire strain and haven't had the problem since.
I dunno wtf.
Midnight_son
Premium Member
Supporter
- 219
- 18
HAHAHA Douglas LOL. Good deal bro, glad it's workin out for ya.:party0033:
Midnight_son
Premium Member
Supporter
- 219
- 18
That's what hapenns to me as well. I dunk my clones every three day's for 2-3 weeks. No sign of em after that..........Until 2nd or 3rd week of flower. They drive me f@%kin nuts.
7
7rayos
- 280
- 0
Things to consider. Mites grow in five stages, from larvae to full grown eight legged, and is precisely when we can see them naked eye in their 5th stage when they're less damaging, as they don't bite the plant themselves (too busy making webs and laying eggs), so taking them out with just the fingers will only kill the visible ones. A wet cotton stick soaked in either cold water or neem and brushing the leaves, specially on the back, not touching buds, is the best bet if you're in advanced flowering. But in my experience, allow 1 hour brushwork per plant, not good if you'got many. This is easy for devoted buddhists. That'll give you time to finish the flowering, but the bastards still are there, only with no time left to reinfest.
After hanging them to dry, they'll be gone from the plant, either eating each other or migrating somewhere else.
Dissinfecting totally the room is not very effective most of the times, as when the mites eventually arrive (in the shoulder of giants, ken?) they will not have enemies and thrive at ease.
Outdoors, a strong plant can create an ecosystem that keeps all little pests at bay. I also add ladybirds like old Douglas, as well as the more effective Mantis, most times they come on their own
Not all treatments work for all stages. Most effective are the chemicals, of course, but even those aren't 100%, so if you're using chemicals, try to alternate products with different composition. Also, mites thrive even better if the compost has a high N, as this softens the plant tissue which they love to bite, but knowing this has little use for common growers who won't bother or can't measure it.
I have a grower friend who swore me he got rid of them with electricity, but i've never tried it personally.
After hanging them to dry, they'll be gone from the plant, either eating each other or migrating somewhere else.
Dissinfecting totally the room is not very effective most of the times, as when the mites eventually arrive (in the shoulder of giants, ken?) they will not have enemies and thrive at ease.
Outdoors, a strong plant can create an ecosystem that keeps all little pests at bay. I also add ladybirds like old Douglas, as well as the more effective Mantis, most times they come on their own
Not all treatments work for all stages. Most effective are the chemicals, of course, but even those aren't 100%, so if you're using chemicals, try to alternate products with different composition. Also, mites thrive even better if the compost has a high N, as this softens the plant tissue which they love to bite, but knowing this has little use for common growers who won't bother or can't measure it.
I have a grower friend who swore me he got rid of them with electricity, but i've never tried it personally.
jessejames12345
- 371
- 93
ok , its offical ;) ....some SOCAL mites seem to be IMMUNE from hot shot strips.
Its shocking to me , cause these things have always worked GREAT. But I got some mites this time that actually seem to be living through 2 of them in my tent.
Time for even more drastic measures ??
Its shocking to me , cause these things have always worked GREAT. But I got some mites this time that actually seem to be living through 2 of them in my tent.
Time for even more drastic measures ??
ncga
- 249
- 63
Glad I took a few days to calm down
Well I fall somewhere in between a lot of post. I wonder if people who grow pot have ever grown other things. One of the best things I learned way back when was if you want to grow good pot you need to grow other plants, and vegetables. Great advice. I will also have to say I'm lucky to live in a high agriculture are, as well as involved in the food industry with an Engineering back ground.
In Cali to really use a wide range of products you need a Pesticide license. I used to think who needs all that red tape. Until I actually started to read a MSDS. I remember spraying products with no PPG. But when you see vineyard workers suited up and start reading a light went on. I hope this will open eyes up to not fully depending on MJ sites for you ag class.
With just a short 30 second search almost all the questions asked could have a clear answer. Not to be high and mighty but no one has had the correct answer to the mite problem. But a lot have come close. I will try to back this up with facts. But we hve to know we start from . NO products are approved for pot! The problem is not as bad outdoors since grapes are close. In that I mean out door there is a longer season and lager plants and generally a time spent in storage before being consumed. Outdoors most miticides are used rarely since there are natural controls. Indoors I have found very poor ag practices. There is way more money involved and on the line so short cuts will be taken. I understand this but good practices will almost eliminate your problems
Why is there a problem. On line grows have been using Avid for the past 10 years on every mite problem. No every one and grow store is using Florimite. Agin not to be used more than twice.
Well no Miticide is designed to be used that much. All miticeds are limited to 2 applications. They are meant to be used as PART of a program ( this applies to fungicides also). The reason for a program is a pre planed method of dealing with a problem. Not just blasting everything with no thoughts.
Part 1 a cut and paste of mites life
HortFACT Two-spotted Mite Life Cycle
Two-spotted mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch
Identification
The two-spotted mite, Tetranychus urticae, has several other common names including two-spotted spider mite, red spider mite, glasshouse red spider mite, and red mite.
The summer form of the adult female is approximately 0.65 mm long, rotund oval in shape, and pale yellow or greenish with two characteristic lateral dark green or black spots on the body. The adult male is slightly smaller than the female and has a narrower, more pointed abdomen. In autumn, females become an orange or brick-red colour and lose their characteristic dark body spots, although they retain the bright red eye-spots. They overwinter in this form (cf. European red mite, which overwinters in the egg stage).
The minute, spherical, translucent eggs, about 0.1 mm in diameter, are usually laid amongst webbing. They age to a pale yellow or green colour, and red eye spots of the young larva become visible just before hatching.
Nymphs (young stages) vary in coloration, depending on their host plant, but are normally pale yellow, pale green, or straw-coloured, with two green spots characteristic of the species. Frequently the end of the abdomen is a dark green. The first nymphal stage (larva) is six-legged, whereas the later protonymph and deutonymph stages are eight-legged.
Two-spotted mites are easily distinguished from the European red mite, which is red and the bryobia mite, which is rather flat in appearance. Several other species of Tetranychus in New Zealand are very similar in appearance and habits, and are difficult to distinguish from T. urticae. They differ only slightly in coloration and host-plant preferences.
Host plants
Two-spotted mite feeds on a wide range of plants. It is an important pest of glasshouse crops, and is commonly found on cucumbers, tomatoes, capsicums, melons, pepinoes, beans, roses, carnations, orchids, chrysanthemums, and many other flowers. It can be a serious pest of outdoor crops, including strawberries, grapes, hops, blackcurrants, raspberries, and most deciduous fruit trees. It may also be found on kiwifruit, sweet corn, maize, peas, and other field crops. It occurs on many common weed species such as clovers, plantains, black nightshade, mallows, Amaranthus, and Convolvuius, and on a variety of shelter plants including willows, poplars, walnut, and elm.
Damage
Two-spotted mites damage plants by piercing leaf cells and sucking out the contents, which causes the cells to collapse and die. This damage is usually most conspicuous as pale-coloured spotting visible on the upper surface of the leaves. In heavy infestations the mites remove nearly all the chlorophyll, and leaves eventually die and fall off. Mites secrete a very fine, silk-like webbing which is usually obvious over the dying leaves and, as these dry out and fall, the mites move away to feed on growing shoots. When large populations have been present for a few weeks webbing may cover the whole plant. Females disperse from a plant of declining food quality on threads of webbing and drift or are blown on to other plants. Loss of leaves from heavily infested plants decreases their vigour and leads to a reduced or damaged crop. Heavily infested annual plants may die prematurely.
Distribution
Two-spotted mite has a worldwide distribution and frequently occurs in glasshouses. Outdoors it occurs throughout New Zealand, and is especially common in hot dry conditions. It often moves from weeds within a crop on to the crop when drought conditions and high mite numbers prevent further weed growth. It may also move from species of shelter-belt trees which host two-spotted mite on to horticultural crops such as kiwifruit and brambles. Wind is an important agent of mite dispersal.
Life cycle
Egg Chart
Immature
Nymphs
Nymphs
Adult
Month
Note: Coloured bars indicate periods of peak activity in each of the life cycle stages
Female mites overwintering outdoors become active in early spring (usually August-October, but as early as June in some crops such as strawberries) and start to feed and lay eggs on the underside of leaves. The eggs hatch in 2-15 days; however, development is greatly retarded by temperatures below 12°C. There are many overlapping generations throughout the summer, depending on temperatures.
Developing mites pass through egg, larval, protonymph, and deutonymph stages, with periods of quiescence in between. Females begin to lay eggs after 1-2 days; unfertilised eggs produce male mites and fertilised eggs produce female mites. A female mite lays 70-100 eggs and usually lives for 3-4 weeks. Development from egg to adult is from 4 to 24 days, but usually takes 2-3 weeks in summer; breeding is especially rapid in hot, dry conditions.
Colonies of mites occur mainly on the underside of leaves, sheltered by strands of fine webbing. As winter approaches, with shorter days, lower temperatures, and declining leaf condition, reproduction ceases and all stages except the females die. These winter females stop feeding and become orange or deep orange-red . They then begin to cluster together in sheltered situations, where they spend the winter. These dormant female mites also overwinter in straw mulch and dead leaves, in dry crevices in the soil, under loose bark and in cracks, crevices, and pruning damage on trees or on posts in berry and hop gardens. In glasshouses they overwinter in the structure of the house or in litter, and if new crops are grown they may become active again earlier than mites living outdoors. In areas with mild winter conditions a proportion of the population may not become fully dormant and may continue to feed and reproduce, albeit at very much reduced levels.
E. COLLYER
Well I fall somewhere in between a lot of post. I wonder if people who grow pot have ever grown other things. One of the best things I learned way back when was if you want to grow good pot you need to grow other plants, and vegetables. Great advice. I will also have to say I'm lucky to live in a high agriculture are, as well as involved in the food industry with an Engineering back ground.
In Cali to really use a wide range of products you need a Pesticide license. I used to think who needs all that red tape. Until I actually started to read a MSDS. I remember spraying products with no PPG. But when you see vineyard workers suited up and start reading a light went on. I hope this will open eyes up to not fully depending on MJ sites for you ag class.
With just a short 30 second search almost all the questions asked could have a clear answer. Not to be high and mighty but no one has had the correct answer to the mite problem. But a lot have come close. I will try to back this up with facts. But we hve to know we start from . NO products are approved for pot! The problem is not as bad outdoors since grapes are close. In that I mean out door there is a longer season and lager plants and generally a time spent in storage before being consumed. Outdoors most miticides are used rarely since there are natural controls. Indoors I have found very poor ag practices. There is way more money involved and on the line so short cuts will be taken. I understand this but good practices will almost eliminate your problems
Why is there a problem. On line grows have been using Avid for the past 10 years on every mite problem. No every one and grow store is using Florimite. Agin not to be used more than twice.
Well no Miticide is designed to be used that much. All miticeds are limited to 2 applications. They are meant to be used as PART of a program ( this applies to fungicides also). The reason for a program is a pre planed method of dealing with a problem. Not just blasting everything with no thoughts.
Part 1 a cut and paste of mites life
HortFACT Two-spotted Mite Life Cycle
Two-spotted mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch
Identification
The two-spotted mite, Tetranychus urticae, has several other common names including two-spotted spider mite, red spider mite, glasshouse red spider mite, and red mite.
The summer form of the adult female is approximately 0.65 mm long, rotund oval in shape, and pale yellow or greenish with two characteristic lateral dark green or black spots on the body. The adult male is slightly smaller than the female and has a narrower, more pointed abdomen. In autumn, females become an orange or brick-red colour and lose their characteristic dark body spots, although they retain the bright red eye-spots. They overwinter in this form (cf. European red mite, which overwinters in the egg stage).
The minute, spherical, translucent eggs, about 0.1 mm in diameter, are usually laid amongst webbing. They age to a pale yellow or green colour, and red eye spots of the young larva become visible just before hatching.
Nymphs (young stages) vary in coloration, depending on their host plant, but are normally pale yellow, pale green, or straw-coloured, with two green spots characteristic of the species. Frequently the end of the abdomen is a dark green. The first nymphal stage (larva) is six-legged, whereas the later protonymph and deutonymph stages are eight-legged.
Two-spotted mites are easily distinguished from the European red mite, which is red and the bryobia mite, which is rather flat in appearance. Several other species of Tetranychus in New Zealand are very similar in appearance and habits, and are difficult to distinguish from T. urticae. They differ only slightly in coloration and host-plant preferences.
Host plants
Two-spotted mite feeds on a wide range of plants. It is an important pest of glasshouse crops, and is commonly found on cucumbers, tomatoes, capsicums, melons, pepinoes, beans, roses, carnations, orchids, chrysanthemums, and many other flowers. It can be a serious pest of outdoor crops, including strawberries, grapes, hops, blackcurrants, raspberries, and most deciduous fruit trees. It may also be found on kiwifruit, sweet corn, maize, peas, and other field crops. It occurs on many common weed species such as clovers, plantains, black nightshade, mallows, Amaranthus, and Convolvuius, and on a variety of shelter plants including willows, poplars, walnut, and elm.
Damage
Two-spotted mites damage plants by piercing leaf cells and sucking out the contents, which causes the cells to collapse and die. This damage is usually most conspicuous as pale-coloured spotting visible on the upper surface of the leaves. In heavy infestations the mites remove nearly all the chlorophyll, and leaves eventually die and fall off. Mites secrete a very fine, silk-like webbing which is usually obvious over the dying leaves and, as these dry out and fall, the mites move away to feed on growing shoots. When large populations have been present for a few weeks webbing may cover the whole plant. Females disperse from a plant of declining food quality on threads of webbing and drift or are blown on to other plants. Loss of leaves from heavily infested plants decreases their vigour and leads to a reduced or damaged crop. Heavily infested annual plants may die prematurely.
Distribution
Two-spotted mite has a worldwide distribution and frequently occurs in glasshouses. Outdoors it occurs throughout New Zealand, and is especially common in hot dry conditions. It often moves from weeds within a crop on to the crop when drought conditions and high mite numbers prevent further weed growth. It may also move from species of shelter-belt trees which host two-spotted mite on to horticultural crops such as kiwifruit and brambles. Wind is an important agent of mite dispersal.
Life cycle
Egg Chart
Immature
Nymphs
Nymphs
Adult
Month
Note: Coloured bars indicate periods of peak activity in each of the life cycle stages
Female mites overwintering outdoors become active in early spring (usually August-October, but as early as June in some crops such as strawberries) and start to feed and lay eggs on the underside of leaves. The eggs hatch in 2-15 days; however, development is greatly retarded by temperatures below 12°C. There are many overlapping generations throughout the summer, depending on temperatures.
Developing mites pass through egg, larval, protonymph, and deutonymph stages, with periods of quiescence in between. Females begin to lay eggs after 1-2 days; unfertilised eggs produce male mites and fertilised eggs produce female mites. A female mite lays 70-100 eggs and usually lives for 3-4 weeks. Development from egg to adult is from 4 to 24 days, but usually takes 2-3 weeks in summer; breeding is especially rapid in hot, dry conditions.
Colonies of mites occur mainly on the underside of leaves, sheltered by strands of fine webbing. As winter approaches, with shorter days, lower temperatures, and declining leaf condition, reproduction ceases and all stages except the females die. These winter females stop feeding and become orange or deep orange-red . They then begin to cluster together in sheltered situations, where they spend the winter. These dormant female mites also overwinter in straw mulch and dead leaves, in dry crevices in the soil, under loose bark and in cracks, crevices, and pruning damage on trees or on posts in berry and hop gardens. In glasshouses they overwinter in the structure of the house or in litter, and if new crops are grown they may become active again earlier than mites living outdoors. In areas with mild winter conditions a proportion of the population may not become fully dormant and may continue to feed and reproduce, albeit at very much reduced levels.
E. COLLYER
Venom818
- 3,303
- 263
azomite problem solved and im in socal shit i hear spidermites knocking on my door i better go lock it LOL
500lbs Guerilla
- 334
- 63
constant releases of longipes and californicus mite predators. they take a while to build up a colony, but they can survive in 50% humidity and 80 degree climate. they breed twice as fast as spider mites too. you just to get them started early, and its also expensive.
500lbs Guerilla
- 334
- 63
Thats funny you mention that. I have a 400W MH I keep separate for any overflow vegging plants. I keep it separate mainly because it seems to send a current right into the soil. I can't even leaf the plants without getting shocked if the light is still on. But even when I was attacked by a heavy mite infestation, everything under that light was clean as a whistle. Maybe we're on to something.
Latest posts
-
Good morning everyone!- GoldenDragondnw posted
-
CExotic genetix grow under the ks3000
- Clase posted
-
Introducing Predatory mites in week 5 flower- Grapefruitroop posted
-
NWhat is your typical yield for an indie plant?
- Natep posted
