First grow 4 weeks into flowering bug problem

[JoshRyche]

I can't get updated pics until later tonight after I get off work but I am about 4 weeks into flowering for my first grow, I'm growing 4 Northern Lights from seed under a 400watt HPS, using Fox farm soil.

My grow was seemingly going great until 3-5 days ago when these bugs that look like Fireflys without the glowy shit suddenly bombarded my plants, I've killed about a dozen so far but they just keep coming back, every time I go into my grow room there are 2-5 more, I find them on the leaves sucking away, on the buds, on the walls just hanging out. my leaves are starting to yellow which could be normal or could be from the bugs I don't know, just seems like its from the bugs because it was all good and green until they showed up.

My question is what can I do? Is it ok to spray insecticide around the grow area and not on the plants? Can I spray the plants? I would hate to have to do that.

I looked for some good ways to get rid of them and came up empty handed. Any help/advice/guidance would be much appreciated.

here are some pics about 3 weeks into flowering, one I had to tie down because it grew past the light.

updated pics later, thanks in advance.

[RedSorcerer]

Some beautiful girls you got there bro.
Generally, it depends on what type of insect they are, but generally, I've found that if you spray a few folded paper towels with pesticides and line them around the base of your pots, you get rid of almost any bug within a 3-4 foot radius.

I'll do some more research for you and see what I can come up with.

[SnowViper]

Arent lady bugs carniverous? they will search out and find those buds dont u think? I wouldnt want to do that if my room wasnt sealed tho lol.

[JoshRyche]

I found out they are called Elder Bugs, They live in the siding of houses and love warm climates...

Thanks Red that don't sound like a bad idea, I just don't like the idea of exposing my plants to chemicals.

Viper that would be awesome if I could get a hold of a bunch of lady bugs to eat the Elder Bugs

[Resolve]

I'm sure you can go to the pet store and buy lady bugs.

[RedSorcerer]

I totally understand about the chemicals.
Good news is, boxelder bug swarms don't get too large. You won't ever find more than 15-20 in there at once.

They do very little damage to the trees they attack, but at certain times of the year they can become a nuisance.

The BAD news is, that when they emerge in spring, they're there to seek out host trees

on which to feed and lay eggs.


More bad news, they're not easy to get rid of.

The easiest way to remove boxelder bugs, once they are indoors, is with a vacuum cleaner.

fast-acting synthetic pyrethroids would be your best CHEMICAL bet, but, they're made for preventing them from getting in, not getting rid of them.

[effektz]

I really like the ladybug idea

[Sheeba]

Hey dude that sucks about the bugs

bud we have those things around here!

Lady bugs will NOT kill those things!

Ladybugs are for MITES they eat MITES

those things are like 3 times the size of a lady bug!

Those things eat plants fast and reproduce even faster...

Get some chemicals or your gonna be smoking Nothing!

[JoshRyche]

Originally Posted by RedSorcerer

I totally understand about the chemicals.
Good news is, boxelder bug swarms don't get too large. You won't ever find more than 15-20 in there at once.

They do very little damage to the trees they attack, but at certain times of the year they can become a nuisance.

The BAD news is, that when they emerge in spring, they're there to seek out host trees

on which to feed and lay eggs.


More bad news, they're not easy to get rid of.

The easiest way to remove boxelder bugs, once they are indoors, is with a vacuum cleaner.

fast-acting synthetic pyrethroids would be your best CHEMICAL bet, but, they're made for preventing them from getting in, not getting rid of them.

Thanks for the info! Most I have found in there at once was 5 or so but every time I go out of the grow room and come back theres more, its reassuring to know they do little damage till spring but they still do damage which is a bummer.

I think I'll look into the lady bug idea and release a few of them in there, I'm going to avoid using chemicals to get rid of them.

After this harvest I'll tear down my room and get an exterminator or find a way to get rid of them permanently then rebuild and start anew, I was going to build a new grow area after this one anyway, I started up in my bedroom but got paranoid having it in the main part of the house so I set up this temporary area in the basement, the climate change was hard on the plants at first its about 10 degrees less than it was in the bedroom but they adapted.

Temps are running around 57-63 when lights are off 65-75 with them on humidity is 40%-50% area, soil PH is between 6.8 and 7 my PH Meter died half way through the grow and I don't have cash for one so I use the PH tester kit for now. I use Mother earth Blended Organic Super Tea Nutrients.

[nugglord_420]

Shit, I find those Box Eldar Bugs in my basement quite often.

I guess my best bet would to be take some precautionary measures.

[Totah Sam]

Originally Posted by JoshRyche

I found out they are called Elder Bugs, They live in the siding of houses and love warm climates...

Thanks Red that don't sound like a bad idea, I just don't like the idea of exposing my plants to chemicals.

Viper that would be awesome if I could get a hold of a bunch of lady bugs to eat the Elder Bugs

I dealt with those bastards while living in Utah. They bite. We hates them!

[JoshRyche]

Hmm bummer to hear, I'm gonna take care of it this week when I got some flow, for now its hourly visits to my girls and squash as many as I can.

To bad lady bugs wouldn't work that would be bad ass. I like the idea of finding something that would hunt and kill the elder bugs and leave me and my plants alone

I would hate to use chemicals hopefully it don't come to that, I think I would rather sit in my grow room for the next 4 weeks and supervise

I haven't noticed any of my leafs having bite marks or anything and they don't seem to be eating anything Sheeba, just sitting on my beautiful buds doing who knows what. Do they suck the juice out of it or something? I'll get some pics up here tonight gonna go hunting for bugs for a bit.

[68firebird]

those leaves look really skinny for northern lights, Thot nl were indica?

[JoshRyche]

^^I thought this too firebird, I got the seeds from Drcronic and they are NL Nirvana.

Pics, the first pics I posted where from 4 days ago, so within the last 4 days they started showing up and now I have alot of yellowing leaves and I see some brown spots on a few leaves which worries me.

Anyone have a guess? Could this be from the bugs or a Nute deficiency or just part of the last couple week flowering process?

[JoshRyche]

More pics, I did some bug squashing, I'm gonna go down every hour and try to kill as much as I can.

Evil bugs