Spider Mite Problem - HELP NEEDED!

[Botanist]

I have two plants which I have been budding under 6 energy efficient daylight bulbs for three weeks now. The buds are still pretty small. Unfortunately, the plants have been attacked by mites. It was a while before I noticed them (about a week into being attacked) as the leaf damage was not very bad at first. When I realized that they were becoming pretty heavily infested last week (the leaves are very speckled), I started spraying with water and a water-neem-oil-mixture every day. It has now been almost a full week since I started spraying and I'm not sure that they are doing any better.

I've read that it takes about 2 weeks before the mites will be eliminated (if it works). Could the neem oil be working without much noticeable change? Or should I try something else?
1) I was thinking of upping the amount of neem oil (I was worried before about damaging the buds but now I'm just trying to do anything to save the plants).
2) Also, I was considering completely submerging the plants in either water or soapy water - I've read that this can drown and wash off the mites?
3) I've also read that a 1:1 mixture of water and isopropyl alcohol can eliminate the mites if sprayed on regularly (I was also considering dunking them in this for about 30 seconds.)

Below are two pictures of my larger (and more infected) plant as of when I began spraying. Recent pictures to follow.

http://forum.grasscity.com/photopost...4/ppuser/86525
http://forum.grasscity.com/photopost...5/ppuser/86525

Please any ideas on how to save my plants? What would be the best solution? Any and all advice is appreciated, thanks.

[scary visionary]

Never good this late in the game... maybe you could manualy remove them by washing the leaves between two soapy sponges,

Predator mites work if the infestation isn't too severe...

[myles117]

no pest strips work great too. Just throw a couple in the room among the plants and the spider mites should leave everything alone.

[Botanist]

I was using some Sticky Sticks (Yellow sticky pads supposed to trap pests) but they weren't having an overwhelming effect. The plants are in my bedroom so I'm not sure I would want to have anything that smells like chemicals...What kind of no pest strips would you be talking about?

Also, I'm not familiar with ride max - is it a miticide of some kind?

[myles117]

Originally Posted by Botanist

I was using some Sticky Sticks (Yellow sticky pads supposed to trap pests) but they weren't having an overwhelming effect. The plants are in my bedroom so I'm not sure I would want to have anything that smells like chemicals...What kind of no pest strips would you be talking about?

Also, I'm not familiar with ride max - is it a miticide of some kind?

http://www.drugstore.com/products/pr...0pest%20strips

That is the no pest strip I'm talking about. The sticky traps will not work because spider mites live on the undersides of the leaves and will not be venturing to far from their food source to get to your sticky strip. The hot shot no pest strip should not be used if it is literally in your room. Extended exposure of more then 4 hrs a day or sumthin like that is not good. If it was in a closet, you'd be safe using them.

[Botanist]

The plants are right in my room but I'd consider trying to put them somewhere else if it would 99% work...any chance of that?

Here are pictures from today, one week after the infestation became large and noticeable.

http://forum.grasscity.com/photopost...5/ppuser/86525
http://forum.grasscity.com/photopost...6/ppuser/86525
http://forum.grasscity.com/photopost...7/ppuser/86525
http://forum.grasscity.com/photopost...8/ppuser/86525
http://forum.grasscity.com/photopost...9/ppuser/86525
http://forum.grasscity.com/photopost...0/ppuser/86525

[CaliCoast]

Remember to attack the infestation from multiple angles. Use the no pest strips in conjunction with perhaps a Safer product, Neem or even a biological control(predator bugs). Also consider what the conditions are in your growroom. Is it nice and clean? Do pets have access to the area? Just try different angles and remember spider mite infestations can be a bitch sometimes. You have to be persistant with bugs.

[Botanist]

So far I've been using water, neem oil, and sticky sticks.

I don't really want to use a biological control since the plants are in my room. No pets and the space is pretty clean - can't think of anything in the grow area that would be benefiting the bugs. I removed one of the 6 bulbs today and moved the plants a little further away to keep the conditions less hot/dry and instead more cool/moist.

Also, some of the buds' white hairs are turning orange (as seen in the pictures from my previous post) but it's still too early for them to be ready for harvest. I think that this is because of the mites - is it possible that those buds may already be ruined?

[myles117]

Originally Posted by Botanist

So far I've been using water, neem oil, and sticky sticks.

I don't really want to use a biological control since the plants are in my room. No pets and the space is pretty clean - can't think of anything in the grow area that would be benefiting the bugs. I removed one of the 6 bulbs today and moved the plants a little further away to keep the conditions less hot/dry and instead more cool/moist.

Also, some of the buds' white hairs are turning orange (as seen in the pictures from my previous post) but it's still too early for them to be ready for harvest. I think that this is because of the mites - is it possible that those buds may already be ruined?

Spider mites love dry, hot conditions. removing that bulb might help a couple degrees but wont significently change the temp. I think a few hot shot no pest strips would work amazingly. put one hanging into each plant. The vapor doesnt do any damage to the buds and the bugs will die. If that doesn't work, i'll shut up lol I've been using them in my attic grow. With an attic grow, my temps are up and my humidity is bone dry. Spider mites devastated my first plant I ever budded. There were webs covering the buds with the things crawlin all over it. Since I tried these no pest strips two years ago, I have continued and the mites have not returned.

[Botanist]

Thanks. I'm going to try to get some of those asap. Do you know if they sell them at stores like Home Depot/Canadian Tire by any chance - or do I have to go to some sort of plant store?

[SaRaNaC]

Originally Posted by Botanist

Thanks. I'm going to try to get some of those asap. Do you know if they sell them at stores like Home Depot/Canadian Tire by any chance - or do I have to go to some sort of plant store?

Lowes should have them, my lowes does, if you have lowes in canada. Good luck to ya.

[myles117]

Yeah lowes has them and some small hardware stores also carry them.

[Botanist]

So I've been taking measures to get these spider mites under control and trying to exterminate them. However, my concern is that the plants are too far damaged to continue anyhow. The buds still have some white hairs but many have turned orange (I think under the stress...). Also, many of the leaves are speckled, unhealthy, and more dry up each day. However, if the mites were stopped, is it likely the plants would recover and continue budding? Or might they even be thrown back into vegging to be re-budded or have clones taken from them later? Either of these would be fantastic at this point. Please respond asap. Thanks.

[scary visionary]

You may want to remove some of the heavily infested leaves...

After this crop is out of the way, wash everything with a 5% bleach solution, walls, celling, floors, lights, everything in the room... if you have carpet in the grow room its not good, bomb the room. Clean into your air ducks as far as you can, mites are a bitch...

Keep everything clean and a vigilant eye out for the little bastards...

Good luck.

[gonejah17]

Hey what is ride max???

Sorry to hear about the mites man - Trust me Ive been there. The good thing about it is that once u get them under control ull be good. Its one of the worst things to deal with in ur grow, so if u can handle it u can handle anything IMO.

The no pest strips will work, but u have to use them right.

Are u in a cab?? If ur in a cab with ventilation, u have to turn the ventilaiton off. U have to saturate the room/cab with the dichlorvos (sp) which is the TOXIC chemical the strips release. U dont want to breathe this shit for extended periods of time. For real. And u dont want it around children.

So depending on ur situation, Id do it like this. If ur in a cab that vents outside of the house, ur pretty good. U can keep the strips in 24/7 and live in the room pretty much. if the cab vents into the room and u can smell that shit while ur doin ur work in the room or whatever, not so good lol. In this case if ur doin 12/12 I would keep the strips in a ziplock bag during lights on/when ur in the room. At lights off I would put the strips (get 2) in the cab, turn off the ventilation (this raises humditiy {mites hate it humid} and allows the dichlorvos to saturate in the cab.) Then I wouldnt chill in the room if u can smell that shit. LEave it to saturate. come in an hour before lights on and turn the ventilation on and stick the strips back in the ziplock and let the room vent for an hour before u go in to work in there. Do this for a week at least!!

Let the mites breathe that poison for 12 hours a day in a humid ass room/cab for a week and most of them will be dead. The eggs hatch in 3-5 days so u have to keep doing this for this long to get the newly hatched ones. Some mites will bury themselves in crevices and cracks in the room/cab. They will "hybernate" untill the next time u swith to 12/12. So u have to do this again the next time u flower. This should get all of them in the flower cab.

The veg cab, if u have one, is a diff story IMO. If u want to talk about mites in veg cabs we can.

The sprays are OK but dont work like the strips trust me. There is a spray called Floramite that is the holy grail but its $250 for a quart lol. Theres another spray that someone recommended but I forget what its called Ill have him chime in here. Ive also found Green light Rose defense works well. And its OMRI llisted if Im not mistaken.

Predatory mites are expensive and take a while to work, I havent messed with them too much but I hear the no pest strips are much more effective.

Neems cool, but more preventative, it wont getem all.

Sorry for the wordiness but I JUST went thru all of this myself man, check my threadz.

Researching the life cycle of spider mites helps alot so u understand how the dirty cocksuckers get down.



K HTH .02

{EDIT} TAGGED!!!