major root aphid and nematode problem. HELP!!!!

Been doing battle with 2 bugs: root aphids and nematodes. Here's the setup:

Plants are in coco in 5 gal pots. They have been vegging for a long time and need to be turned back asap.

I knew cuts had bugs when I bought them, so i took lots of preventative measures. Lots of root drenches in Bug Buster O and Azatrol. I did this pretty vigorously for 4 weeks, each application about 5-6 days apart, alternating between the 2. Each time I increased the dosage.

This knocked the population down 99% every time, but there were always those pesky resistant bugs. I did these treatments until my plants were almost dead from it.

Then, I started applying very liberal amount of predator nematodes. I have applied them 5 times in 4 weeks now.

Bug population is on the rise and I don't know what to do. I have been drenching plants in neem seed compost tea and using Biolonk (wetting agent with yucca and garlic) at 30 mL per gallon.

Root aphids have become resistant to chemicals and the nematodes (possibly root-knot nematodes) aren't affected by any insectacides (as per the interweb).

I don't want to go down the Avid road: won't harm nematodes and isn't good in the finished product.

 

Bump. Anyone have any advice? I live in a town with 4 hydro shops and everyone is out of advice for me.

For now, I'm throwing my lights back, re-applying predator nematodes (6th time in 5 weeks...going to do 10 million per 36 5 gallon containers), and going to do root drench with Spinosad, probably 2 or 3 times in the next 10 days or so.

Also continuing to use BioLink and Roots Excellerator to help the plants as much as possible.

When I dig around in my medium, it's like it comes alive with creepy crawlies, but my roots are relatively white and continuing to grow. But I'm still getting those yellow leaves with brown spots, in my experience this is the sure sign plants are getting sick from root aphid destruction. Will update on progress.

 

no buddy?

 

So I'm the only person this has ever happened to?????

 

I will say this...predator nematodes do seem to be suppressing both populations, but it took 6 1/2 weeks, 7 applications, and at least 60,000 each time per 5 gal container. Hopefully they will continue to reproduce and keep on attacking.

Thanks for the bump!

 

Another bump, still no advice as of yet.

Looking like predator nematodes are a good form of control, but certainly not prevention or elimination.

 

no, but that's pretty much the same as Azatrol, just azadachterin extract from neem seeds. I was doing root drenches with it but it's oily and has tons of nitrogen, so my plants roots got f-ed up and they almost died from always being wet. It killed 99% of the root aphids but didn't affect the nematodes. It's not a good solution now because my lights are already turned back.

 

I've used Bronner's as a suppliment for sprays but BioLink worked much better

besides all my problems are in the soil not on the foliage

 

Thanks Maczimms,

I applied 60,000 per container, 10,000,000 per week to the garden and applied these 7 times.


After this run, i am throwing away every piece of equipment in the room, apparently both the nematodes and the root aphips are both very good at surviving dry periods.


My update is that they are still present, but I have been giving plants lots of beneficials, and roots excellerator, which has given the roots a major leg up.

 

By the way i talked to nature's control about both of these pests. They recommend (it was too late for me):

-do a bare-root transplant and remove 60-70% of the root mass and as much medium as you can

-dunk whole plant in chemical of choice (I'm inclined to use Spinosad or Pyritherum based on experience with these fuckers)

-begin a vigorous regimine of predotor nematodes, once per week, and expect to see their effects take hold only after 8 to 10 weeks

-give plants superthrive of similar to help them with high stress levels

-expect control, not elimination

All I have to say is, dudes, pray that you don't get these things in your garden. I was not joking or exaggerating when I remarked that i would trade these things for mites ANY DAY. I would make love to those mites.

 

They do get the bigger bugs too, they sit in the soil and ambush things as they go past. They are so small that they actually eat their way inside the larger bugs. They are too small to eat the whole bug, but they become walking nursuries for the next generation of predator nematodes. If you have a 20-30x scope you should be able to see if you have a substantial population of them working for you.

I haven't been seeing any winged root aphids lately, which is a very late growth stage for them, so i think the pred nematodes are getting them before they grow that big....as I understand they might not get to that winged stage until the population goes up and stress factors rise, so i think that is a good sign. (I have sticky traps up plus pantyhose screens up over my exhaust so i can see all the bugs that show up).

I don't want to name names, I got them, plus these horrible nematodes, from a club that has great genetics and they are really friendly people...I know it's not their fault people bring them infected cuts to sell. Someone must either be making cuttings in an unsealed greenhouse or just scooping up dirt from their backyard.