SPIDERMITES

Discussion in 'Sick Plants and Problems' started by chrisrlaughlin1, Mar 25, 2014.

  1. 2-3 weeks away from harvest and just noticed on a few of the girls the leaves were spotting. Upon further investigation I found several areas of webbing and little yellow guys walking around. The plants are beautiful, healthy as anything and I really don't want to harvest early just to avoid the mites, but if I can't get them under control I'm not sure what else to do. The last thing I want is a bunch of mites in these beautiful buds. I just can't believe they wait to surface this close to harvest, with no indication of a problem prior. If anyone has any ideas please, let me know haha don't wanna lose these girls. Also, I've read a lot about habanero pepper and making it into a spray, but I don't want to damage the plants or buds, and this late in the game I don't wanna spray the buds with anything that might alter the taste.  

     
  2. #2 Storm Crow, Mar 25, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 25, 2014
    http://www.ehow.com/how_5791479_use-dr_-bronners-insecticidal-soap.html
     
    Nontoxic, cheap and it will wash off with plain tepid water the next day! You can find it at many supermarkets and health food stores or on line. A small bottle will be about $5. I like the peppermint variety. The mites can NOT become immune to insecticidal soaps because it kills by smothering them!   :yay: (I hate mites, and the thought of them suffocating in a coat of stinging peppermint oil and soap, just makes me grin!)  Any soapy run-off from your plants will be "eaten" by the soil bacteria, providing a tad of ferts for your plants.
     
    Also lower your grow area temperatures. The warmer it is, the faster the mites grow to maturity! Cooler temperatures are your friend right now!
     
     
    Granny
     
  3. the same thing happened to me a couple of grows back where i only had a couple of weeks left to harvest and i used a product called doctor schimmel spidermite terminater which can be used right up until harvest with out effecting the buds in anyway!!!
    it kills the spider mites, larva and there eggs which some products dont do!!!
    its really good stuff and helped me get through till harvest and its probably better that you got them now near the end of your harvest as opposed to getting them earlier on in your grow where you would be battling with them over a longer time period, what ever you deside to use dont hang around and wait get them plants treated asap and you will be fine just make shore it says on the bottle that it can be used up until harvest and you'l be good to go!!!!
     
  4. Thanks for the input. I spent the day cleaning in there and looking over all of the plants, only 2 have visible damage/mites, though I'm sure they have probably spread. The two that showed signs of colonization we ended up having to spray down with water a bit. There was just too much going on, to the point to where you could look on the underside of the leaves and actually see tons of little eggs and those little damn things scurrying around. Anywho, after cleaning everything up, we sprayed some diluted peppermint soap all over all of them, hoping to prevent any more damage and kill whatever was missed with the spraying. Hoping to go in tomorrow and not see any of those guys, but we'll see. Also, I keep my grow room around 70 during the day and 65 at night, maintaining humidity around 35-40 percent. We're pretty spot on with the conditions, these things have grown substantially. We planted the clones just about two months ago, they were maybe 4-5 inches tall. We had to force it into flowering after about a week and a half because they just took off, and were already hitting 18 inches. A month and a half later, we're now seeing 6 feet minimum, and this is out of nothing but soil. Everything these girls are exposed to is organic, and they're just booming. 
     
  5. Lady bugs will eat spider mites with out harming the plant you could find some at a hydroponics store or nursery if you want to go organic
     
  6. good luck and im shore all will turn out well tho i've never used pepperment soap before and i know nothing about the stuff but it might be an idea to find out if the peppermint soap actually kills there eggs too coz if it dont then you will need to give them more than just the one spray as the rest of the eggs will hatch at some point and the infestation starts all over again but with frequent spraying you should be able to keep on top of things if the peppeer mint soap dont kill there eggs!!!!
     
    all the best!!!
     
  7. that close to harvest u don't want to spray your buds! u can lower your temperature to slow them down but don't spray! ive run into those lil bastards a couple of times. the hotter your room the faster they reproduce n fuk shit up! if you keep your plant make sure u bomb n thoroughly disinfect your grow room. also try using a product called tanglefoot on your stems, its like sticky trap n will catch em when they try to climb the stem. whatever u do don't spray, your either upping your chances of molding your buds or your buds gonna taste like shit cuz of the spray. those products that say can be used up to day of harvest me edible fruits n such that u can easily wash, not for smoking.
     
  8. Use this up through harvest its also a vegetable wash.. its safe
    [​IMG]
     
  9. I know it's risky to spray the buds, but I didn't have much else a choice those bastards were gonna destroy everything, and I wasn't quite ready to chop those girls down right away. Since I sprayed the peppermint soap, and sprayed them all down with water it appears I've gotten the mites under control. I've seen no new webbings, no guys walking on the leaves and no eggs underneath. I noticed the peppermint didn't kill them 100%, so I took them outside and cleaned 'em off with some water. My grow room never goes over 50%humidity for flowering, and my temps during lights on stay right around 75. Like I said it's been several days now, and there seems to be no further signs of the mites. The plants are looking quite happy, and am planning to chop them down here in the next week or so. Just kinda trying to hold out for the perfect time. 
     
  10. Kudos! Thanks again for that tip Granny, and grats to you OP, you may harvest well yet!
     
    • Like Like x 1
  11. I use sns 247 as a preventive throughout veg growth its great product.. killed them outdoors during veg in no time flat with no returning problem.  Neem oil too?  I know it is organic i'd spray just the fan leafs so close to finish if worse comes to worse blast it all for bho.
     
  12. I'm sorry to be a dick, but any experienced grower will tell you the mites have already won.
     
    If you want to "slow them down," increase your humidity to at least 60% and spray with soap to drown them in morning when you turn the lights on. Don't drench any buds, you will get mold. The mites like to eat the bottom of leaves, not buds.
     
    It's all a game of catch up from here. The mites have already reproduced everywhere, including your tent/walls. You need to harvest and sterilize EVERYTHING.
     
  13. I'm gonna have to disagree with you. They didn't overtake my crop, I caught them very early on at the very end of my grow. My crop is still flourishing like it has from day 1, and is ready for harvest pretty much anytime. I know how devastating they can be, but I also know they can be stopped. I appreciate the input for sure, but I've kept an eye on them for days and I've spent several hours looking over the plants and leaves, and the infestation is gone. When I cut 'em down for drying, before I put my next round of girls in I'm gonna do a deep cleaning, and keep up with pest management from day one. I had no signs of pests for the past couple months, I was naive and now having to deal with it. As I said though I've got the upper hand this time, and these girls are gonna make it
     
  14. LMAO you're in for a nice surprise bro!!
     
    FLMAO
     
  15. Thanks. I can hope so, I need a little more excitement in my life. Guess we'll see what happens.
     
  16. By the way, the point of these forums is for discussions, not to be a douchebag. I know you'll have those everywhere, but I posted asking for tips for control, not advice on how to end my grow. Also, if you don't have any tips like the several people above you, why post at all? To have to come right out and say 'I'm sorry to be a dick' you can pretty much gather you're gonna be a dick, and there's really no need for your input. Thanks for taking the time out of your day to be a dick though. I'll take that into consideration in my grow, because that's helpful.
     
  17. I use lady bugs and they work like a charm
     
  18. Skunk Labs Horticulture facebook page they have 32oz Plant Cleanse and Vital Rinse samples available.
     
  19. #19 wolfie1983, Apr 2, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 2, 2014
    Try getting Talstar Pro. You can get a gallon of it off amazon for like $40 and it'll last you 2-3 years. It's the same insecticide many of the big name exterminators use. It's harmless to humans and pets. I spray a thick coating outside the house, and a thin layer around the edges inside the house every 2 months. I haven't had any issues with any pests since I started using it. (However it will leave a bunch of dead insects outside the next day or two) It says right on the label it works on spider mites. Prevention is always easier than the battle :p
     
  20. Lady bugs don't cut it.
    Spider mites are the easiest pest to control in marijuana and should never be a problem.  The way is to work preventatively with natural predators.  Eliminate all the sprays and all of that as they do more harm than good, to you and the plant, and the stress it puts on the plant only makes the plant more desirable to other pests, and the pest you're treating, especially if it has developed resistances to the chemicals.
    Here's what to do with a new crop:
    -Use Stratiolaelaps scimitus in the soil during potting.  These are generalist soil mites and feed on overwintering spider mites, fungus gnats, and other things.
    -Intro Amblyseius fallacis (Neoseiulus fallacis) which is a generalist mite predator.  These are awesome predators and will over winter when/if the spider mite do.  They can survive after wiping out the spider mite by feeding on other mites and other pests.  Fallacis is also highly resistant to a lot of sprays, if there is residue in your crop from previous sprays.
    -If the room is totally hard on the plants (low humidity) the spider mite can take off quickly.  If a spider mite is noticed when the other pests are in the crop, use Physeuillus persimilis.  They never lose to a battle against two-spotted spider mite.  They are faster and have a shorter life span, so it'll wipe them out every time unless you're using insecticides that the spider mite are resistant to.
     
    Trust me, pests aren't a problem in your crop if you use predators/parasites and you don't use pesticides.  They will cost wayy less in the end too.  The yield will be higher from the healthier plant.  Do itttt
    Find a good distributor that is knowledgable and can answer all of your questions. 
    Message me if any other questions.  :)
     

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