Spider mites very close to harvest - Azamax, something else, or keep wiping leaves?

Discussion in 'Sick Plants and Problems' started by vapeos, Jul 24, 2012.

  1. So I just noticed white spots about two weeks ago...spider mites :( (confirmed with a microscope.) They were in parts of 2 plants (of 3 total), and I've been wiping the undersides of the leaves in the affected areas with a damp paper towel since I noticed them.

    I decided to just keep wiping them down, since I was so close to harvest and there weren't many yet...but one of my plants definitely needs 2 - 3 more weeks until it's ready; I was hoping it'd mature sooner... (I'm chopping the third one in the next day or two; it has one small area with a few mites now, but I think it's okay overall. Just a few white spots in that area, unlike the other plants.)

    I just harvested the first plant today, and discovered the mites had spread way more than I had realized...not a full-scale infestation, but they were at least a few mites and eggs visible in pretty much every part of the plant that I only noticed when I was trimming it. Whatever species of mites these are don't seem to spin webs, at least (or I just don't have a large enough outbreak yet...I suppose I might wake up tomorrow to a bunch of webs, just so the spider mites can spite me for posting about them!)

    After some research, I think my best option might be to order some Azamax, and spray the last plant in a couple days, right after I harvest the other remaining one. I'm not sure it's a great idea so close to harvest (despite what the GH info says)...but I'm also worried the mites will get out of control.

    So, spray Azamax, or keep wiping and hope for the best (and maybe have to harvest earlier than I'd like), or use something else? (Killing them with CO2 isn't a viable option for my setup, or I'd do that. Unfortunately, it's a bit too late for ladybugs or predatory mites, I think; in hindsight, I probably should've bought one or the other as soon as I noticed the mites...)

    I've also been adding extra silica to the plant that's still developing...I suspect this is making it harder for the mites to feed (I've been using silica with all my plants this grow), but the mites ARE slowly spreading...

    Also, I read that mites like to travel upwards, and that double-sided tape when hanging branches to dry should catch some of the left-over ones. No idea if that's true or not, but I folded over a bunch of pieces of duct tape and stuck then on the twine that my just-harvested plant is drying on. Guess I'll see if any mites decide to migrate up and get stuck... Has anyone had luck with this, to get rid of remaining mites during drying?

    Here's the worst part of the plant that's still maturing...there's really no leaf damage other than the white spots so far (which are limited to about 15 - 20% of the plant right now, and much less visible in other areas), other than slight unrelated nute burn, nor are there any signs of stunted growth.
     

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  2. No dude azamax wont kill them. And dont spray shit on your plant during flowering, especially on the nugs. For future reference you can order lady bugs online. 2000 for 20$ though you get like 500 live ones; still more than you need. Just use predatory insects next time and a insecticidal safer soap/neem starting from the beginning of your grow.
     
  3. #3 vapeos, Jul 24, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 24, 2012
    Yeah, I wish I'd ordered ladybugs when I'd first noticed the infestation...other than a minor case of fruit flies that was early enough to use pyrethrin on, on an earlier grow, I haven't had any pest problems. Oh well, at least I know what to do with future grows. Probably need to up my pest control measures, change clothes before working on my plants, and put filters on my inlets, but I keep a pretty clean setup in general. I think I've managed to avoid most pests just through keeping a clean environment, but apparently failed this time. :(

    Azamax seems safe to use (it's basically some neem oil derivatives, minus a lot of the odor/etc), but it seems like neem oil itself would take too long...so Azamax isn't going to be any quicker, and I'd probably just end up with more dead mites wherever they decide to die, instead of live mites that mostly stay on the leaves. I think wiping the leaves down will keep them at bay for at least another week, if not longer...hopefully I don't have to harvest early.

    I'm still considering ordering the Azamax...GH claims you can use it all the way until harvest, but I'm betting there is some taste/odor issue...they claim it's odorless, but other folks report a neem-like odor, which makes sense. But seems like a "better" way to apply neem oil compounds, without as much smell, at least. My concern is that, especially this late in flowering, there probably is going to be *some* amount of taste and odor from the spray. (Even if it's safe and kills the mites.)

    Anyone actually apply this stuff late in flowering and have an opinion on the resulting taste/odor? I'm leaning away from it, but it could let me keep my last plant in flowering longer...this is going to be my last grow for a while since I'm moving, so every last gram counts until I get set up again!

    Edit: Hmm, it appears Azamax is just "safe until harvest" for a root drench. That makes sense, don't really want to spray anything this late. Not sure it'll kill those things quickly enough as a root drench, since ideally I'd have started it earlier...but maybe it wouldn't hurt to do that for a couple weeks and see if it does build up and kill the mites. It's unclear how long it takes to build up to mite-killing levels in the leaves, though...and it doesn't kill them, just stops them from reproducing. So that's a bunch more days for the adults to die off.
     
  4. I know I'm late to this but you can use azamax up until the last 3 weeks of flower and lady bugs be it 500 or 5000 won't be enough by themselves because spider mites reproduce faster then the lady bugs or predator mites or nematodes can eat them. I'v used essential oils up until the day or 2 before harvest with no affect on taste or smell and neem used in small enough amounts can be sprayed everyday until the last week of flower. Whatever you use just make sure you spray every 3 days for 12 to 15 days cuz their life cycle is 12 days and they eggs hatch after 3 days

    Smokeandflys' organics
     
  5. Try Dr Bronner's Peppermint soap! A small bottle will cost you about $5 at the local health food store. Cheap and safe!

    How to Use Dr. Bronners As Insecticidal Soap (news - 2014)
    How to Use Dr. Bronners As Insecticidal Soap | eHow

    Be sure to spray the underside of the leaves! Spray every 3 days. Any soap residue can be rinsed off your plants the next day with tepid water. Lowering the temperature in the grow area can also help slow the mite's life cycle down (3 days from egg to breeder). Soil bacteria will transform the soapy run-off into ferts for your plants.


    Granny :wave:
     

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