Need some kind of filter for my intake/exhaust to keep out mites. +rep for help

CAashtree

Active Member
two spotted spider mites are about 1/100 - 2/100" wide, so a 250 micron screen should keep them out. maybe go to 150 micron to keep younguns and mutants out. but i have to say - they go dormant during winter outside. youre fighting multiple generations of survivors that you brought in earler this year and the longer you fight them, the tougher they will get.
hot shot no-pest strips work. poisonous, yes. effective, hell yes. took mine out after one month and there are 0 signs of mites.
 

DannyGreenEyes

Well-Known Member
two spotted spider mites are about 1/100 - 2/100" wide, so a 250 micron screen should keep them out. maybe go to 150 micron to keep younguns and mutants out. but i have to say - they go dormant during winter outside. youre fighting multiple generations of survivors that you brought in earler this year and the longer you fight them, the tougher they will get.
hot shot no-pest strips work. poisonous, yes. effective, hell yes. took mine out after one month and there are 0 signs of mites.
Thanks for your help +rep

The lady bugs took care of the spider mites and the fungus gnats for me.

I'm now finishing off the White Mites that the lady bugs wont finish off on their own because they won't whipe out their food source all together.

The White Mites were on their last leg when I treated last Fri. They may already be taken care of, but I'll be treating two more times just to be on the safe side.

Thanks for the advide on the pest strips, but I would only use insecticides as a last resort in an emergency, especially on mites. Hopefully I'll never have to use insecticides.
 

svchop889

Well-Known Member
Thanks again, but the mites I had were way smaller than 1mm. They were literally the size of a pin head. Bigger than smoke particles though. So If I was getting a filter without oil I'm guess ing that I'd have to go for around 1 or 2 microns. That's just a guess I can now take knowing that a 1,000 microns = approx 1mm. Thanks for that.

But mites can't fly, so as long as I keep this filter oiled, it should work great. The oil will trap & suffocate them, and they can't develope an immunity to being suffocated.
5.5 microns is a whole heck of a lot smaller than 1mm 5.5 microns is like .00055mm but 20$ is a bit i can understand that and the +rep is the scales at the top right of my post just saying.... havent actually received rep yet but sometimes these things don't work so if you've hit it already its cool.
 

DannyGreenEyes

Well-Known Member
5.5 microns is a whole heck of a lot smaller than 1mm 5.5 microns is like .00055mm but 20$ is a bit i can understand that and the +rep is the scales at the top right of my post just saying.... havent actually received rep yet but sometimes these things don't work so if you've hit it already its cool.
Adult mites are the size of a pin head, young mites are microscopic. So I'm guessing that 5 to 10 microns should do the trick. If it can clean smoke particles, I should keep the mites out.

If I use the cone car filter and treat it with oil every few days to keep it moist, then I don't think it matters much how big the micron since the oil witll trap & suffocate them as they try to crawl across it.

I still have to see which is the least expensive solution. I should have my car back tommorow night, so I'll start looking at the hard ware & auto part stores then.

I did +rep you. Just double checked it. When I clicked on the scales it said that I have to spread the rep points around more before I can +rep you again. Not sure why you're not seeing it.

P.S. Which one did you see for $20. That's affordable, the $50 for the cone filter in the above link is a little too much for me right now. (I have to buy 5 bags of Happy Frog, 3qts of MYKEs Tree & Shrub Transplanter, a humidity dome, & 3,000 lady bugs) If I have anything left over I'm going to need more RR trays, heating pads, thermostats, and humidity domes.

I guess I'll have to start looking for a job as soon as I get my car up & running. My Dr. is gonna be overjoyed. lol
 

svchop889

Well-Known Member
Adult mites are the size of a pin head, young mites are microscopic. So I'm guessing that 5 to 10 microns should do the trick. If it can clean smoke particles, I should keep the mites out.

If I use the cone car filter and treat it with oil every few days to keep it moist, then I don't think it matters much how big the micron since the oil witll trap & suffocate them as they try to crawl across it.

I still have to see which is the least expensive solution. I should have my car back tommorow night, so I'll start looking at the hard ware & auto part stores then.

I did +rep you. Just double checked it. When I clicked on the scales it said that I have to spread the rep points around more before I can +rep you again. Not sure why you're not seeing it.

P.S. Which one did you see for $20. That's affordable, the $50 for the cone filter in the above link is a little too much for me right now. (I have to buy 5 bags of Happy Frog, 3qts of MYKEs Tree & Shrub Transplanter, a humidity dome, & 3,000 lady bugs) If I have anything left over I'm going to need more RR trays, heating pads, thermostats, and humidity domes.

I guess I'll have to start looking for a job as soon as I get my car up & running. My Dr. is gonna be overjoyed. lol
there are non name brand ones at Advanced Auto Parts or autozone I think the brand is APC http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_CONE-FILTER-BLUE-APC_6120518-P_N4025F_P|GRP2026____ its actually $22.09, thank you for the rep I guess mine is just broken explains why I haven't gotten any since two weeks ago I guess I will have to contact a moderator about that.
 

DannyGreenEyes

Well-Known Member
there are non name brand ones at Advanced Auto Parts or autozone I think the brand is APC http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_CONE-FILTER-BLUE-APC_6120518-P_N4025F_P|GRP2026____ its actually $22.09, thank you for the rep I guess mine is just broken explains why I haven't gotten any since two weeks ago I guess I will have to contact a moderator about that.
I got it now lol thanks
Thanks for the link, good find. That's what I'll probably go with since the larger micron means better air flow. I just have to figure out a way to rig it into my set up. I'll figure something out, I'm good at problem solving.

You wouldn't know if it's ok to use an oil based suffocant, like Neem Oil or Mite X, to spray on the filter, would you? Possibly a mix of the oil that comes with it and the suffocant oils.

I'm glad you got the rep situation strait. I always try to +rep those that are helpful, just wish everyone did. I'd be a Mr. Ganja by now. lol
 

svchop889

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the link, good find. That's what I'll probably go with since the larger micron means better air flow. I just have to figure out a way to rig it into my set up. I'll figure something out, I'm good at problem solving.

You wouldn't know if it's ok to use an oil based suffocant, like Neem Oil or Mite X, to spray on the filter, would you? Possibly a mix of the oil that comes with it and the suffocant oils.

I'm glad you got the rep situation strait. I always try to +rep those that are helpful, just wish everyone did. I'd be a Mr. Ganja by now. lol
well yeah I would be also thats why I rep people that rep me, I don't see why the other products could not be used the oil that comes with might be unnecessary although i don't know how thick neem oil is i dont see it impeading airflow much as for the rigging it to your system it has a hose clamp on it and the inside diameter is 4'' so i dont see why you couldnt just tighten it down on your exhaust duct? or do you have the flex hose type?
 

DannyGreenEyes

Well-Known Member
well yeah I would be also thats why I rep people that rep me, I don't see why the other products could not be used the oil that comes with might be unnecessary although i don't know how thick neem oil is i dont see it impeading airflow much as for the rigging it to your system it has a hose clamp on it and the inside diameter is 4'' so i dont see why you couldnt just tighten it down on your exhaust duct? or do you have the flex hose type?
I have the flex duct, but I'm thinking about the piece that connect the duct to the piece that fits in the door.

I want to put the filter right at the door in case there are any small holes in the ducts that I haven't seen. It doesn't take much of a hole for the mites to crawl through, plus it will make it easier to spray with oil when it needs it. I can just spray from the outside hole into the duct.

The piece that fits into the door is rectangle on the outside end, and circular on the inside. But it comes from my portable A/C so the circular end is proprietary in size. It's bigger than 5" but smaller than 6". So I'll have to figure out a way to "jerry rig" it into the system while keeping it close enough to the exhaust hole to spray it from the outside (so I don't have to open the duct up every time I need to spray) and keeping it flush with that piece so there's no duct between the filter and that last connector piece.
 

svchop889

Well-Known Member
im sure there is probally some sort of steel duct reduction piece you can buy that goes from 5'' to 4''
 
This place carries a stainless steel mesh in various sizes down to 105 micron.

http://www.aquaticeco.com/subcategories/1466/Stainless-Steel-Screening/screen/1

Be aware if you deciede to make a spider mite filter out of this, there is a only 1/3 to 1/2 open area on with it. (It's marked by each size) So factor that in when you build your filter so that it's got enough surface area not to restrict your airflow. I have some ideas on that if you need it.
 

DannyGreenEyes

Well-Known Member
This place carries a stainless steel mesh in various sizes down to 105 micron.

http://www.aquaticeco.com/subcategories/1466/Stainless-Steel-Screening/screen/1

Be aware if you deciede to make a spider mite filter out of this, there is a only 1/3 to 1/2 open area on with it. (It's marked by each size) So factor that in when you build your filter so that it's got enough surface area not to restrict your airflow. I have some ideas on that if you need it.
thanks for the help +rep

I'll check them out as soon as I sell off some of the clones no Monday.

I was thinking of building a "top hat" like filter, I imagine it can be sewn so i figured I'd sew it. The top hat shape will increase the surface area and should reduce the drag, I'll put them on the begining of the duct inside the rooms. That should also keep the lady bugs from getting stuck to it, I hope.
 

MacGuyver4.2.0

Well-Known Member
thanks for the help +rep

I'll check them out as soon as I sell off some of the clones no Monday.

I was thinking of building a "top hat" like filter, I imagine it can be sewn so i figured I'd sew it. The top hat shape will increase the surface area and should reduce the drag, I'll put them on the begining of the duct inside the rooms. That should also keep the lady bugs from getting stuck to it, I hope.

That Hobby Lobby sells it in sheets as well (as I said earlier) They also have it in brass. Either way, the stainless or brass are better than any nylons as they won't tear as easy and can be washed and re-used easily (like I also said) ;)
 

DannyGreenEyes

Well-Known Member
That Hobby Lobby sells it in sheets as well (as I said earlier) They also have it in brass. Either way, the stainless or brass are better than any nylons as they won't tear as easy and can be washed and re-used easily (like I also said) ;)
Thanks for your help. +rep

Unless it's screen printing equipment, I don't remember the message with that suggestion. Hobby Lobby has sheets of metal screening as small as 150 micron?

That would be great if they did. What do they sell it as? (the name of the material)
 
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