SPIDER MITES!! 4 1/2 weeks into VEG

**BudsBelize** · 01-20-2010, 10:48 PM

Originally Posted by Mr. P. Kush

if your still in veg i would just get a bomb and solve the problem. The neem oil way takes alot of time and attention and you have to make sure you are consistant. doing a treatment every 3 or 4 days

A bug bomb???? Will that really work???

**BudsBelize** · 01-20-2010, 10:49 PM

Originally Posted by super2200

this time of year good luck getting shit at home depot, I am interested in getting some myself and think I am fucked until a couple more months. I definitely cant get them shipped as they will die for sure in transport. Fucking white flies killing me and its not as simple as spraying with the soap. Fuckers need to be dealt with while your in veg as its a bit hard to spray and keep your buds from getting brown pistols if you use the insecticide soap. I am fighting a good battle but usually they are back withing a couple of days. I have already covered all pots with sand hoping to stop the breeding in the soil good luck man

Damn, i see them coming out of my soil also. I hope my grow isnt totally fucked!!!

**MacGuyver4.2.0** · 01-20-2010, 10:51 PM

Originally Posted by BudsBelize

Some body please help me, I just detected spidermites. They are really really little so I hope this is the begining. On my blue mystic i noticed spidermites walking all over the top of my lady all over the growing shoot.

Lot's of folks have been hit by the BORG of insects, Spidermites and feel your pain. Surrender IS NOT an option. Fight the lil beaties to the very end. Lots of good tips in this thread and my personal method has worked for me.

Spider Mite Control

Here's what I have used with good results!
permalink

Spider mites SUCK! If you have them on one plant chances are they are on all of them. So very small and difficult to see unless you use a loupe or magnifier(at least for me anyways). I had one harvest *almost* get ruined by the critters and then I fought back with technology...and won! I did not want to use any chemicals on my ladies so close to harvest, and ended up using...STEAM!

Bought a Rowenta steamer from Bed Bath &Way Beyond and it worked like a charm! Best way is to do this somewhat *safely* is to water your plants, wait an hour and then hit the plants EVERYWHERE with the steam. You cannot concentrate the steam in any one area for too long or you'll cook the poor plant!

The neat thing about this is the temperature. The mites simply crumble and die as soon as the hot steam hits them! Again you HAVE to be careful or you'll cause more harm than good, but if you pay attention to what your doing, you can do this! After you have hit all areas thoroughly, let your ladies rest for 1-2 days then hit em again. The live mites die easily but the eggs may still hatch (nasty things). If you cannot control the mites after 3 steam treatments, you should abandon ship and chop em down, sorry.

Good luck and let us know how you faired in this time of crisis.

**BudsBelize** · 01-20-2010, 10:59 PM

Originally Posted by MacGuyver4.2.0

Lot's of folks have been hit by the BORG of insects, Spidermites and feel your pain. Surrender IS NOT an option. Fight the lil beaties to the very end. Lots of good tips in this thread and my personal method has worked for me.

Spider Mite Control

Here's what I have used with good results!
permalink

Spider mites SUCK! If you have them on one plant chances are they are on all of them. So very small and difficult to see unless you use a loupe or magnifier(at least for me anyways). I had one harvest *almost* get ruined by the critters and then I fought back with technology...and won! I did not want to use any chemicals on my ladies so close to harvest, and ended up using...STEAM!

Bought a Rowenta steamer from Bed Bath &Way Beyond and it worked like a charm! Best way is to do this somewhat *safely* is to water your plants, wait an hour and then hit the plants EVERYWHERE with the steam. You cannot concentrate the steam in any one area for too long or you'll cook the poor plant!

The neat thing about this is the temperature. The mites simply crumble and die as soon as the hot steam hits them! Again you HAVE to be careful or you'll cause more harm than good, but if you pay attention to what your doing, you can do this! After you have hit all areas thoroughly, let your ladies rest for 1-2 days then hit em again. The live mites die easily but the eggs may still hatch (nasty things). If you cannot control the mites after 3 steam treatments, you should abandon ship and chop em down, sorry.

Good luck and let us know how you faired in this time of crisis.

The 1400 Watt steam???? So with the combo of the steamer and the Neem Oil i think i might pull thru. I mean this infestation just begain (I Hope) i mean i check on my plants at least 3-6 times a day and I just noticed tonight.

**MacGuyver4.2.0** · 01-20-2010, 11:09 PM

Yep thats the one. Just be real careful about not concentrating the steam in any location too long, and you should make it. After you hit all areas of the plant make sure you hit the container and soil top layer as well for any crawlies or wounded/dying ones that fell off. Basically move the wand from left to right with a one second count before moving on to another area. And don't forget, the white mist that comes out of the steamer is is a little cooler than direct from the nozzle but still very HOT! I did this during lights out with a hand held black light for illumination. The mites (esp young ones) are white/translucent and show up great with a black light wand. The plant will recover, the mites...will not.

**super2200** · 01-21-2010, 03:39 AM

Originally Posted by MacGuyver4.2.0

Yep thats the one. Just be real careful about not concentrating the steam in any location too long, and you should make it. After you hit all areas of the plant make sure you hit the container and soil top layer as well for any crawlies or wounded/dying ones that fell off. Basically move the wand from left to right with a one second count before moving on to another area. And don't forget, the white mist that comes out of the steamer is is a little cooler than direct from the nozzle but still very HOT! I did this during lights out with a hand held black light for illumination. The mites (esp young ones) are white/translucent and show up great with a black light wand. The plant will recover, the mites...will not.

I am going to pick one of these up for sure and fight these fuckers off.

**Luke** · 01-21-2010, 03:59 AM

Im having the same problem.Noticed them @ 4 weeks ago.Went out and purchased fox farms DONT BUG ME.It killed some but most didnt die.Started my buds to flower on new years day and @ 10 days into flowering,they were every where.I've used neem oil in the past and it works great for outdoors but not as well indoors(The NEEM OIL STINKS UP YOUR GROW ROOM & YOUR HOUSE).Lady buds are good too ,but again not indoors.When their food source is gone the fly away in search of more food.That means lady bugs wil be flying around your whole house.Invest in some "predatory mites"the reproduce faster than the spider mites and will to seek out the mites a destroy them.their eggs too.And when the food source are gone they just die.I ordered my predator mites from a company in Montana PLANET NATURAL.GOT THEM IN 2 DAYS

**BudsBelize** · 01-21-2010, 06:37 AM

Originally Posted by Luke

Im having the same problem.Noticed them @ 4 weeks ago.Went out and purchased fox farms DONT BUG ME.It killed some but most didnt die.Started my buds to flower on new years day and @ 10 days into flowering,they were every where.I've used neem oil in the past and it works great for outdoors but not as well indoors(The NEEM OIL STINKS UP YOUR GROW ROOM & YOUR HOUSE).Lady buds are good too ,but again not indoors.When their food source is gone the fly away in search of more food.That means lady bugs wil be flying around your whole house.Invest in some "predatory mites"the reproduce faster than the spider mites and will to seek out the mites a destroy them.their eggs too.And when the food source are gone they just die.I ordered my predator mites from a company in Montana PLANET NATURAL.GOT THEM IN 2 DAYS

I was looking into the preditory mites also.

**BudsBelize** · 01-21-2010, 06:38 AM

Originally Posted by MacGuyver4.2.0

Yep thats the one. Just be real careful about not concentrating the steam in any location too long, and you should make it. After you hit all areas of the plant make sure you hit the container and soil top layer as well for any crawlies or wounded/dying ones that fell off. Basically move the wand from left to right with a one second count before moving on to another area. And don't forget, the white mist that comes out of the steamer is is a little cooler than direct from the nozzle but still very HOT! I did this during lights out with a hand held black light for illumination. The mites (esp young ones) are white/translucent and show up great with a black light wand. The plant will recover, the mites...will not.

My plants arnt that big tho?? check the pictures in my grow journal.

**BudsBelize** · 01-21-2010, 08:20 PM

Now I am wondering, are these even spider mites??? These little tiny small white fuckers, they are not on the plants. The are just crawling from the in between the soil and the pot. They are also crawling on the top of the pot that's it. They I haven't seen them on the leaves, under the leaves, on the stems etc. Another thing I want to point out is that, they love to sit on the side of the pot where the fan is blowing. Next time they are there i will snap a picture of them because I just sprayed those assholes with some neem oil.