cannabiscult
Well-Known Member
Hi guys,
There is so much misinformation floating around about these little guys that its time to set the record straight.
Here are a few publications ive found helpful, next il go into my personal experience and so on.
[SIZE=+2]Rust Mites[/SIZE]
Rust mites are also eriophyid mites, but they live on the surface of the needle instead of inside the bud. The hemlock rust mite, Nalepella tsugifoliae, is a frequent springtime problem on hemlocks grown in the foothills of western North Carolina. Mite numbers buildup quickly in the spring, increasing from February through May depending on the weather. However, white pine and Fraser fir Christmas tree growers also have occasional problems with this pest at higher elevations.
Symptoms. Rust mites suck juices on conifer needles. When many mites are present their damage gives the needle a dusty, rust-colored appearance. To distinguish rust mite damage from a nutrient deficiency, look at damaged needles with a hand lens. Tiny marks or scratches running parallel to the midrib of the needle can be seen on rust mite-damaged needles as if they had been rubbed with sandpaper. These marks won't be apparent if the rust-colored appearance is due to a nutrient problem. Damaged needles often drop off in the spring or prematurely in the fall.
Pest description. Rust mites are worm-like eriophyid mites similar to the rosette bud mite. Rust mites have a wedge-shaped body with only four legs on one end. Rust mites are very small, about the size of pollen, and require a hand lens (7X to 15X) or dissecting microscope (30X) in order to be seen clearly. They can be found on both the upper and lower surface of the needle. They can be clear, tan, cream, or orange-colored and if viewed long enough with a hand lens, they can be seen to walk or rear up on their abdomens. With a dissecting microscope, clusters of tiny round eggs can sometimes be seen on the underside of the needles.
Similar appearing problems. Rust mite damage is often mistaken for nutrient deficiencies or winter injury. Sooty mold caused by balsam twig aphid or Cinara aphid activity, as well as spruce spider mite damage, can also be mistaken for rust mite damage. Be sure to check damaged shoots with a hand lens to distinguish between these problems and to find the rust mites themselves. Even with a hand lens, pollen on needles can be mistaken for rust mites. Be sure to look carefully.
When to scout. Rust mites are almost always a springtime pest, but they can also reappear in the fall. They are not a problem in Fraser fir Christmas trees in western North Carolina every year. Below normal rainfall during extended springtime temperatures encourages rapid increases in rust mite populations. Rust mite activity in the mountains can often be predicted based on early activity in hemlocks in the foothills.
The first scouting survey should be done between mid-March and mid-April, depending on temperature. It is valuable to determine rust mite presence in a field before the balsam twig aphid treatment window. If rust mites are present and need to be controlled at this time, it can affect the choice of pesticide for twig aphid control.
Scouting method. In hemlocks, rust mites can often be evaluated using a hot spot or random walk scouting method. However, rust mites in Fraser fir are often not as evenly distributed across a field. Therefore, it is best to use the rigid block scouting method until patterns in the field can be determined and hot spot scouting can be used. When walking through the field, look for trees with bronzing foliage, particularly near the base of the tree. Much like when scouting for the spruce spider mite, if no damage is observed, randomly pick a tree every 10 to 15 trees.
To examine trees for rust mites, take some shoots of the most current growth from the upper portions of the tree, and some from the lower. If the buds have recently broken, take both the new growth and previous year's growth, noting if the mites have moved onto the new growth.
When scouting for the rosette bud mite and spruce spider mite, it is only necessary to estimate the percentage of trees that have the mite. Whether a shoot that is examined has a single spider mite egg or 20 mites doesn't matter. When scouting for rust mites, the number of mites on a needle does become important. As each shoot is examined for rust mites, keep track of the percentage of shoots that have mites, as well as the greatest number of mites on an individual needle, adding the number on both the upper and lower surface of the needle.
Treatment threshold. To determine if a pesticide is necessary, both of the following criteria must be met:
1. At least 80 percent of the shoots have mites on them. In most cases, it is not necessary to treat until the majority of the trees have at least a few mites on them. This percent incidence is determined by dividing the number of shoots with at least a single mite somewhere on the shoot by the total number of shoots examined.
2. There are at least 8 mites on a single needle on one shoot. Only one needle on one shoot has to meet this criteria to reach treatment threshold if 80 percent incidence has been reached. Count mites both on the front side and back side of the needles to reach this sum.
Scouting frequency. If rust mites are found in trees in the spring, numbers can quickly increase if the weather is cool and dry. Trees may need to be scouted every week or every other week during critical periods. Hot spot scouting may allow you to follow how the weather is affecting mites. As cool, spring-like temperatures give way to summer heat, the rust mite populations usually begin to fall off. Sometimes this may not occur until July. Keep scouting until you witness a decline. If rust mites were a problem in the spring, you may need to check for them again in the fall.
Control. Successfully treating for rust mites requires using a miticide effective against eriophyid mites, such as Sevin, Joust, or dimethoate. Some of the newer miticides on the market state that they only control spider mites or tetranycid mites. These may not control eriophyid mites which are biologically different.
Scouting after control. It is necessary to scout trees 1 to 2 weeks after treating trees to determine if rust mites were killed. Trees may need to be scouted a second time even after a successful chemical treatment if cool temperatures persist for several weeks.
Hemlock Rust Mite
DESCRIPTION
The Hemlock Rust Mite, as this pest is sometimes called, belongs to a group of microscopic mites referred to as eriophyids. The adult Hemlock Rust Mite is not visible to the naked eye. A 10-20X hand lens is needed to glimpse the mite, and much higher magnification is required to identify it to species. The orange to pink adult is about 0.25 mm long, wedgelike, and has a pair of long, anteriorly pointing setae located dorsally behind the second pair of legs.
LIFE CYCLE
This species of eriophyid is a cool weather pest. The overwintering eggs hatch in early to mid-March, before those of spruce spider mite. Poplulations of this mite build quickly in early spring, with most eggs hatching within the first week. In the Pennsylvania area, an average of 24 eggs/needle have been frequently observed. The popluations decrease in the summer and increase in the fall before overwintering eggs are deposited in November. Nymphs emerge from the egg headfirst and immediately move to healthy tissue to feed, probing the needle with their beak before inserting the chelicerae. The mite feeds on the upper surface of the needle for a short time and then moves to the undersurface; first generation eggs are deposited here, and subsequent generations are restricted to feeding on this surface.
DAMAGE
At first glance, damage caused by the Hemlock Rust Mite appears similar to that caused by spruce spider mite. The chlorotic spots are much smaller, however, and give the needle a silvery appearance that is especially evident along the outer margin of the needle. Premature needle drop will result if the population is left unchecked. In general, Hemlock Rust Mite can be identified by the damage and presence of cast skins on the underside of the needle. In winter, look for white to amber eggs along the base of the needle, where it lies flat against the stem.
CONTROL
Eriophyid mites are not susceptible to control with the standard miticides. Consult your Keystone certified arborist for materials suitable for control of these pests.
* See Woody Ornamental Insect, Mite and Disease Management, The Pennsylvania State University (2005) for more details.
WARNING: Pesticides are poisonous. Read and follow directions and safety precautions on labels. Handle carefully and store in original labeled containers out of reach of children, pets and livestock. Dispose of empty containers right away , in a safe manner and place. Do not contaminate forage, streams or ponds.
Ok guys thats a bit of material to fill you in on the basics, now id like to share with you some points ive learned in my indepth research over the last few years:
-These mites are host specific meaning that they cannot survive on any other host except the one they are mutilating (I.E. a tomato rust mite and a hemp rust mite cannot inhabit the others host, no hemp mites on tomatoes no tom. mites on hemp)
- Dont be fooled by the info on top, these mites primary way of spreading in nature is wind. That means indoors your fans are circulating them whether you assume they are clean or not.
- wettable sulfur and non food grade miticides have been said to eliminate these things..... I have seen nothing at all including avid , f4 from Bayer and other gnarly chems short of straight ddt work on these bastards.
-Even if you can see them with your eyes scope your plants! under leaves on top of leaves, in cracks and crevices (where they love to hide) If there is one , there are 20 more hiding waiting to fuck you.
so heres a sad story for you folks to learn from:
I did some consulting for a patient in their grow. They had these things. Over a week i watched him loose his crop while battling these.
No biggie, he just through out his ENTIRE crop, clones vegging plants flowering, the lot. things go back to normal so we think....... 3 weeks go by... i grab a clone of mendo purps from a buddy a few hours away. get home vegg it get it ready to flower, when one day im scoping my nodes for sex and what the fuck did i see.....DUN DUN DUN.....this is big big shit. I CANNOT LOOSE A CROP! i thought..... f4 goes on (dont use it) avid, azamax, sulphur burner, wettable sulphur spray.....you name it i sprayed watered etc even froze out the room (i was in a panic) aaaaaaaaaaaah. Then i came to my senses. I realized these things are so adaptable and so veracious that it was not going to go away. what did i do? first i called my friend from whom i got these nasty things from and told him (not yelled told). I then shut down everything. yes everything. I bagged up the infected plants, and the non infected ones (because you cant be too safe ever). i bleached all of my equip, now im talking really bleached. taking apart inline fans and cleaning motors and blades and inside of ducting , sitting it into a bleach bath. I washed all of my clothes 3 times. wiped down and bleached the room , walls and floor. I then rented a rug doctor and hit all of the furniture and carpets in the whole house. I grabbed my Dog and gave her the bath of the century. so thats all the bases covered right???? WRONG!!!!!!!!! I through away 3 pairs of perfectly good shoes , 2 hats and my entire 4x4 tent. why the hell? because ive learned that in response to cold or adverse conditions these little fucks will bury themselves into the tiniest of crevices and become dormant. Take no Chances. This got me so fucking crazy that i actually moved out of my house into a new house before starting anything else. After i moved i repeated the entire bleaching process again and TOOK PLANTS FROM NO BODY EVER AGAIN. I simply bought some seeds and started from seed. Since this happened i have scoped every plant every day all over. If i see a single worm looking mite and ID it positively again I WILL NOT HESITATE TO KILL EVERYTHING AGAIN AND START OVER. That is my bottom line, dont waste your time and exhaust yourself with miticides sprays etc. JUST CLEAN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE AND BEGIN AGAIN. STAY POSITIVE at least you are alive and can get through this, it could be worse............
any questions i can field confidently i will, im no expert nor do i claim that this article is something to base a reaction on or by. This is my humble opinion and experience .im passing on as much correct info as i can without trying to sound god like. i hope this helps anybody trying to find out about these things.
peace and love
CANNABISCULT
There is so much misinformation floating around about these little guys that its time to set the record straight.
Here are a few publications ive found helpful, next il go into my personal experience and so on.
[SIZE=+2]Rust Mites[/SIZE]
Rust mites are also eriophyid mites, but they live on the surface of the needle instead of inside the bud. The hemlock rust mite, Nalepella tsugifoliae, is a frequent springtime problem on hemlocks grown in the foothills of western North Carolina. Mite numbers buildup quickly in the spring, increasing from February through May depending on the weather. However, white pine and Fraser fir Christmas tree growers also have occasional problems with this pest at higher elevations.
Symptoms. Rust mites suck juices on conifer needles. When many mites are present their damage gives the needle a dusty, rust-colored appearance. To distinguish rust mite damage from a nutrient deficiency, look at damaged needles with a hand lens. Tiny marks or scratches running parallel to the midrib of the needle can be seen on rust mite-damaged needles as if they had been rubbed with sandpaper. These marks won't be apparent if the rust-colored appearance is due to a nutrient problem. Damaged needles often drop off in the spring or prematurely in the fall.
Pest description. Rust mites are worm-like eriophyid mites similar to the rosette bud mite. Rust mites have a wedge-shaped body with only four legs on one end. Rust mites are very small, about the size of pollen, and require a hand lens (7X to 15X) or dissecting microscope (30X) in order to be seen clearly. They can be found on both the upper and lower surface of the needle. They can be clear, tan, cream, or orange-colored and if viewed long enough with a hand lens, they can be seen to walk or rear up on their abdomens. With a dissecting microscope, clusters of tiny round eggs can sometimes be seen on the underside of the needles.
Similar appearing problems. Rust mite damage is often mistaken for nutrient deficiencies or winter injury. Sooty mold caused by balsam twig aphid or Cinara aphid activity, as well as spruce spider mite damage, can also be mistaken for rust mite damage. Be sure to check damaged shoots with a hand lens to distinguish between these problems and to find the rust mites themselves. Even with a hand lens, pollen on needles can be mistaken for rust mites. Be sure to look carefully.
When to scout. Rust mites are almost always a springtime pest, but they can also reappear in the fall. They are not a problem in Fraser fir Christmas trees in western North Carolina every year. Below normal rainfall during extended springtime temperatures encourages rapid increases in rust mite populations. Rust mite activity in the mountains can often be predicted based on early activity in hemlocks in the foothills.
The first scouting survey should be done between mid-March and mid-April, depending on temperature. It is valuable to determine rust mite presence in a field before the balsam twig aphid treatment window. If rust mites are present and need to be controlled at this time, it can affect the choice of pesticide for twig aphid control.
Scouting method. In hemlocks, rust mites can often be evaluated using a hot spot or random walk scouting method. However, rust mites in Fraser fir are often not as evenly distributed across a field. Therefore, it is best to use the rigid block scouting method until patterns in the field can be determined and hot spot scouting can be used. When walking through the field, look for trees with bronzing foliage, particularly near the base of the tree. Much like when scouting for the spruce spider mite, if no damage is observed, randomly pick a tree every 10 to 15 trees.
To examine trees for rust mites, take some shoots of the most current growth from the upper portions of the tree, and some from the lower. If the buds have recently broken, take both the new growth and previous year's growth, noting if the mites have moved onto the new growth.
When scouting for the rosette bud mite and spruce spider mite, it is only necessary to estimate the percentage of trees that have the mite. Whether a shoot that is examined has a single spider mite egg or 20 mites doesn't matter. When scouting for rust mites, the number of mites on a needle does become important. As each shoot is examined for rust mites, keep track of the percentage of shoots that have mites, as well as the greatest number of mites on an individual needle, adding the number on both the upper and lower surface of the needle.
Treatment threshold. To determine if a pesticide is necessary, both of the following criteria must be met:
1. At least 80 percent of the shoots have mites on them. In most cases, it is not necessary to treat until the majority of the trees have at least a few mites on them. This percent incidence is determined by dividing the number of shoots with at least a single mite somewhere on the shoot by the total number of shoots examined.
2. There are at least 8 mites on a single needle on one shoot. Only one needle on one shoot has to meet this criteria to reach treatment threshold if 80 percent incidence has been reached. Count mites both on the front side and back side of the needles to reach this sum.
Scouting frequency. If rust mites are found in trees in the spring, numbers can quickly increase if the weather is cool and dry. Trees may need to be scouted every week or every other week during critical periods. Hot spot scouting may allow you to follow how the weather is affecting mites. As cool, spring-like temperatures give way to summer heat, the rust mite populations usually begin to fall off. Sometimes this may not occur until July. Keep scouting until you witness a decline. If rust mites were a problem in the spring, you may need to check for them again in the fall.
Control. Successfully treating for rust mites requires using a miticide effective against eriophyid mites, such as Sevin, Joust, or dimethoate. Some of the newer miticides on the market state that they only control spider mites or tetranycid mites. These may not control eriophyid mites which are biologically different.
Scouting after control. It is necessary to scout trees 1 to 2 weeks after treating trees to determine if rust mites were killed. Trees may need to be scouted a second time even after a successful chemical treatment if cool temperatures persist for several weeks.
Hemlock Rust Mite
DESCRIPTION
The Hemlock Rust Mite, as this pest is sometimes called, belongs to a group of microscopic mites referred to as eriophyids. The adult Hemlock Rust Mite is not visible to the naked eye. A 10-20X hand lens is needed to glimpse the mite, and much higher magnification is required to identify it to species. The orange to pink adult is about 0.25 mm long, wedgelike, and has a pair of long, anteriorly pointing setae located dorsally behind the second pair of legs.
LIFE CYCLE
This species of eriophyid is a cool weather pest. The overwintering eggs hatch in early to mid-March, before those of spruce spider mite. Poplulations of this mite build quickly in early spring, with most eggs hatching within the first week. In the Pennsylvania area, an average of 24 eggs/needle have been frequently observed. The popluations decrease in the summer and increase in the fall before overwintering eggs are deposited in November. Nymphs emerge from the egg headfirst and immediately move to healthy tissue to feed, probing the needle with their beak before inserting the chelicerae. The mite feeds on the upper surface of the needle for a short time and then moves to the undersurface; first generation eggs are deposited here, and subsequent generations are restricted to feeding on this surface.
DAMAGE
At first glance, damage caused by the Hemlock Rust Mite appears similar to that caused by spruce spider mite. The chlorotic spots are much smaller, however, and give the needle a silvery appearance that is especially evident along the outer margin of the needle. Premature needle drop will result if the population is left unchecked. In general, Hemlock Rust Mite can be identified by the damage and presence of cast skins on the underside of the needle. In winter, look for white to amber eggs along the base of the needle, where it lies flat against the stem.
CONTROL
Eriophyid mites are not susceptible to control with the standard miticides. Consult your Keystone certified arborist for materials suitable for control of these pests.
* See Woody Ornamental Insect, Mite and Disease Management, The Pennsylvania State University (2005) for more details.
WARNING: Pesticides are poisonous. Read and follow directions and safety precautions on labels. Handle carefully and store in original labeled containers out of reach of children, pets and livestock. Dispose of empty containers right away , in a safe manner and place. Do not contaminate forage, streams or ponds.
Ok guys thats a bit of material to fill you in on the basics, now id like to share with you some points ive learned in my indepth research over the last few years:
-These mites are host specific meaning that they cannot survive on any other host except the one they are mutilating (I.E. a tomato rust mite and a hemp rust mite cannot inhabit the others host, no hemp mites on tomatoes no tom. mites on hemp)
- Dont be fooled by the info on top, these mites primary way of spreading in nature is wind. That means indoors your fans are circulating them whether you assume they are clean or not.
- wettable sulfur and non food grade miticides have been said to eliminate these things..... I have seen nothing at all including avid , f4 from Bayer and other gnarly chems short of straight ddt work on these bastards.
-Even if you can see them with your eyes scope your plants! under leaves on top of leaves, in cracks and crevices (where they love to hide) If there is one , there are 20 more hiding waiting to fuck you.
so heres a sad story for you folks to learn from:
I did some consulting for a patient in their grow. They had these things. Over a week i watched him loose his crop while battling these.
No biggie, he just through out his ENTIRE crop, clones vegging plants flowering, the lot. things go back to normal so we think....... 3 weeks go by... i grab a clone of mendo purps from a buddy a few hours away. get home vegg it get it ready to flower, when one day im scoping my nodes for sex and what the fuck did i see.....DUN DUN DUN.....this is big big shit. I CANNOT LOOSE A CROP! i thought..... f4 goes on (dont use it) avid, azamax, sulphur burner, wettable sulphur spray.....you name it i sprayed watered etc even froze out the room (i was in a panic) aaaaaaaaaaaah. Then i came to my senses. I realized these things are so adaptable and so veracious that it was not going to go away. what did i do? first i called my friend from whom i got these nasty things from and told him (not yelled told). I then shut down everything. yes everything. I bagged up the infected plants, and the non infected ones (because you cant be too safe ever). i bleached all of my equip, now im talking really bleached. taking apart inline fans and cleaning motors and blades and inside of ducting , sitting it into a bleach bath. I washed all of my clothes 3 times. wiped down and bleached the room , walls and floor. I then rented a rug doctor and hit all of the furniture and carpets in the whole house. I grabbed my Dog and gave her the bath of the century. so thats all the bases covered right???? WRONG!!!!!!!!! I through away 3 pairs of perfectly good shoes , 2 hats and my entire 4x4 tent. why the hell? because ive learned that in response to cold or adverse conditions these little fucks will bury themselves into the tiniest of crevices and become dormant. Take no Chances. This got me so fucking crazy that i actually moved out of my house into a new house before starting anything else. After i moved i repeated the entire bleaching process again and TOOK PLANTS FROM NO BODY EVER AGAIN. I simply bought some seeds and started from seed. Since this happened i have scoped every plant every day all over. If i see a single worm looking mite and ID it positively again I WILL NOT HESITATE TO KILL EVERYTHING AGAIN AND START OVER. That is my bottom line, dont waste your time and exhaust yourself with miticides sprays etc. JUST CLEAN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE AND BEGIN AGAIN. STAY POSITIVE at least you are alive and can get through this, it could be worse............
any questions i can field confidently i will, im no expert nor do i claim that this article is something to base a reaction on or by. This is my humble opinion and experience .im passing on as much correct info as i can without trying to sound god like. i hope this helps anybody trying to find out about these things.
peace and love
CANNABISCULT
