Precautions when visiting your local garden store

Hello everyone.
I always take extra precautions when I plan a trip to the garden store. I was at the hydro store yesterday and I overheard a conversation about a guys bug problem. Now from what I heard, this guy has a SERIOUS bug problem. Apparently a complete infestation.

I'm always cautious when I go to those stores for a number of reasons.
Overhearing that conversation yesterday got me thinking, how many of you guys out there are battling the bugs? I wanted to take a moment to chat about some of the things we can do to prevent bugs in our own garden.
I have been growing for personal medical use for about 6 years now. I only once had bugs and it wasn't even on my cannabis. I had a mite problem on my strawberries.
Anyways. I thought I would share with you, all the EXTRA precautions that I take to almost eliminate the chance of getting bugs.
Once you get the bugs, it's a much harder battle to overcome, taken precautionary measures to prevent the bug problem in the first place, is always your best option.

Things that I do to keep bugs out of my garden.
-Sealed room with a filtered intake.
-keep your humidity under control (40-60%)
-keep your pets out of your indoor garden. Dogs are always brushing through the long grass picking up bugs and bringing them into your garden.
-change your shoes and clothes before going into your garden.
In my opinion 90% of the spider mites are hitching a free ride on your shoes.

Now this is the BIG ONE!!!!
After returning from the grow store:

I always change my clothes and shower after coming home from the garden store.ALWAYS!!!!!
There is no reason to introduce someone else's bugs to my bug free environment. The grow store is a distribution hub for all grow room pests. It's where they all meet up with there buddy's and get relocated to new homes. You are potentially bringing home bugs every time you visit the garden store. On the flip side, if you know you have bugs in your garden, please take all necessary measures to prevent taking them to the grow store if you have a planned visit.
It would be good practice to shower and change your clothes before and after visiting any garden store.


Further precautions would include wearing a hair net and tyvex suit when working in the grow area.
Keep your garden in mint condition. No dust or dirt on the floor. A clean work environment will deture bugs from setting up shop in your space.

All of these preventative measures are FREE. Shouldn't cost you anything and will help eliminate the use of expensive, harmful chemicals and bug sprays in your garden.
Next time your at the grow store and there's another customer in the store, ask yourself if that guy takes all the necessary precautions to limit the chance of getting bugs. The fact of the matter is... You cannot control "that guys" precaution for bugs. You can only control your own.

Let's all help each other out by eliminating the spread of bugs within the garden community.

Bugs like to come in soil and rock wool.

Can you say Thrips?

I suggest rotating a few different safe pesticides while plants are in veg so u can keep everything tidy in flower

Thanks for that mate I had mite another missed bit is temps need to stay low and good air movement ..

Good air movement on top of plant canopy and under .

Temps low is a bonus.

I attracted em with my very warm room and a friends trampy grow room

Thanks to foxfarm, I got gnats. Took care of them though, thankfully. I actually bought a suit which I will be wearing from now on. Thanks for the info!

Joe Blows Trees said:

Thanks to foxfarm, I got gnats. Took care of them though, thankfully. I actually bought a suit which I will be wearing from now on. View attachment 3555765 Thanks for the info!

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I need one of those for brushing my dogs lool

I use SNS's 209 with every watering. It's absorbed through the roots, it deters the bugs from feasting on your plants, completely safe to use, I also use pest strips hung from the ceiling to kill any bugs that might want to hang around, have never had a bug problem since.

Joe Blows Trees said:

Thanks to foxfarm, I got gnats. Took care of them though, thankfully. I actually bought a suit which I will be wearing from now on. View attachment 3555765 Thanks for the info!

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I doubt it was your fox farm that caused that probably over watering

I won't disagree with that @ryan1918 but I read alot of other recent threads with complaints similar to mine stating the larvae was in the soil. In my haste, I didn't treat the soil so that too is on me. I'm still gonna use foxfarm soil though, good for a base mix!

Yes!!!!!!
This is great everyone, Exactly what I wanted. There are some great additions to this that I totally overlooked. The soil is a big one. I can't believe I didn't mention it. I'm a hydro guy so it doesn't surprise me in a way.
The bug strips is also a good one.
I'm more so trying to get the word out that there are a lot of things that can be done before using harmful chemicals.

Hydroponics is defiantly on my side in terms on controlling bugs.

I do have mothers in soil however.

I put all new bags of soil into an old pillow case. I cut it open, place into a cooler, and I pour 3 gallons of boiling water through it quickly as possible. Let sit 10 minutes. Seal pillowcase. (This keeps bugs out but allows airflow)Let drain. Store until use.

PopTop said:

I use SNS's 209 with every watering. It's absorbed through the roots, it deters the bugs from feasting on your plants, completely safe to use, I also use pest strips hung from the ceiling to kill any bugs that might want to hang around, have never had a bug problem since.

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Hot Shot pest strips? Or sticky strips?
Do you grow in your house?

PopTop said:

I use SNS's 209 with every watering. It's absorbed through the roots, it deters the bugs from feasting on your plants, completely safe to use, I also use pest strips hung from the ceiling to kill any bugs that might want to hang around, have never had a bug problem since.

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I've seen that at the hydro store and didn't know what it was for. I just googled about it and it says it controls thrips. I'm going to try that next time. Thrips are the only thing I have trouble controlling. (I haven't had them in about a year.).

I agree with @GemuGrows about being aggressive in veg. That's always the mistake I make with thrips. By the time I get to flower there's more plant to spray (spinosad), buds to be careful of. It's orders of magnitude harder and stressful. It's better to take aggressive steps in veg.

Hotshot pest strips and yes I grow in my house.

Keep the hot shot away from pets!!! (And yourself preferably )

J Bleezy said:

Keep the hot shot away from pets!!! (And yourself preferably )

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I read somewhere the fumes are heavier than air and concentrate at the floor. That could be a reason it's more toxic to pets.

I used a HotShot strip to get rid of thrips once. I put it in the tent after lights out, turned the exhaust fan down, and let it sit inside for 4-6 hours. Two days in a row. Then again every 5 days (whatever the lifecycle is). I'm looking forward to trying SNS209 next time.

I battle with thrips about twice a year. Luckily, they've never been too much of a pain to get rid of, but they do keep showing up.