Spider Mite Control

skoobie dew

Well-Known Member
ive had mites for a while now and i tried safer soap but that only knocked them back.my friend gave me this shit called ortho miteacide,he said it works awesome but cant use for 3 weeks before harvest.i also got a hot shots no pest strip.this is my first time using both.i have 5 weeks left so i will use both for 2 weeks and then move the no pest strip to the vegg room or in the room that my two grow cabs are in,does this sound like a good plan???
Isn't that a nasty systemic?
 

skoobie dew

Well-Known Member
Both avid and floramite have a 14 day "no harvest" window after spraying so 4 weeks is not too late.

The product discussed above was azamax not floramite :wink:
Correction florimite label now states "3day" b4 harvest. Avid is listed for ornamentals only.
 

NewGrowth

Well-Known Member
Azatawhatever in the res will not kill mites. It will kill fugus gnats and root aphid.
Yes it will kill mites, Azamax, Azatrol and similar products work systemically and can be watered into the medium or added to the reservoir for a few hours. The dosage for adding azamax to your rez is pretty high and because it's so expensive most people just use it as a foliar. I do know someone who runs it in their reservoir successfully however. He does it with no nutes, just pH adjusted water and azamax for 4-6 hours then changes out the rez and adds back his nutes/additives.

Correction florimite label now states "3day" b4 harvest. Avid is listed for ornamentals only.
Neither Floramite or Avid are approved for food crops and NEITHER should be sprayed during flower unless it is your LAST resort. These I two chemicals I recommend researching and reading the instructions very carefully before you start spraying.
Remember to be responsible with the use of pesticides, we don't want any cancer patients smoking Avid!
 

doniawon

Well-Known Member
does c02 kill them?
yeah but at 10,000 ppm.

also azamax works far better than anthing i have ever messed with.. last time i had them einstien did very little to nothing, as the plants were 4 ft tall and bushy.
Then i tried two dctr doom bombs 4 days apart.. the bombs stunned them pretty good but i could see them back at work by day 4..
And finally azamax in the nute solution and foliar application stopped them completly in less than a week..
 

golddog

Well-Known Member
yeah but at 10,000 ppm.

also azamax works far better than anthing i have ever messed with.. last time i had them einstien did very little to nothing, as the plants were 4 ft tall and bushy.
Then i tried two dctr doom bombs 4 days apart.. the bombs stunned them pretty good but i could see them back at work by day 4..
And finally azamax in the nute solution and foliar application stopped them completly in less than a week..
I haven't used CO2, but I have read that you put a garbage bag over a plant and fill it with CO2.

:weed:
 

Hayduke

Well-Known Member
I haven't used CO2, but I have read that you put a garbage bag over a plant and fill it with CO2.

:weed:
This is my crazy solution...kills the mites and the eggs...but not in the grow area...they are back in ~4-6 weeks...I do not know if I am tracking them in, they come through the screened sky light/windows or if there are eggs that I am missing that are not on the plant.

Also, if you are not careful you can frost bite the tops (leaves get blotches of white) or gas your cat...it works extremely well for the mites and eggs on the plant. I think this is still a good method for harvested plants, cut or not, that have some mites...the finishing plant likes the CO2 and NO off taste from oil sprays or chemicals.

CowboyLogic in another SM thread is recommending Doktor Doom up to harvest and says he has good results...the bastards always choose my best plants...lazy ass lady bugs...I have so many I find them in my clothes and hair when I am out and about:mrgreen:

:leaf::peace::leaf:
 

chronicobstruction

Active Member
hey today i sprayed ff dont bug me on my plants to get rid of mites .. i let them sit and dry before i put them back under the lighs .. about an hour later i notice that there are these blue pigments forming on the leaves ... should i worry or just wait it out. .. another thing is i still see these lil bastards .. should i try soap n water ?
 

Hayduke

Well-Known Member
has anyone used pyrethrum tr just bought some want to know how good this works
I have a can in front of me...if you have not used it already, make sure you do not set off the whole bomb!!!!! cover skin and hold breath or use respirator.

The can says it kills mites...I do not buy it...kills everything else.

I think it is the piperonyl-butoxide but this stuff smells like what it is...pesticide.

If it works for mites, why do people resort to miticide?

I went to SF for 4 days so the garden did not get as much ventilation...and stayed warmer...boy were the little bastards busy!...I am thinking of shutting down to try to rid the garden of these horrible pests.

My best friend does not grow buds, but pretty much everything else...he is a very talented gardener. He has been having trouble also and agrees that our normal organic based pesticides are NOT working...exposed eggs that survive are being given some immunity, but this year in the environment, they are stronger and resilient.

This is the worst thing a perpetual garden can be infected with besides pork.

:leaf::peace::leaf:
 
I'm writing this as a guide for controlling spider mites because I recently had a really MAJOR problem with them and I found a LOT of bad info floating around.

Spider Mites


Spider Mite damage results in a "stippling" or spots that appear on the leaves. Often it is not as pronounced as in the picture and the areas where mites are most concentrated just turn brown, dry up, and crumble.

Spider mites breed very quickly and once their population gets high enough the rate of damage increases exponentially. With no control spider mites can quickly defoliate and kill a large cannabis plant in less than two weeks.

Mites themselves are barely visable to the naked eye however with a jewler's loupe they can be seen with translucent bodies having two black spots. They are usually only on the undersides of the leaves unless you have a bad infestation.



Prevention

If you area reading this then probably, like me you already have mites. I still think it is important that I discuss prevention so that when you do get them under control they don't come back!

For indoor gardens pests will likely enter the grow room in larger numbers during late summer and fall months to escape weather extremes. You can cover your intakes with silk-screen and spray it down with a miticide such as Avid or Floramite. Keep in mind that the screen with reduce intake surface area by up to 70% resulting in reduced air-flow unless you expand your intake surface area by about 70% as well (AKA bigger intake).

Mites also hitch a ride on your buddies clones into you grow room. I recommend treating any clones you get from the dispensary, good buddy, top grower, ANYBODY. Use Avid or Floramite as a one time preventative kill-all.

If you go your local hydro store change your clothes before you enter your garden. Everybody and their mother comes in there with spider mites frantic and spreads them around for you to take home. I also hang a few clean lab-coats outside my room now days just to be extra safe.

Mite Control

Finally what you have been waiting for, how to kill these bastards! Mites are VERY hardy, I dare say they are more hardy than cockroaches. If there was a nuclear winter I'm sure mites would survive quite happily.

There are a million and one products on the market today that "claim" to work. Unfortunately few provide adequate control for anyone other than a very small hobby grower who found three mites on their plant. I'll try to go over a few of the most popular ones. If you have a product in mind I have not listed feel free to PM me or post your question.

Neem Oil: Seems to suppress small populations on healthy plants but mites will slowly work their way up to the east side and eat your plants. If you are using IPM(Integrated Pest Management) and other controls as a preventative it should be applied weekly for best results.

Neem Oil Concentrates: Not all are created equal some are better than others Azatrol works well to suppress mite populations and can be used as a safe control for flowering plants not already heavily infested. Does not need to be applied as often.

Pyrethroids: Probably the most common product used as a broad range pesticide. Kills everything but mites seem to only be slowed down a bit and subsequent generations quickly build a high tolerance to this pesticide. There are two types artificial and organic pyrethroids. Organic pyrethroids quickly break down and become inert providing little control of anything but very small populations. If you use these pyrethroids I would recommend an artificial because they have longer residual effects. These are contact only insecticides and DO NOT kill eggs requiring multiple applications. Overall these are not very effective at controlling mites and I would only recommend them if you are late in flower or have a minor problem.

Insect Soaps: Don't even bother, SAFER soap works great outside where natural predators can work with you but inside it hardly phases the mites. Don't let the damn hippies tell you that all natural will work with spider mites too, trust me I wish it did. *Some soaps contain Pyrethroids and the combined action of the soap seems to provide mild control.

Nicotine Tea: If you are on a really tight budget collect some old cigarette butts and boil them in water for about 20 min. Let it cool strain out the butts mix it with a bit of soap and spray all the leaf surfaces really well. Wear gloves nicotine can make you feel pretty sick if you get enough and can be absorbed through your skin. It seems to do a pretty good job at killing mites but breaks down with-in a day requiring repeat applications. For heavy infestations they build up a tolerance after about a week. May work well if you catch the mites early and spray often.

Spider Mite Predators: The epitome of natural control, if used with a strong prevention system in a clean grow room I hear they are effective. It often takes up to a year for their populations to become mobile and effective requiring multiple releases. They also need food! They can survive on pollen for a little while but eventually if their are no spider mites to eat they die off. They are also VERY expensive upwards of $200 for a killing combo of predator mites.

Avid: This is one of the only TRUELY effective products for spider mites. This is an industrial pesticide and should be used responsibly. It is pretty pricey about $300 a quart but you can find smaller amounts being sold on e-bay for $15-30 USD. You don't need much 1-2.5 ml/gal will do it. If used properly it will kill all the mites and eggs. It is also stored in leaf tissue for 28 days so I would not use it on late flowering plants. For heavy infestations spray again a week later. No contact is required due to the chemical's systemic movement. ROTATE with another miticide or you will end up with a super mite that is impossible to kill.

Floramite: Another VERY effective product, uses a different activity than Avid to kill mites but is also stored in leaf tissue for up to 28 days. Kills both mites and eggs. I use this product in a one month rotation with Avid. About the same price as Avid. Remember if you use this ROTATE! DOn't make a super-mite for everyone!

That covers the big ones hope I helped you kill these frustrating insects!


What is your opion on using the rubbing alchol water mixture to treat mites???

The Don
 

xxgomez112xx

Active Member
i had baugth soem todya and i think it may have burned my plants?? i spraye dit while the lights were on it kinda looks like its burnt.
 

dirtsurfr

Well-Known Member
Wow that sucks, I just found out today I have them too!:cuss:
So I went out and got some Schultz Fruit and Vegetable Insect Spray.
It has pyethrins 0.01% Canola Oil 1.00% Inert Ingredients 98.99% $8.00 per bottle.
I put almost the whole 24 ozs. on 8 20" plants.
My Poor Babies!!!!:wall:
I hope all goes well for everyone
Piece Tim :leaf:
 

RemeberMe

Active Member
Going with the CO2 gas method first (basically free for me). Here's some pics of the clones in white bags so a little light can get in to keep them from flowering. I vacuumed out the bags then filled them back up from my CO2 tank. I'll keep it on for about 24 hours.

DSCF4571.jpg

Pre and Post gassing shows results! I saved off a leaf that had plenty of spider mites and one that was gassed (18 hours). The non-gassed capsule still has them running around. The gas one shows no signs of life (and a few curled up ones). I'll wait to see if any of the eggs hatch in the gassed one and report back.

For the rest of the plants I'm going with Purespray which supposedly even kills the eggs.

Pic of plants after 18 hours in the bags. This is about 1 hour after getting out. Looks like they recover nicely.
DSCF4572.jpg
 

dirtsurfr

Well-Known Member
ok well ive found a total of four diffrent bugs in my garden.. White flies, a small black looking fly, some wierd tick looking creature and definetly spider mites...! I have already killed a plant 2 weeks in flowering because of them and now they have spread to my other girl snow white. Ive tried soap + water and alcohol +water and niether worked... I need to kill these fuckers before they kill another plant... They are multiplying at very fast rates and the plant i killed was covered with literally hundreds! I ordered some neem oil and a no pest strip. Will this work or should I buy something better? What can I do to slow them down till I get this stuff?! Btw Im on a buget so I cant afford Avil or Floramite.
I'm new to most your bugs but back in "82":hump: I got white flies and found the best thing is to take a Penzoil can or yellow bottle and give it a good coat of oil and hang it by the plants. Within 2 days they were all gone (stuck to the yellow jug)
 

WaRpIg

Well-Known Member
I ve never got mites in 4 years .. what i ve learned .. i keep doing bloom i keep room temp 72 when light off 68 .. in veg room with all mothers i spray them once a weeks with purespray .. and also the same day from veg to bloom i spray before place in bloom room .. and never had these problem.. gotta keep plants coat with purespray and it work ...
 
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