Spider Mites!!! Kill them with hand soap?

Guys, I have 5 plants at the moment, 4 of them are infected with spider mites, the other guy is only 3 or so inches in height, but the bigger ones are heavily populated with these little bastards. I wanted to use neem oil, but I'm broke at the moment from buying a new T5 light set up. I heard that soap will kill them, so I mixed up some soap and water, checked the ph, and it's just under 6.5 ph. Should I use it? I'm not into chemicals but like I said, I'm kinda broke for now and I want them gone. If I do end up using it, how am I supposed to apply it? Gently wipe the leaves down with a wet cotton ball with the soap and water, or spray it on? I really need some pointers on this, so thanks.

Also... Where the hell do they come from? I keep things pretty clean, and my girlfriend vacuums at least twice a week. Do they live in the soil? Did I get them when I put my plants out side? I would like to know how these guys transported themselves into my garden. Thank you.

If you can scrounge up like 7 bucks, go buy a 'Hot Shots No Pest Strip' I've tried multiple home remedys and none of them work. This will kill ALL the spider mites (alone with any other bugs) and the eggs that hatch within 4 days of when you put it in there. Just read the directions and be careful. I've never tried what your askin about, so on that I have no answer. Sorry.

SkunkFunk420 said:

Also... Where the hell do they come from? I keep things pretty clean, and my girlfriend vacuums at least twice a week. Do they live in the soil? Did I get them when I put my plants out side? I would like to know how these guys transported themselves into my garden. Thank you.

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THIS, I'm 95% sure this is where they came from. Unless you got the plants as clones and they already had the mites when you got them. If you have an indoor garden, like myself, I NEVER take the girls outside for this reason alone!

Damnit! It was all my fault too, I went outside and checked other plants in the area of where I've put mine and BAM! All kinds of them. I'll try to get some cash together to plot my revenge on these guys. Thanks for the response. + Rep HookdOnChronics.

It's a test! My girlfriend was kind enough to spot me some cash so I can pick some sort of pest killer. But I'm also curious of the soap and water, so on of my smaller plants, about like 10 inches high with under 6 sets of real leaves just took a batj with soap and water. I used softsoap hand soap, it had a ph of a little less than 6.5, I wiped him down with a cotton ball, then gave him a light spray with the solutioun (hopefully). I'm not going to pick anything up until tomorrow, so I'm gonna keep the guy I washed separated from the rest until I get the stuff from the store. Then I'll compare results of soap and water to that of whatever I buy, and I'll let you guys know how it turns out a few weeks from now.

It won't take a few weeks if you listen to what I said. "Hot shot no pest strip" (http://www.hotshotbrand.com/ProductCategories/IndoorInsecticides/NoPestStrip/) You will have the problem solved in 4 days. It cost like 7 bucks and can be found at your local hardware store (Ace, or Home Depot ect...) Just tryin to save you some trouble because I already know how this is going to work out.

Goodluck

SkunkFunk420 said:

Also... Where the hell do they come from? I keep things pretty clean, and my girlfriend vacuums at least twice a week. Do they live in the soil? Did I get them when I put my plants out side? I would like to know how these guys transported themselves into my garden. Thank you.

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i have them to.. but its a great lesson, once you get rid of them, yes they hitch hike on your close, shoes, whatever, they can even come thru the air vents coming from outside. we have been spraying them with neem oil, but we bombed 3 times and sprayed them a few times, we are under control but there still there, we have decided to remove our carpet thats in the room, for easier cleaning, we have to take everything down after harvest and disinfect everything and are going to bleach the walls and floor, also spraying the bottom of your pots with pam helps them stick to the pam, then put de (diamaceous earth on the rest of the pot) it kills them cause they walk over it and it tears there body apart, we almost lost our whole crop, but we were diligent and kept up on them. they are very hard to get rid of, dont panic, take your time check your plants everyday. thats the best advice i can give, luckily i think there all gone but you never know, so just keep a regiment of neem oil once a week also, that should keep them at bay until winter. they go dorment in the winter, thats how we got ours, we stupidly put our tray that the poys sit in outside to dry and bam, there they were. go into your grow room naked, or after a shower with clean clothes. good luck!!

HookdOnChronics said:

It won't take a few weeks if you listen to what I said. "Hot shot no pest strip" (http://www.hotshotbrand.com/ProductCategories/IndoorInsecticides/NoPestStrip/) You will have the problem solved in 4 days. It cost like 7 bucks and can be found at your local hardware store (Ace, or Home Depot ect...) Just tryin to save you some trouble because I already know how this is going to work out.

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Before you do that read this thread. https://www.rollitup.org/advanced-marijuana-cultivation/331485-i-made-my-med-poison.html

rocklee420 said:

Before you do that read this thread. https://www.rollitup.org/advanced-marijuana-cultivation/331485-i-made-my-med-poison.html

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Yup I've already red that, and will still use the NPS if I ever have a mite problem again. Like the package says "NOT to be used in a place occupied by people for more than 4 hours" So if you grow in your house, put them in the grow room when yo go to work, and take them out and put them in a ziplock bag when you get home and just air out your house. It's not that hard, and the easiest mite removal advice I've ever gotten when I first learned the way of the dark side.

Hey just lookin out, I'd hate for anyone to get sick.

Oh I feel ya bro, and good lookin out! I just think that the kid in that other thread had more wrong that just the NPS. I don't want anybody to get sick either! It's just he is the only time anybody has ever heard of this really happening. There are 10 others in the thread that state, just like me, that it's not the NPS that caused this..... To each his own tho, just tossin out some knowledge. It's his choice so in the end he'll do what he wants

I went ahead and wiped the leaves down just to get the bigger mites off. Then I went and bought the No Pest Strip to keep them off. There's only one plant that's in it 48 hour photoperiod, that I haven't wipped down. And my new Bubblegum Kush just sprouted.

sounds like some people have had varying results with the NPS, but i'm willing to try anything that won't hurt my girls......and seedlings.

HookdOnChronics said:

Oh I feel ya bro, and good lookin out! I just think that the kid in that other thread had more wrong that just the NPS. I don't want anybody to get sick either! It's just he is the only time anybody has ever heard of this really happening. There are 10 others in the thread that state, just like me, that it's not the NPS that caused this..... To each his own tho, just tossin out some knowledge. It's his choice so in the end he'll do what he wants

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Well, I've used them too and experienced headaches and nausea from the finished product. These strips are TOXIC. They shouldn't even be considered an option, imo.