What are the very first signs of spider mites and thrips?

zubey91

zubey91

Well-Known Member
Its so confusing.. I have some what looks like dried water on a bunch of my fan leaves.. Not many like 10 .. There is white specks.. Which could be just dust.. I have no idea.. How do you know when it first starts?
 
cazador

cazador

Active Member
If you suspect mites, get a magnifiying glass and inspect the leaves that show signs of spots. Look under the leaves and on top. Look for very small mites. You will notice them moving around.
 
zubey91

zubey91

Well-Known Member
cazador said:
If you suspect mites, get a magnifiying glass and inspect the leaves that show signs of spots. Look under the leaves and on top. Look for very small mites. You will notice them moving around.
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i see what looks like dried water or if you dried out salt water it looks like white film and some white specks here and there.. but nothing moving.. it may just be dust.

i don't want to give it anything if there is no problem..
 
zubey91

zubey91

Well-Known Member
taint said:
Sounds like powdery mildew,pics would make it easy to say for sure.
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what causes powdery mildew? its too small to take a pic of.. i'll try at lunch..

i'm not sure its that.. I live in a very dry climate... Colorado.
 
zubey91

zubey91

Well-Known Member
i have a fan blowing the whole time the lights are on.. its not violently blowing on the plant but a nice breeze .. the leafs do move but slightly.

looking more at this.. I'm thinking more and more its just the dust in the air.. its very very dusty in Colorado.
 
dart420

dart420

New Member
ventilation and circulation are two different things. powder mold grows all over the place in colorado.
 
SCCA

SCCA

Active Member
dart420 is right, they two very different things. i keep seeing over and over again new growers getting this confused. i was talking to some one the other day having terrible heat and humidity issues, he told me he didnt think he need an exhaust fan because he was told that enclosed, isolated systems are the best.
 
EvlMunkee

EvlMunkee

Well-Known Member
zubey91 said:
Its so confusing.. I have some what looks like dried water on a bunch of my fan leaves.. Not many like 10 .. There is white specks.. Which could be just dust.. I have no idea.. How do you know when it first starts?
Click to expand...
Hey Zube,
I am familiar with thrips but not so much w/ mites.
The first signs are tiny white or silver specs showing on the tops of the leaves. You may not see any at this point. They are usually on the bottom punching little holes in your leaves. They are quite small and fast. They can fly but prefer to run. It may take a long time for them to get bad (3 months in my case) but eventually they will cover the leaves with spots and the plant will lose vitality.
I have been using neem for over a month now and they are getting better but still there.
It will not necessarily ruin your crop but it doesn't help any.
I suggest regular spraying with neem oil as it keeps them in check and doesn't hurt the plants.
Good Luck;-)
EM
 
zubey91

zubey91

Well-Known Member
EvlMunkee said:
Hey Zube,
I am familiar with thrips but not so much w/ mites.
The first signs are tiny white or silver specs showing on the tops of the leaves. You may not see any at this point. They are usually on the bottom punching little holes in your leaves. They are quite small and fast. They can fly but prefer to run. It may take a long time for them to get bad (3 months in my case) but eventually they will cover the leaves with spots and the plant will lose vitality.
I have been using neem for over a month now and they are getting better but still there.
It will not necessarily ruin your crop but it doesn't help any.
I suggest regular spraying with neem oil as it keeps them in check and doesn't hurt the plants.
Good Luck;-)
EM
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it almost looks like little pieces of ash. can you knock them off by blowing on them? cuz that happens to the white specks when i do it.
 
xochilives

xochilives

Active Member
Not familiar with thrips but mites yes. Look on the tallest growing shoot, you may see small strands of webbing, they reside on the underside of the leaves making em hard to spot because one is almost always looking down on a plant. They look like tiny specks of dirt, why is dirt onyour leaves, its not, get a dope scope (the ones used for close up views of trichomes works great) if you suspect anything, ANYTHING, pull the leaf off and inspect it, you will notice it immediately. The eggs will only be visible this way as they are way smaller than the mites themselves which are hard to see as it is. THe eggs are small perfectly spherical white things and they will probably be all over like something sprinkled em like a fucking garnish for your plant, totally unnatural, all you should see on a leaf is veins and cysolith hairs, anything else is a pest. Azatrol works, so does Doktor Doom, mites are pussies. In serious cases whole buds will be consumed in webbing and you will visibly see whole colonies of mites crawling and going about their business, you have to check every day if you suspect anything, just grab your tops and pull em over to the side and check the undersides thoroughly, all plants, even clones, diligence pays off!
 
zubey91

zubey91

Well-Known Member
xochilives said:
Not familiar with thrips but mites yes. Look on the tallest growing shoot, you may see small strands of webbing, they reside on the underside of the leaves making em hard to spot because one is almost always looking down on a plant. They look like tiny specks of dirt, why is dirt onyour leaves, its not, get a dope scope (the ones used for close up views of trichomes works great) if you suspect anything, ANYTHING, pull the leaf off and inspect it, you will notice it immediately. The eggs will only be visible this way as they are way smaller than the mites themselves which are hard to see as it is. THe eggs are small perfectly spherical white things and they will probably be all over like something sprinkled em like a fucking garnish for your plant, totally unnatural, all you should see on a leaf is veins and cysolith hairs, anything else is a pest. Azatrol works, so does Doktor Doom, mites are pussies. In serious cases whole buds will be consumed in webbing and you will visibly see whole colonies of mites crawling and going about their business, you have to check every day if you suspect anything, just grab your tops and pull em over to the side and check the undersides thoroughly, all plants, even clones, diligence pays off!
Click to expand...

thanks for the reply.. I did pull a leaf off and inspect it.. i think i'm good.
 
klonerone

klonerone

Active Member
It may just by dried up nutrient solution....does it look like a salt stain? Think greasy baseball cap..:idea:
 
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