Avoiding Bugs

Hey all,

This Saturday, my plants will be at 8 weeks of flower and they look decent. Not amazing, but decent. However, with my loupe, I can see tiny, web-like strands here and there. I feel like this won't post much of a problem with this grow because I'm nearing the finish line and I've decided to spray them down with some Lost Coast Plant Therapy to be safe.

I feel like there are bugs in the room. I can't see them, but I feel like there are a small number of them in there, and those pricks can hide well. I spent over an hour looking closely at all my plants with my loupe and my iPhone and couldn't even find one.

I'm wondering if there there's a chance that there were bugs in my soil to begin with. It's totally possible I guess if using living soils. If I want to avoid bugs as much as possible on my next grow, I'm wondering if a soil mix such as ProMix HP or ProMix Herb & Garden would be less likely to contain bugs. I will empty the room completely between grows and Lysol the floor, walls and ceiling thoroughly.

If I go this route, I'll just mix in some Gaia Green 4-4-4 during veg and 2-8-4 during bloom, it should keep the plants healthy. Either that or Agricola fertilizer.

What do you think? Thanks.

Do you think it's mold? Mold looks hairy to me under magnification.

I use promix and plant therapy. Both work well for me. I use Ionic nutes aswell.

GiovanniJones said:

I can see tiny, web-like strands here and there

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Sounds like mites. Look under the leaves.

Renfro said:

Sounds like mites. Look under the leaves.

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Yeah, that's what I thought, but I looked under a ton of leaves and couldn't find even one. I know them very well, I had some in my room last summer.

70's natureboy said:

Do you think it's mold? Mold looks hairy to me under magnification.

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Can mold happen if the humidity is low, and I've never gotten a drop of water on the upper leaves or buds?
Also, if mold looks stringy, can those strings look like a web that's 1/4" or 1/2" long, here and there?
I must sound like such a moron, lol, this is just my second grow. Thanks.

GiovanniJones said:

Yeah, that's what I thought, but I looked under a ton of leaves and couldn't find even one. I know them very well, I had some in my room last summer.

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then the "web-like strands" require closer inspection, can you post closeups?

GiovanniJones said:

Can mold happen if the humidity is low

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depends on the mold, but powdery mildew for example can grow in lower RH% once it's established.

also RH% can spike at lights out given enough biomass. Do you have a high low meter or even better a log?

Renfro said:

then the "web-like strands" require closer inspection, can you post closeups?

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I couldn’t get them visible on my iPhone camera, so I pulled one off and took a pic where it’s easier to see. Check out the attachment, maybe it’s a hair from my head?



On only a few plants, not all, I could find a few of those sticking straight outwards, not attached from one leaf to another.

GiovanniJones said:

I couldn’t get them visible on my iPhone camera, so I pulled one off and took a pic where it’s easier to see. Check out the attachment, maybe it’s a hair from my head?

View attachment 4497826

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That looks more like a pet hair or carpet fiber IMO.

Place some yellow sticky traps around the room and see what they come up with. Place a few on the soil, put one up under the light to catch flyers.

Renfro said:

That looks more like a pet hair or carpet fiber IMO.

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Ok, I hope you’re right.

Renfro said:

Place some yellow sticky traps around the room and see what they come up with. Place a few on the soil, put one up under the light to catch flyers.

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Good idea, I think I have some lying around.

GiovanniJones said:

Ok, I hope you’re right.

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You could burn it in an area with still air and see what it smells like, burning hair or burning plastic.

You have a pet goat or gorilla ? .... asking for a friend

Yeah that's hair, web won't hold the wave like that. I have pets & I have to use a sticky roller before I go in my room.