Spider mites

My bf and I are at a Los as to what exactly should and could be done to ride is off sister mites and how to prevent them from future infestation?

adamay222 said:

My bf and I are at a Los as to what exactly should and could be done to ride is off sister mites and how to prevent them from future infestation?

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They are a pain in the ass. You can keep them at bay just by washing them off, I’ve found. Pyrethrin works too but I don’t use it in flower. Supposedly you can prevent them by having hospital-like growing conditions but that’s not always realistic. I don’t have problems with them outdoors, for what that’s worth, only inside. I just keep their population to a minimum as long as I can.

Dunk the plant upside down in real sudsy soapy luke warm water..I use dawn dish soap in a garbage can.. Let the whole plant submerge for 10 or 15 minutes and give a little shake in and out.. Then rinse the plant off while its upside down so you get the underside of the leaves. ... Do this twice about a 7 or 8 days apart and you shouldn't have any mites.

Corso312 said:

Dunk the plant upside down in real sudsy soapy luke warm water..I use dawn dish soap in a garbage can.. Let the whole plant submerge for 10 or 15 minutes and give a little shake in and out.. Then rinse the plant off while its upside down so you get the underside of the leaves. ... Do this twice about a 7 or 8 days apart and you shouldn't have any mites.

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Can I do this while the plant is in flower? I have been loathe to use soap due to residue. But maybe I can wash the buds pre-harvest? Would this technique work without the soap?

You can do it in flower..just let it dry off before you put ut back under the lights.

Pyganic , green cleaner are great for mites spray gc weekly half oz per gal or 1 oz but be careful. With 1 oz it may burn some foliage so start low keep shaking while you go to get the best results always do this at lights out. Up to week 2 in flower, must hit under leaves good and spray the soil about a half inch and keep 1 or 2 hotshots in the area.

you can spray with SB invigorator on a dayly basis to keep them at bay https://acornhorticulture.com/product/sb-plant-invigorator-500ml-trigger-spray/

Ive used a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment to get rid of them, was quite sucessful.

the only problem with the little fuckers is they hibernate and get into small crevaces , you need to do a thura clean out of your grow space and equipment or they just keep coming back

That 2

mpence said:

Ive used a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment to get rid of them, was quite sucessful.

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That will get. Alot but not. All

Greybush7387 said:

That will get. Alot but not. All

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Very true, you never really get rid of them once you've got them, just like herpes

Four pints water, four pints isopropyl alcohol, ¼tsp castile soap, 1tsp potassium bicarbonate. Spray every other day for a week. Every third day for a second week.
Spray everything but the top of the soil.

Then when done with this grow bomb the tent with flea bombs. Or bed bug killer. Then wash everything with light bleach solution.

Example IPM Programs:
Simple, Cheap, Preventative:

1. Veg: Weekly application of neem oil product or sulfur product or essential oil product. If using neem or essential oils, can be combined with predatory mite release. Azadirachtin products may also replace neem oil or be mixed with neem/essential oils.
2. Flower: Weekly application of citric acid product such as Nuke Em or Plant Therapy or monthly release of predatory mites

More Complex

1. Veg:Weekly application of neem oil or essential oil product (such as Trifecta or Zero Tolerance). These may be rotated on a biweekly basis and may be mixed with an azadirachtin product such as Azamax.
   1. Monthly release of predatory mites
   2. You can include a citric acid product in rotation, but only before mite release and it must be allowed to dry. You can increase time in between neem oil sprays under low pressure up to 14 days.
      1. Day 1: spray citric acid product such as plant therapy
      2. Day 2: release predatory mites
      3. Day 8: Spray Neem or essential oils (avoid purified azadirachtin)
      4. Day 15: Spray neem/essential oils or phosphorous acid
      5. Day 22: Spray neem/essential oils
      6. Day 29: Spray citric acid product
      7. Day 30: Release predatory mites
2. Flip to Flower: Potassium salts of phosphorous acid spray
3. Flower: Weekly application citric acid product such as Plant Therapy or Nuke Em or rotation of citric acid product and phosphorous acid product.
   1. Example of using predators, citric acid, and phosphorous acid:
      1. Day 1: spray citric acid product. Allow to dry.
      2. Day 2: release predatory mites
      3. Day 15: Spray phosphorous acid product (time between application may be decreased to 7-10 days if pressure is high)
      4. Day 29: spray citric acid product. Allow to dry.
      5. Day 30: Release predatory mites

( Just use ONE of the daily options below, not all )

The following program is aggressive for if an infestation occurs. It requires a diverse range of products but will be highly effective assuming proper environmental conditions for biologicals:

Day 1: Citric acid product knockdown (optional but recommended)
Nuke Em: citric acid, also contains insecticidal soap
Plant Therapy: citric acid, isopropyl alcohol, oils
Day 2 or 3 (when dry) second knockdown: Veg options: All are good choices

• Azera (pyrethrins+azadirachtin)
• Mighty (pyrethrins+ canola oil)
• Ortho tree & shrub fruit tree spray (pyrethrins+neem oil+piperonyl butoxide)
• Garden safe 3-in-1 (sulfur+insecticidal soaps)
• Safer brand pyrethrins & insecticidal soap concentrate
• Pyganic gardening (pyrethrins)
• Bonide tomato and vegetable conc. (sulfur+pyrethrins)
• Sulfur may be tank mixed with pyrethrins & insecticidal soaps,
• Botanigard Maxx (Pyrethrins & B. bassiana)

Flower Options– Only use pyrethrins if you are still early in flowering. Otherwise, it is best to stick to food grade contact killer such as citric acid.

• Safer brand pyrethrins & insecticidal soap concentrate
• Pyganic gardening (pyrethrins)
• Botanigard Maxx

Day 5 or 6: Second pyrethrin application, begin biological control with B. bassiana or I. fumosorosea and mites

• Botanigard Maxx
• Pyganic + Botanigard/Mycotrol
• Pyganic+ PFR-97

Day 6 or 7: Release predator mites when previous spray is dry
Day 10: Grandevo or Venerate spray
Day 15: PFR-97 or Mycotrol/Botanigard spray (diversifying from last living fungus spray is recommended, but requires multiple products).
Assuming the infestation is severe, I would rotate between day 1 and day 2 applications for a longer period of time (1-2 weeks) before implementing more persistent biological control methods.
*If ambient humidity is low (<40% RH), I would rotate between Grandevo, Venerate, and Citric Acid (Nuke Em or Plant Therapy) instead of using living fungi*
Day 20: Grandevo or Venerate spray (Diversifying from last heat-killed bacteria is recommended)
Day 27: PFR-97 or Mycotrol/Botanigard
Day 35: Grandevo or Venerate
Day 36: Release predatory mites

Anyone every use neem oil for them?
I've used it for gnats just spray it when lights go out.

Sulfur will make your plants taste and smell like fireworks

If you have extra cash get a powerful burning laser.

Make a game of hunting them down and zapping them to death.

Mattcheck said:

Anyone every use neem oil for them?
I've used it for gnats just spray it when lights go out.

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Yes the only time I had them I sprayed neem oil on and under the leaves before lights out.

Every 3-5 days if it's a bad infestation or once per week if it's just beginning.
Once every 2 weeks for prevention only

rmax said:

If you have extra cash get a powerful burning laser.

Make a game of hunting them down and zapping them to death.

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I fail to see how this doesn't damage leaf tissue as well?