Possible Bug Problem

[mandyscandyspot]

hey everyone. i was checking out my plants today. they are almost five weeks old. i notice that there was a little cob webs on one plant and than when I look on the under part of the leaf on another i notice some spots. i don't think they were hatched yet because there was no movement. the webs were in one hydro system and the dotes where in the other. i didn't notice any bugs near the webs though. i am very concerned because I've heard what spider mites can do to the plants. I have been doing some research to try and find a resoultion to this problem but there seems to be so many ideas and i would perfer to just here from the people who actually grow and know what methods they use to fix this kind of issue. please help i don't want my babies to die

[MightyMightyMezz]

I would get some predators. You can order lacewing eggs and let them hatch around your plants and the lacewing larvae will eat the mites. Superior Grower's Supply in Lansing ships them. More fun than spraying I think.

[mandyscandyspot]

I would get some predators. You can order lacewing eggs and let them hatch around your plants and the lacewing larvae will eat the mites. Superior Grower's Supply in Lansing ships them. More fun than spraying I think.

 

 

ya thats what some one else recommended that also. have you personally tried it.

[Grow Thread]

for those of you who answered 2 weeks ago, i'll save ya the time

 

Anyone know how to get rid of spider mites? I bought 600 lady bugs a few weeks ago but cant find a single one now? Do indoor growers use insectacide. help !!

 

 

Lacewings sound like they are more effective against mites. When they hatch they are in larval form and go around eating every mite and mite egg they can find. In the meantime you can make a spray with tobacco, lemon juice and cayenne that should seriously set them back. I wouldn't use chemical pesticides, but if it comes to that, a Pyrethrum based insecticide might be less dangerous.

 

 

The Tobacco, Lemon juice and pepper spray works very well for me. I also use a no pest strip while in veg and for the first 3 weeks of flowering and haven't seen a mite in my last 3 grows. Just be sure to keep everything as clean as possible, no leaf matter or like materials laying around.

 

 

How to Get Rid of Spider Mites

 

Getting rid of spider mites (often incorrectly spelled spidermites)

from your garden is priority number one if you’re recognized a

spider mite infestation because in the world of horticulture there

are mites and then there are spider mites, or what we can call the

two-spotted mite. Spider mite populations grow so quickly that often

times a farmer or gardener is caught off guard. Warm, dry temperatures

make the perfect climate for the spider mite’s reproductive cycle,

which leaves your plants susceptible not only to drought but also to

the spider mite’s tenacious appetite.

 

If you’ve noticed the signs of a mite infestation described on your left,

and you’re dealing primarily with flowers, it may be in your best

interest to turn to a miticide for the quickest and most effective control.

However, if you’re a farmer or a gardener tending vegetables and herbs,

you may want to consider an integrated pest management approach, which is

what we’ll explain below: how to get rid of spider mites and control

spider mite populations without insecticides or miticides, as the case may be.

 

The first step toward getting rid of spider mites is to isolate the plants,

but keep the infested plants clustered.Isolating your plants will reduce

the risk of spider mite migration. Spider mites are quite adept at riding air

currents to and from the plants they wish to feed on. Keeping your plants in

clusters will help retain moisture by reducing airflow between the plants.

Spider mites are not very keen on moist climates; they need the evaporative

properties of an arid climate to reproduce more efficiently.

 

Retaining humidity and moisture is a good way to get rid of spider mites.

This can be accomplished in several ways. If you’re tending potted plants,

keeping your pots over a platter of water will help keep immediate moisture

levels up. If you’re tending to garden plants, you may want to consider putting

in peat moss to fill the gaps between plants. Of course, the best way to

keep humidity and moisture levels high is to bring your plants indoors where

they can be misted with very cold water on a regular basis (2-3 times a day).

The same treatment can be done to outdoor plants with firm but careful sprayings

to help drown the mites and remove them from the plants.

 

Keeping plants out of the late afternoon sun and/or arid weather is

perhaps your best defense against spider mites.This may not be possible

for those of us who cannot remove plants via pots, but any way to provide

shade to damaged or weakened plants during the warmer hours of the day will help.

For indoor plants, drawing the shades or moving plants out of direct sunlight

should help dissuade spider mites from taking up permanent residency. You may

also want to consider setting a humidifier next to any affected plants.

 

It has been suggested that spraying plants with a 1:1 mixture of alcohol and

water will kill spider mites on contact. Rubbing alcohol, like any alcohol

for any creature, is poisonous in high dosages, and it evaporates quickly doing

little damage to the plant it’s been sprayed on. Some people suggest a 1:3

mixture of rubbing alcohol to water, but the strong the mixture,

the more certain you are to get as many mites as possible. Make sure to cover

the entire plant, focusing on the bottoms of the leaves where spider

mites tend to hang out.

 

If all else fails, miticides are, of course, one of the most effective forms

of spider mite treatments and the fastest way to get rid of spider mites—usually .

It all depends on the kind of miticide that you choose. Some of the most common

miticides are Avid, Kelthane, and just about anything that contains pyrethoids.

These chemicals should be applied once every five days until all signs of

spider mite infestation have gone. Again, people gardening vegetables and herbs

should try every other avenue before using miticides, including the biological

mite controls described below.

 

Biological Mite Control

 

Predatory mites are, in many new age gardener’s opinions, the best way to control spider mites. Predatory mites are mites that do not feed on plants but on other mites, like the two-spotted mite, for instance. Predatory mites can usually be mail-ordered from a horticultural warehouse or purchased online from any number of online gardening vendors. For the sake of brevity, we will cover just three of the most common predatory mites used to kill and control spider mites:

 

Phytoseiulus persimilis is referred to by the Cornell University Extension office as “ one of the mainstays of greenhouse integrated pest management.” The great thing about this species of mite is that it cleans up after itself once the spider mite population is gone—cannibalizing on each other, thus decimating their own populations.

 

Metaseiulus occidentalis is another common predatory mite used to kill spider mites. It is an effective biological control only if temperatures are on average between 44 degrees and 89 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

Phytoseiulus longpipes is essentially a variant of the Phytoseiulus persimilis mite brought in from Africa which can stand warmer ambient temperatures than its North American cousins. Longpipes is seeing a gain in popularity among gardeners who would rather deploy a biological spider mite control agent than a chemical or physical control.

 

copy and Paste from : http://www.getridoft...pider-mites.htm

 

Hope this helps ...

 

 

lol, lost 600 ladybugs? a common mistake for newer growers to make while using the ladybug technique is to forget they like the light. A LOT if an agent is not used to glue the wings of the ladybug closed, they will fly directly into your lamp and die. obviously this would leave dead bug carcasses all over your floor. but if they are just "gone" then i am as lost as you are.

 

as far as using insecticides indoors? oh yeah. unfortunately it has to be done occasionally. some folks like to go the organic route, some like the home remedy thing, and some just blast the little gentlemen with anything they can get their hands on.

 

if you just have a plant or two, then i would go with the tobacco juice/water mix. if you have an infested forest, you may want to try another, more harsh route like http://www.lowes.com...:ProductDisplay

it's 70% neem oil, but it does have some bad stuff in it too. mix/use as directed on package. immediately spray down with clean water after application to wash away any residue/dead bugs.

 

 

Organocide... Even just saw it at Home Depot.. Completely organic... Main ingredient Sesame Oil...!!

 

It even acts as a fungicide.

 

 

After I became concerned about prolonged use of insecticides in my basement,even though they claimed to be organic, I had very good success with a mixture of 1 tablespoonful of pure Canola oil mixed with 1 liter of water sprayed on (ideally) on the undersides of the leaves, twice a week. I was worried about it clogging the pores on the plants, but with a six week turn-around it never seemed to be a problem, in fact, the plants seemed to like it. I think it didn't kill the mites as I could never seem to be completely rid of them, regardless of what method I used. Every time I thought they were completely gone and became lax watching out for them, they would reappear. God, how I hated spider mites.

 

If it's feasible and safe given your grow set-up and down time, you might consider a fogging spray like Dr Doom.

 

 

Neem Oil.

 

I have also had good luck killing a lot of bugs and mold with a sulphur burner at night. This is mandatory if your using a fogger and your humidity level is up in the 70% range. Like what was said before high humidity will get rid of them as well. Set it on a timer for 1-2 hours at night. Just don't use after 3 weeks in flower.

 

Neem oil works real well. If planting in soil, it is good to mix @ 1 tsp/qt and spray on the root ball and incorporate into the soil every few weeks. I repot twice into larger ones and do this at those times. Spraying the solution onto the plants every week or two with the exception of the last three or four weeks in bloom will keep you clean. To eliminate fungus gnats, disturb the top inch or so of the soil in your pots frequently. This disrupts the egg cycle.

 

 

This is how to test for spider mites in your meds

[mandyscandyspot]

My personal exp with predators is they just keep them in check.

do you know how long it will take for me to get them if i order them? also will it be bad if i wait for the time it takes for them to get here or should I do something else in the mean time.

[mandyscandyspot]

Do you have a hydroshop close by?

 

 

yes i have two that i know of that i can go to tom.

[mandyscandyspot]

That would be the quickest

 

 

okay thanks i'll get right on it in the early AM

[xxsesimeseedxx]

Phytoseiulus persimilis is referred to by the Cornell University Extension office as “ one of the mainstays of greenhouse integrated pest management.” The great thing about this species of mite is that it cleans up after itself once the spider mite population is gone—cannibalizing on each other, thus decimating their own populations.

 

kinda cool!

[Grow Thread]

just wanted to say the plants are looking awesome!! you gonna be swimming in meds very shortly :goodjob: :goodjob:

[rockinlespaul]

As long as it's not a room that you live and breath in I'd be throwing a Hot Shot in there ASAP!

[porcupine]

As long as it's not a room that you live and breath in I'd be throwing a Hot Shot in there ASAP!

I second that. You can find them at Meijers in the grocery aisle that has the Raid Foggers in them. Don't believe the BS people will give you about Hot Shot Pest Strips. They are safe to use on your plants unless they are in late flower. The main chemical in them is Dichlorvos and it rapidly dissipates off of the plant. Not as quick as Pyrethum though so don't use them in the last weeks of flowering.

[mandyscandyspot]

just wanted to say the plants are looking awesome!! you gonna be swimming in meds very shortly :goodjob: :goodjob:

i know you posted this like a while ago but i just wanted to say thanks cause you made me smile. your the frist person to compliment my plants...so excited to hear i'm doing it right

[Grow Thread]

i was perusing the gallery last week and BOOM

 

i just had to find you and congratulate ya'

[fuzzybuds]

I second that. You can find them at Meijers in the grocery aisle that has the Raid Foggers in them. Don't believe the BS people will give you about Hot Shot Pest Strips. They are safe to use on your plants unless they are in late flower. The main chemical in them is Dichlorvos and it rapidly dissipates off of the plant. Not as quick as Pyrethum though so don't use them in the last weeks of flowering.

 

Im set on the hot shot too. Works great just make sure you have room ventilated. Haven't seen ant signs of mites in a month since i hung the hot shot.