AAAHHH SPIDER MITES!!! [Archive] - Green Grass Forums

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wild1

06-20-2006, 10:14 PM

you know those little almost green microscopic fuckers.. they drain moisture and shit outta your plants and im suffering from them hardcore. i dont know what type of pesticide to use to get rid of em and already ive lost 3 of my babies.. im in desperate need of help.. please anyone with any tricks of the trade will be much appreciated thanx :( :(

sjacobs713

06-20-2006, 10:45 PM

use ladybugs...

SkunkMe1

06-20-2006, 10:56 PM

Read this thread it answers all your questions
http://boards.cannabis.com/showthread.php?t=66844&highlight=mites

Sorry for your loss, i hope you solve the problem.

Cheers

Opie Yutts

06-26-2006, 03:43 AM

Please don't take action until you've read this. Also, please search. All your questions can usually be answered this way.

http://boards.cannabis.com/showthread.php?t=64107

Jdog7000

06-26-2006, 01:14 PM

Mights are a bitch.
Start fightng them now.Or you could loose everything.
Spray with pyrythrum.
Or use a bomb.
No pest strips seem to work.

Zandor

06-26-2006, 05:33 PM

Use a Pyrethrum Fogger and use it every 3 day's for a week or two to break the life cycle of them. One or two treatments are not enough.

http://www.discount-hydro.com/pestcontrol.asp

slowthestone

06-26-2006, 07:42 PM

Would a Scunci steam cleaner, in short bursts...be a bad idea for eliminating pests?

http://pics.drugstore.com/prodimg/145396/200.jpg

stinkyattic

06-26-2006, 08:16 PM

Yeah...You don't want to damage the leaves.

Mites have a tough time reproducing in COLD conditions, so if you're set on using temperature to break their life cycle, put an AC on and drop your temps.

Why reinvent the wheel? Pyrethrins, beneficials, neem, cool weather... hitting the plants with a Dust Buster is another possibility.

Zandor

06-26-2006, 09:49 PM

What ever you do it needs to break the life cycle of the pest so that means every 2 to 3 day's for about 2 weeks.

The foggers may say it will last a week but don't trust them. You must break the cycle.

Opie Yutts

06-30-2006, 07:30 AM

Jdog7000

06-30-2006, 02:47 PM

I've heard alot of people saying they swear by the no pest strips.
I'm about to start using them myself.
That and the Bombs will insure that you will not have a big problem.

I'm using both just to be careful.
I seem to have beat them with the bombs.
But you know hoow they are.
So I'm using the pest strips too.
Someone said to put it in the room for 3 days every 60 -90 days.
I'm doing it every 30 days to be sure.

Opie Yutts

07-03-2006, 02:47 AM

I'm doing it every 30 days to be sure.

If you don't have any more mites, why keep using anything? Or do you have a problem with them getting in on there own? If this were the case, and I had a little time, it would be pretty high on my priority list to remedy. I remember seeing a number of posts about ways to stop mites from getting in. If this is not the case, then the pest strip will kill them forever.

s12fever

07-03-2006, 02:56 AM

lol "spider mites" makes them sound so scary...we call them afids here (unless thats a different kinda bug) :o

Opie Yutts

07-03-2006, 03:28 AM

It's a different kind of bug. Not even close. And they are extremely scary, but not spiders. They make webs like spiders though. You will know what I mean if you get them. Pray to God you don't, and thank him every day that you are mite free. Check out the picture in my reply in the post I linked.

Zandor

07-03-2006, 04:11 PM

Why is this so hard to understand?

Buy a No Pest Strip for 9$

Put in your closet for 2 weeks.

Do it again at your next light change from veg to bloom (If needed).

No more mites ever, period, enless you bring more in, or let more in.

People must not believe me. Unless you have massive ventilation that can't be turned off at night, I will bet you any amount of money that you want. I take Pay Pal.

Please believe me; I am only trying to save you all the trouble of going through what I did, and that is do all the other stuff that people recommend.

Opie the problem is when you have an infestation that is not good enough. You assume they fly to get up to the strip? Once you have a problem with them you need to break their life cycle or they will out reproduce your efforts.

Yes they are great from day one and with fungal gnats yes they work fine but if you have spider mites it's not enough. They live on the underside of the leaf and wreck havoc in many grow rooms.

seattle420

07-03-2006, 08:23 PM

bug assassin works great for me during this last crop.

http://www.everybodysgardencenter.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=64

Opie Yutts

07-06-2006, 08:41 AM

s12fever

07-06-2006, 09:13 AM

My bother spotted a small green caterpillar on my plant the other day... it was curling my leaves to make a home & webbing everywhere... leaves white cum stains all over my leaves...
My good pal Opie, what sorta thingy-ma-jiggy could i spray on these fuckers to kill em?

Opie Yutts

07-06-2006, 09:26 AM

s12, I've never had that problem, but I imagine something like Raid bug spray would kill them. Raid now even makes an all natrural spray or two, which I've tried, and seems to work on ants and stuff. I don't know about keeping them from coming back though. I would probably try some neem oil spray or something similar.

Hey, wait a minute. White stains? So maybe that's what those were on my outdoor grow. I never worried too much about bug damage on my outdoor grow. Hey, it's going to happen, and you'll still get weed.

Jdog7000

07-06-2006, 02:47 PM

No RAID!!!!!
Use a catipillar killer.

s12fever

07-07-2006, 05:39 AM

Hmm, yea i was thinking of using a can of Raid on them but didn't know how the plants would handle those kinda chemicals...
Caterpillar killer? mmmk ill give it a go

Opie Yutts

07-07-2006, 08:15 AM

Like I said, Raid now makes all natural bug sprays. The ingredients are from flowers and fruits and stuff. I don't see how this can be bad for your weed, but then again, I've never delt with the caterpiller problem.

Jdog7000

07-07-2006, 02:46 PM

Ya,but the way it sprays sucks ass.
Get the consentrated Pyrithrum oil.
It lasts forever and you are in control of the doses.
I've been told that the no pest strips take too long for the pant process the poison.
So it isn't to be used in flower.
Just in veg.
It takes about the whole flowering cycle to process the poison from the no pest strips.
So stick to the pyrithrm and neem and what not.
I got a no pest strip in my veg room.
But not in my flower room.
But I don't want to smoke chemicals.
Thats why I quit smoking ciggs.

Jdog7000

07-07-2006, 02:47 PM

I was told that the chemical in them is the strongest chemical you can buy without a license.

Zandor

07-07-2006, 04:14 PM

Opie the problem is when you have an infestation that is not good enough.
I'm sorry to beg to differ, but if it is not good enough, why did it cure my infestation from hell (I'm talking webbing on the ceiling) in two separte rooms, and why has it completely ridded so many other grows of mite infestations? I kind of thought if something works as well or better than anything else, and it's much, much more convenient than anything else, then it's good enough.

You assume they fly to get up to the strip?
I assume no such thing. In fact I assume the exact opposite. They try to get away from the strip since it is toxic. However they are not successful. The toxins permiate the air and seek the little bastards out. I guess you don't know what we are talking about when we say No Pest Strip.

Once you have a problem with them you need to break their life cycle or they will out reproduce your efforts.
Tell me about it. I guess you didn't read my other replies about this. I battled them suckers for years. I tried EVERYTHING that I had heard of except bombs and garlic cloves. I spent at least $1000, probably more like $2500 though. I found out about the No Pest Strips, and I too did not believe they would work. One cost $9 though, so why the fuck not try one after spending thousands. I set one on the floor of my closet one night. The next morning I could not believe my eyes. There were still plenty of mites alright, they were just all dead. I looked at the eggs with my microscope, and the little suckers were dead in their tracks as they tried to come out. Imagine. The entire life cycle broken in a few hours. I kept the strip in the closet a week just to be safe and have never seen a mite since. If you are growing in soil you will need to do it again at the next light change. That's it. Really. Please believe me. Please bet me if you don't.

yes they work fine but if you have spider mites it's not enough.
Again, wrong. Sorry but that's just wrong. You are Zandor, I know. You are also wrong. It worked for me, and the many others who were not to pig-headed to give it a try, so it is enough. I don't see any other way around it.

They live on the underside of the leaf and wreck havoc in many grow rooms.
Again, tell me something I don't know. I spent months researching the little bastards. My grow rooms were some of the ones they reaked havoc on.

Zandor, love you man.

You spent a lot of money and a full year trying to rid your grow of Spider mites? I must say that is a lot of time to put up with a problem that is so easy to solve.

There still is NO way in HELL you will convince me that pest strips by them self killed a full on spider mite infestation. :confused:

You said "The toxins permeate the air and seek the little bastards out" but if you have proper air flow and exhaust (I guess you can use A/C) then the toxins that permeate the air would escape by the active exhaust. It would take many, many, many days for a passive build up and all that time (unless you had an A/C system) you have no exhaust for your room. That could cause a mold problem by lack of air flow.

I can think of many more responses but you say its works for you so I will leave it at that. You would not be so adamant if it did not work. Props for defending your post too I respect that. :thumbsup:

It may even work for some others too in a closet especially. But it's hard to beat the bomb method. Itâ??s quick and easy and works 100% of the time and cost's less then the thousands of dollars you spend to learn what you did you must admit that.

I am glad you got your problem under control and I hope you never have to deal with them again. It sounded like you had a life full already and once is enough for anyone.

Happy growing :dance:

Opie Yutts

07-07-2006, 04:44 PM

I've been told that the no pest strips take too long for the pant process the poison.
So it isn't to be used in flower.
Just in veg.
It takes about the whole flowering cycle to process the poison from the no pest strips.

The plant does not process the chemical, the bugs do and they die. Like I said, the chemical permiates the air, not the plant. It is not a systemic like Avid. I don't thik the 2 or 3 days it takes to break the life cycle, will hurt your weed much in flower, but like I said, if you are trying to be safe I would not use these in flower or at all.

mendokid

07-07-2006, 05:37 PM

I foolishly kept my spider mites for years.

Recently I tried the neem oil as stinkyattic mentioned above.

My HUGE infestation is G-O-N-E. The great part is that it is all natural. Neem also works great outside.

Mendokid

Opie Yutts

07-07-2006, 06:47 PM

You spent a lot of money and a full year trying to rid your grow of Spider mites? I must say that is a lot of time to put up with a problem that is so easy to solve.
Yes I was a newbie to spider mites and knew nothing about them. I was not as dilligent as I should have been and it took awhile to learn. Spider mites are not like an ant you can just squash. It was actually more like a couple years, off and on in 3 different rooms. Also they hibernate, and a few months after you think they are gone, there they are again. That is unless you use No Pest Strips. And like I said, I wanted to rid myself of them. Not spray and dip and such forever. Donâ??t many people who are new to mites mistakenly try natural methods for years? My wife and I were trying to have children at that point, and I wanted both of us to stay away from deadly toxins. Whatâ??s so weird about that?

There still is NO way in HELL you will convince me that pest strips by them self killed a full on spider mite infestation
Fine, each to his own. Then I will be so bold as to say you are stubborn and pig-headed, and the type of person who hates more than anything to admit he was wrong about something, but I like you and I mean that in the nicest possible way. Your loss. It happened, and it happened to many others. Why would so many people be lying about this? I have no reason to lie about it and I'm through trying to convince you. The ones who shelled out the $9, and took the 30 seconds of effort know what I mean. I once was like you and did not believe. But like I said, why the hell not try after everything else I went through. You can keep dispensing poor advice to people without knowing what you are talking about if you so desire. If I were to dispense advice on something however, I would try to have a little experience with it, or at least read up extensively on it, or at least keep an open mind about it. How can you claim to know everything about something you have never tried? I hate it when people do this, and dare I be so bold as to say it is poor moderating. I hate that movie. I've never seen it, and everyone says its great, but I hate it. No Pest Strips don't work. I've never tried them, and everyone who has says they work, but I know they don't because I am Zandor. This is a fucked up attitude. How did you ever learn anything in school or throughout your weed growing education? So all the people on Overgrow who said that the strips worked for them are lying also? Have fun with your never ending dipping and spraying and such, while I continue to sit back and enjoy years of mite free crops. Dichiorvos is an extremely toxic chemical, and I don't know why it is so hard for you to believe that it could kill mites. Why is it any harder to believe than, say Perithum or whatever? How do you know it's not even stronger? Did you bother to research before dispensing so much knowledge, or is it just your gut feeling?

Zandor, if you want to keep doing things the hard way that's great, and fine with me. But please stop telling people something doesn't work if you have never tried it. If you know nothing about something, the smartest thing to do is shut up about it until you do. If you do this throughout life you will be much better off in the long run. I hate the fact that since you are Zandor, the supposed all-being, master of time space and dimension, people are going to believe you. Unfortunately they will either do things the hard way or the harder way because they are sheep and they will do what you tell them to. Bummer. It's like all my efforts, and hours of trying to help people here regarding mites have just been completely wiped out, because I am nothing. I am just Opie, and the great and illustrious Zandor says I am wrong. Why should I bother trying to help anymore? Maybe the moderators on other boards arenâ??t so narrow-minded. I know the ones on Overgrow werenâ??t.

You said "The toxins permeate the air and seek the little bastards out" but if you have proper air flow and exhaust (I guess you can use A/C) then the toxins that permeate the air would escape by the active exhaust.
Fine, using your logic I guess bombs won't work either. I have proper air flow and exhaust. Otherwise my plants would be dead. Zandor, don't you turn your exhaust off during CO2? If you donâ??t you are wasting a lot of CO2. And I think I mentioned that you should use as little ventilation as possible during the treatment. Do you leave your ventilation on while you are using the bombs? Is your exhaust on all night? I'm telling you there are easy ways to make this work. If there is too much ventilation for the strips then there is too much ventilation for the bombs. Maybe use less light (so you can use less ventilation) for the three days it takes if you have to. The slight decrease in yield would definitely be worth it to rid yourselves of mites. From the package: "Drafts, weather and other conditions may affect the performance, but treatment usually lasts for 4 months." I think that sometime during that 4 months, no matter how big your ventilation system is, the toxins will reach the mites. The package says that 1 pest strip treats 900 to 1200 cubic feet. Imagine what it would do in an 80 sq. ft. closet like my flower section. You could also buy 5 of them for $45 and put them in your closet if you are worried about ventilation, but 1 is enough for most people. So you are the 1% of the weed farmers who have massive overkill ventilation, and you refuse to turn it of at night for a couple days. The No Pest Strips are not for you. For you other 99%, they will work. I promise. I have quite a bit of ventilation in my flower section, which is off for about 3 hours at night. My mites were dead in one night, and all the hatchlings were dead within 48 hours. They made it as far as half way out the egg. I'm not lying. I have no desire or need to attempt to steer so many people wrong. I wouldnâ??t be spending the hours I have, to merely joke people into wasting $9 and 30 seconds. I am trying to save them the trouble and expense that I incurred. People helped me once, so I am trying to help back. Thatâ??s it. Believe it or donâ??t, your choice.

It would take many, many, many days for a passive build up and all that time (unless you had an A/C system) you have no exhaust for your room.
Or 3 hours each night for two nights, like I did. From the second you open the package it starts permiating the air. Kind of like a bomb, I guess.

It may even work for some others too in a closet especially.
If it will work in enclosed 3'x3' area, it will also work in an inclosed 50'x50' area. Just use more of them. I could be wrong about this, but makes sense to me.

But it's hard to beat the bomb method.
Like I said, I never tried this. If you say that you tried it and it worked, I believe you. I have no reason to doubt people until they give me one. I heard of the strips before I heard of the bombs, so that is what I tried first, and it worked. The strips seem more convenient and less expensive.

cost's less then the thousands of dollars you spend to learn what you did you must admit that.
Yes, that was a mistake. The same mistake I'm trying to have others avoid.

I am glad you got your problem under control and I hope you never have to deal with them again. It sounded like you had a life full already and once is enough for anyone.
Thanks, me too. Mites are a royal pain in the ass. Thank God each day you don't have them.

Itâ??s all good. Love you guys, including Zandor.

Opie Yutts

07-07-2006, 06:50 PM

My HUGE infestation is G-O-N-E.

Yeah, I remember when I had my first beer.

If your infestation is gone using neem oil, you either did not have spider mites or you are the first in history that I know of. Keep us posted. We'll see at your next light change from veg to bloom.

Opie Yutts

07-09-2006, 05:52 PM

Hey, mendokid. I just re-read my reply it may sound a little condisending. I didn't mean it that way, I just like Steve Martin. To know for sure, you will need to wait until you next light change from veg to bloom, especially if you are growing in a dirt like substance, and especially if you have kept the mites around for years as you mention. They hybernate as a survival mechanism.

If you did rid yourself of them using soley neem oil you really should write up a nice post on how to do this, because I think you would be the first in history.

PippZ

07-15-2006, 01:21 PM

Well i did quite a bit of reading on these no pest strips and the side effects if humans come in contact with them, Nasty things not to be used without care, but if one takes the proper care ie.. gloves ,mask, and not to inhale for long periods of time.Also plant matter is not effected by the vapour , (read 3 tests performed by seperate labs other then manufactures) and all said they do not effect plants in anyway.Also they are used to rid pet snakes of mites as well as other reptiles.I have been putting them in my room 3X5X5 with the start of an outbreak 1 plant infected , for the dark periods,soon as night time kicks in i shut down all ventalation in and out ,cover up openings but leave a small fan going to move the air around within the chamber, 10 hours into dark cycle i pull it out and put it in a zip lock bag ,let the vapour disapate for 2 hours and when lights come back on fire all air exchangers up
When i check the infected leaves those guys are dead their little children are dead and the egg count is redused greatly.
My question is i have been doing this for the last 7 days without seeing any new damage or anything alive but there are still eggs abound which are not effected by ANYTHING!! (even radiation! , read study where they shot radiation at spider mite eggs and they still hatched but did not live very long)
So as the little fuckers hatch the die within a few steps out of the egg, how long do ya think i need to keep going? I think it can take 3-14 days for them to hatch in hot dry conditions, how long did you treat for?

HARDDON

07-15-2006, 01:47 PM

Opie I dont think you know what a spider mite is perhaps.

If you are going to sit here and try to sell me that hanging a yellow pest strip up top is going to kill / discourage / chase away spider mites you are simply wrong.

WTF are you talking about?

Spider mites dont make webs anywhere except on plant leave tops between the fingers. That is it.

Spider mites hatch from eggs and will burrow their heads into the leaves to avoid the chemical smells.

Contact kill is the ONLY way to kill a spider mite and their is no way to kill the eggs, except for the diamateous earth that you could shoot at the plants and pierce the egg casings.

You have to have a lucky shot.

Fogging like Zandor said is the best but even then, your plants take a hard beating and smoking that stuff...hmmm...not for HARD.

The author of this thread also stated GREEN SPIDER MITES.

Spider mites arent even fricking green.

But stop telling peeps you can kill an infestation with a hanging yellow strip. You would be better off hanging flea collars on the branches of your tree to discourage pests but spider mites are a different breed of insect that has eggs that cannot be killed and will hatch and instantly start the cycle again.

DAILY WASHING is the only chance anyone has with spider mites.

Leaf by leaf by leaf....egg by egg by egg.

I tried your methods and about 24 others.

I know first hand the perils of mites and the ineffectiveness of mass extinction. There is none.

Here is a pic of some stuff 7 days after fogging the place and washing and dunking the plants in soap and doing nothing else.

They hatch and then start their shit all over again.

If I ever get another infestation, out the door with the plants and its start all over.

Its nice of you to help but your method is not effective on REAL SPIDER MITES. Perrhaps aphids or other leaf eaters....but NOT MITES.

Jdog7000

07-15-2006, 02:03 PM

Gotta break that breeding cycle guys.
Thats what it's all about.
Use no pest strips in veg.
And pyrithrum(spelling) bombs in flower.

PippZ

07-15-2006, 02:42 PM

Hardon this shit works !!!! do a search under snakes and mites, breeders have used them along time to help rid mites from snakes

HARDDON

07-15-2006, 03:11 PM

WTF are you guys talking about?

Spider mites that we are talking about are vegtarians and dont live on snakes. They eat on plant chrolophyl and not on snakes.

They dont like snakes the dont live on them or breed on them.

VEGETARIAN SPIDER SMITES. They dont hang out on snakes???????

WTF?

AND you cannot bomb during flower. It takes 30 days for the chems in pyrethium to be broken down into harmless substances and this is only done with UV Rays.

If you are using HPS lighting, you have no UV rays anyhow. So you cannot breakdown the harmful components in the aerosol attack during flower.

Perhaps you are referring to other mites which may indeed be successfully removed from plants.

But the spider mites I know are vegan, they dont live on snakes and only will breed in foilage on the underside of plant matter.

HARDDON

07-15-2006, 03:27 PM

I have come to the conclusion that some people here are pure fricking idiots and have no idea what the fuck a real spider mite is.

Freshly hatched spidermites are clear and see thru.
Juveniles develop two black spots on their shoulders.
Adults develop pure black / brown patches that fill the sides of the body.

(the dark patches and streaks are shit that the might is processing in its digestive system)

They do not live on animals, rodents or insects or reptiles.

They only live on green leafy matter that contains sweet sugars.

Fucking snakes and mice?

Ah bullshit. Those are carnivorous spidermites that are acutally beneficial to plant matter.

I am thru talking about this subject. If you morons dont know what a spider mite is I cannot help you. Spidermites dont want anything to do with non plant matter anymore than a human would want to live on the planent venus.

The conditions and atmosphere do not support that type of life.

Simple and factual.

slowthestone

07-15-2006, 03:29 PM

I'm wondering why a thing like isopropyl alcohol would be a bad idea to use against mites.

It would kill the fukrs on contact...and evaporates into nothingness in about 3minutes time.

So for shitz n gigglez, and future reference should I ever get mites... I've isolated a branch, hosed it down with rubbing alcohol and will report back on this in a couple days with my findings.

For now...the branch went from 'drip' to 'dry' in less than 3 minutes. Doesn't appear to have had any ill-effect as of yet.

HARDDON

07-15-2006, 03:35 PM

ITs easy to kill mites.

Its the eggs that you cannot kill.

slowthestone

07-15-2006, 03:43 PM

Yea...I just found an article citing that rubbing alcohol is great to use on live bugs...but does nada to the eggs.

PippZ

07-15-2006, 04:01 PM

Wow hardon take it easy , i was very skeptic as well , but after a long and many searchs with google on spider mites and no pest strips i was convinced to give it a go and it does kill them

Opie Yutts

07-15-2006, 04:58 PM

Zandor

07-15-2006, 06:01 PM

Hardon, I did not even bother reading all your reply because you are just like Zandor and the other narrow minded people who think they know everything about things they have not tried or heard of.

Obviously you did not read everthing I wrote about spider mites, or you would have seen that people are trying them and they are working. They have worked for many, many people. They workded for me. Period. And yes, I know what a spider mite is. Why is is so hard to believe that a toxic dangerous chemical could permiate the air and kill mites? Seems pretty straight forward to me.

Go ahead laugh, while myself and many others continue to enjoy many years of mite free crops, all because we decided put our arrogance and skepticsm aside and try a $9 pest strip. It's people like you that make me want to shoot myself in the face.

And thanks for calling me a moron and idiot, after I spent hours trying to help you. I really appreciate that, you moron.

I have about had it with you!!!!!

listen to me once again.....:mad:

YOU may think you have cured your problem and you MAY think your shit don't stink but I for one am getting sick and tired of you running about this forum trying to either pick a fight with me or worse try to portray me as ignorant & narow minded. From what I see your grow closet is just above a ghetto grow. You have no room to talk and limited skill from what I see.

I have tried to be nice with you. I am sure you feel you are correct but you are only dealing with a very small area. It may even have worked for you....but if you say it works so well then why in another thread did you say you can look at the eggs under the leaf. You said you can see them in their eggs too. Well if you took care of your problem so well with your pest strips so long ago. (Because that is what you told me was that it has worked for you for many years I believe).

Then how can you still see them and their eggs?

You have pushed me to my limit and you have been put on notice please chill out.

Your anger and your attitude is not welcome here.

Chill out and behave. You have a right to disagree but you must be respectful and courteous.

You have been educated and warned again. If you are not happy here then I understand that too. You have brought this all on by your self and you are 100% responsible for your actions and their cause and effect.

HARDDON

07-15-2006, 06:54 PM

And thanks for calling me a moron and idiot, after I spent hours trying to help you. I really appreciate that, you moron.

The day I need to get advice from you is long past.:dance:

And when did you ever spend a minute helping me????

You don't even know how to read a thread properly.

You don't know what a chlorophyl feeding spidermite is or you wouldn't be looking for them on snakes or anything else other than plant matter. If you had read the whole post, you would have seen that spidermites prefer plant foilage to snake / rodent breeding 100 out of 100 times.

The only fricking reason a spidermite would be on a snake is to hitch a ride.:thumbsup:

No plant?

Spidermite dies.

End of story.

Opie Yutts

07-16-2006, 10:02 AM

YOU may think you have cured your problem
I do and I did. The mites, their eggs, and all traces of them have been gone for 6 or 7 harvests I think. All from one pest strip. I guess that means I cured the problem.

I for one am getting sick and tired of you running about this forum trying to either pick a fight with me or worse try to portray me as ignorant & narow minded.
I am not trying to pick a fight with you. I don't know how you got that impression. When someone responds to your disagreement with them, that does not necessarily mean that they are picking a fight. People are allowed to talk. That's kind of what this forum is all about. This is absolutely nothing, believe me. You ought to see some of the shit I've been through with real, actual assholes on some other non-weed sites. I have never seen anything close to it on this weed forum or any others. If you can't take someone disagreeing with you, then you had best not engage in discussions. I do not think you are ignorant about weed. In fact I believe the exact opposite. However I do think you are ignorant about one very small part of weed farming. That would be Spectracide's Bug Stop Pest Strips. They work period. There is just no way around it. Not only do they work, but quite well I might add. Everyone that has tried them, that I know of, has joyfully reported back that yes, even though they were positive the strips wouldn't work, they did. Just read all the spider mite threads that I posted in and you will see what I mean now. People have tried them, and what the fuck, it must be some kind of friggen miracle or something, because they worked. Real glad I took the $9 gamble, and such. Or do you also think these people are insane like me? As far as narrow minded:
nar.row-mind.ed (narâ??o minâ??did), adj. having a prejudiced or self-rightous mind.
Wouldnâ??t the very definition of this be: I know something wonâ??t work. I know a lot about this thing, even though I havenâ??t read about it much, or much less tried it myself. I have never read, or even heard of one scientific (or non-scientific) study of it, or heard of a report from an average Joe who tried it. However I am really knowledgeable in this area, so there is â??no way in hellâ? you will ever convince me that it would work. If you think that it worked for you, youâ??re obviously just some idiot who has no clue what youâ??re talking about. ??? Iâ??ll let you decide. Just keep in mind the definition of the phrase.

From what I see your grow closet is just above a ghetto grow.
Nice, real nice. Way to address the valid points of our discussion. My closet happens to be about as high tech as it can get except for co2 and automatic dosers, which are coming soon. I wonâ??t go into a lot of detail defending my closet at this point, because I donâ??t really think thatâ??s relevant to the conversation. Iâ??ll just say this for now: stadium scrog (do you even know what this is? and if so, is it becasue of me being the only one to post about it?), 400 watt MH veg side cool tube, 600 watt HPS bud side cool tube, digital ballasts, ample ventilation, aero-style cloning, hybrid combination of drip and NFT, 2 jets per root mass (32 total), two big pumps, two smaller circulation pumps, overkill nutrient aeration through various methods (this is the key, people) mylar most surfaces and white others, Green Air timers, most expensive light bulbs you can buy, mother section hosts 4 wonderful varieties on a heavy duty, full extension drawer, and most importantly, awesome harvests every 60 days. Sure a couple things are homemade, but they are done right and work well. A little over $3000 when Iâ??m all done. I am not trying to win the cover of Bud Digest with my closet, but I really wouldnâ??t call it just one step above a ghetto grow. Probably more like 1 1/2. Again more expert opinion on things you know nothing about, unless this really is your version of a step above a ghetto grow. Itâ??s not mine however.

You have no room to talk and limited skill from what I see.
Great, more insults. I have been growing weed off and on for about the last 24 years or so, mostly in dirt. The past 4 years have been hydro and the past 2 have been SOG with screen (SCROG). I have had many mishaps and remedied them all, including spider mites. How limited is that? Granted, itâ??s maybe not expert level, but certainly not novice. And please tell me again why I have no room to talk? I thought thatâ??s what this forum was for. Or am I just not allowed anymore?

I have tried to be nice with you. I am sure you feel you are correct but you are only dealing with a very small area.
Me too, and my point exactly. Is it really possible for you to know more than everyone else about every little small point of weed farming, such a pest strip? Couldnâ??t it be that perhaps there is someone out there in the world who might actually know more about a pest strip than you? Perhaps someone who bothered to research it, or maybe even someone who actually tried one? I have not been saying you are mistaken about any other area of weed farming.

if you say it works so well then why in another thread did you say you can look at the eggs under the leaf. You said you can see them in their eggs too. Well if you took care of your problem so well with your pest strips so long ago. (Because that is what you told me was that it has worked for you for many years I believe). Then how can you still see them and their eggs?
I said this because it is true that you can look at eggs under the leaf. Thatâ??s not really so weird is it? You can even see them with the naked eye if you have good vision. I believe I said that if you do this a few hours after administering the strip you will see the babies dead in their tracks. Is this what you are talking about? I donâ??t think I said you can see them in the eggs, but maybe you can. I donâ??t remember doing this though (seeing them in the eggs). And please point out exactly where I said that I can â??stillâ? see them. I donâ??t think you will be able to because I donâ??t think I said that. If I did, I must have been really out of it, because I have not seen any sign of them for about 2 years now. I think I mentioned this several times, therefore it would be impossible for me to still see them. I think there is communication failure somewhere here that is contributing to confusion and possibly a small amount of anger (not from me). Perhaps you are just skimming?

You have pushed me to my limit and you have been put on notice please chill out.
I did not mean to, but, cool. I donâ??t think Iâ??ve ever been on notice before. Now I know what it feels like. Kinda like, really cool. Iâ??m such a fuckin rebel. Has anyone ever done this to you before? They must have, because it apparently takes next to nothing to push you to your limit.

Your anger and your attitude is not welcome here.
Is (are) yours?

Chill out and behave. You have a right to disagree but you must be respectful and courteous.
I agree, and I didnâ??t realize I was unchilled. However, it may be quite helpful to me and possibly others if you could be so kind as to point out exactly how I misbehaved. Was it my unnecessary and rampant use of the â??Fâ? word? Additionally, it would be helpful if you could point out exact instances of my disrespect and my discourteousness. I canâ??t for the life of me remember any. In fact, I think I remember complimenting you and saying that I appreciate you several times. Unless perhaps you are talking about the time I asked if I could be so bold as to suggest it is poor moderating to say that you are an absolute expert on something that you have not tried, or even researched, even when everyone who has tried it or researched it, disagrees with you (re-read the posts). Iâ??m sorry but I just canâ??t change my view on this. Please donâ??t get me wrong, I am not talking about you in general; only one instance of something you happened to be wrong about. I guess this must sound really wierd to you, but believe it or not, it is possible for humans to be wrong. I have agreed with nearly everything else I have ever heard you say, and found much of your advice very helpful. I have told you this before.

You have brought this all on by your self and you are 100% responsible for your actions
WTF? Brought what on? A discussion about pest strips? If my contribution is so bad, why are the related threads getting so long, and why have so many people thanked me?

Hey, I got an idea: How much have you spent on your set up over the years? What has your book cost you? Considering that, wouldnâ??t it be worth it to know for sure, before you finish your book? (I assume you address the issue of pests.) What if, and bare with me for a second because Iâ??m going way out on a limbâ?¦ what if there was a small chance that the strips might actually work, like everyone who has tried them says they do? And what if there were a slim chance that pest strips (the right ones) were actually the most convenient and the least expensive solution to a problem that really should be addressed in any weed book. Wouldnâ??t it be worth it to know for sure? I mean, a pest strip costs $9 and research is free. You wouldnâ??t want to seem unknowledgeable about anything in your book, would you?

Still love ya, no matter your decision about keeping me around.

Opie Yutts

07-16-2006, 10:18 AM

The day I need to get advice from you is long past.
So this means there once was a day. Glad you've finally ascended to my lofty level.

And when did you ever spend a minute helping me????
Every time I spent a minute typing about spider mites, or anything else of mine you've read, except for the few times I asked for advice.

You don't even know how to read a thread properly.
WTF are you talking about? I probably read threads better than you, with one eye tied around my penis. (No jokes about my penis here, its gigantic.)

You don't know what a chlorophyl feeding spidermite is or you wouldn't be looking for them on snakes or anything else other than plant matter. If you had read the whole post, you would have seen that spidermites prefer plant foilage to snake / rodent breeding 100 out of 100 times.
Again, WTF are you talking about? I don't care what a chlorophyl feeding spidermite is, but I assume you are talking about the common two spotted spider mite. I am not looking for them on snakes, I don't know where you got that. "If you read the whole post" you would know that. However, I have mistakenly chopped up a snake or two during mowing. I am not even looking for them on plants anymore, because about 2 years ago I completely ridded myself of them by using 1 pest strip. I know you don't believe it, and that's fine. But it is true. It did happen. You are only hurting yourself by not believing me and all the others who say that it is true.

The only fricking reason a spidermite would be on a snake is to hitch a ride.
Who cares? I thought we were talking about whether or not a No Pest Strip can kill spider mites on weed plants.

Opie Yutts

07-16-2006, 10:44 AM

The day I need to get advice from you is long past.
So this means there once was a day. Glad you've finally ascended to my lofty level.

Ignore the following if you are not comically challanged:
The above quote to harddon was meant in a spirit of sarcasm.

slowthestone

07-16-2006, 11:13 AM

Maybe its time for you kids to just accept that different people prefer different methods....maybe one is more effective, maybe just as effective or ineffective.

As well as different growing environments, different strains, techniques...etc means theres bound to be a divergence in opinion.

Opie, you stick with the strips.

Zandor, you stick with the bombs.

Hardon, ever heard of priapism?

Opie Yutts

07-16-2006, 11:39 AM

I realize different methods work. I even said I believe Zandor when he tells me the bombs work. Why would he lie to me about this? And why would I lie to him about the strips? I just don't get it. It just really dissapoints me that everyone seems to look up to Zandor, so they will not believe me, and they will continue to do things the hard way because Zandor, a guy who has has never tried a strip, says they don't work. Well, I take that back, now he has changed his mind and agrees that they might work on real small projects, or ghetto grows like mine. Well, why not big professional rooms then? Just use more of them. Kind of like you would if you were using bombs. Again, I just don't get it.

slowthestone

07-16-2006, 12:19 PM

Doesn't the quote of Twain say it all?

Education is when you remember what you have learned after you forget what you were taught. -M.Twain

So as soon as one is done reading what Zandor has to put out...forget about it...and then go learn on your own, then apply your new found knowledge the way you see fit.

It's YOUR <---(applies to anyone) grow. How you see fit to conduct it is entirely up to you. Just as long as you're paying attention when ya screw something up...same for when you get a positive result!

The bickering ought to be confined to healthy debating. And the insultive name calling crap flat out has no place in a learning environment.

HARDDON

07-16-2006, 02:26 PM

I can see the day when under the name OPIE I shall see the word BANNED.

Until such day, you remain full of Sh*t.

Keep smoking your pest strip fumigated weed. It's working real wonders on your brain.

Now go on back to your ghetto grow.
-----------------------------------------------------
For everyone else who has spider mites, soap and water every single day, every single leaf for 14 days. Stems as well.

Or start over.

And when you can grow from seed to this in 33 days, with nothing but CFL, I'll listen to your advice.

slowthestone

07-16-2006, 03:47 PM

OMGosh...you're still using a steel tape ruler???

Thats as ghetto as it gets!!! :p

HARDDON

07-16-2006, 04:05 PM

Steel tape rulers help you measure your buds like these....;)

slowthestone

07-16-2006, 04:24 PM

So when is dinner? :smokin:

And whatever happened to the fella that began this thread?

Opie Yutts

07-16-2006, 08:00 PM

I can see the day when under the name OPIE I shall see the word BANNED.
-----------------------------------------------------
For everyone else who has spider mites, soap and water every single day, every single leaf for 14 days. Stems as well.

And when you can grow from seed to this in 33 days, with nothing but CFL, I'll listen to your advice.

Yeah, sure you could do that, but that won't do a damn thing to rid yourself of mites. Have fun doing that forever, when you could take 1 minute, and be done forever. People, listen to me and listen good. Soap, neem oil, tabacco, and all other natural products do not kill all the mites. Most kill none. It is impossible to break the life cycle using these products. Natural products make the mites run away to their safe base, then the get together like in a town meeting, and vote to make it their life's effort to do nothing but screw you over good. Why not just kill them dead once and for all? This never ending process of just controling the mites a little with soaping, spraying, dipping and whatever, just makes absolutley no sense, unless you just like spending a lot of time with your weed plants. And remember, mites hybernate deep in fucked up growing mediums like harddon's dirt and rockwool.

I can see the day when under the name of HARDDON on his headstone, it says "Died real stupidly becease he thought he was an expert on everything and refused learn anything."

And harddon, I can grow weed better than you using any settup you prefere. When you come out of the dark ages and catch up to our century I might start listening to your advice. And it's inappropriate to type in all caps on the internet unless you are defining a group or yelling. Are you yelling you name at everyone?

Opie Yutts

07-16-2006, 08:06 PM

And harddon, good job on those buds. They look tasty. Are they potent?

Jdog7000

07-17-2006, 01:19 PM

Those bombs work really well.
Neem oil,and hoy pepper spray are some organic sprays that actually work.
Let me ask you this Opie.
Have you tryed all those?

stinkyattic

07-17-2006, 03:23 PM

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Keep that neem spray handy.
Use daily.
Mites? What mites?

Opie Yutts

07-18-2006, 03:06 AM

Yes Jdog, I tried many natural remidies, but of course I have not tried them all. That would pretty much be impossible. I am not dissagreeing that some work, unless what you mean by "work" is that they kill all the mites with one application. If someone used any natural method that worked (killed them all forever, the done with it, kind of killed), I would really appreciate a write up of this. If I had known that there was a natural method that actually "worked", I would have definately tried this long before my wife and I stopped trying to have kids. That is of course as long as it was fairly easy, and did not involve time consuming daily rituals and stuff.

tekneeqs

07-23-2006, 02:00 AM

use ladybugs...

wow are u serious? use lady bugs? cuz im suffering from them too and if this is the solution then i'd be real happy.. lady bugs love to fly into my place for some reason so it shouldn't be hard to find one =D

yogro

07-23-2006, 02:13 AM

Ref no pest strip, just saw this! significant? muyom

The EPA, in response to a request from pesticide product manufacturer AMVAC, is poised to restrict some uses of a common â??pest stripâ? insecticide known as DDVP, or diclorvos. DDVP is an organophosphate insecticide, a class of highly toxic pesticides. Low-level exposure to DDVP can cause headaches, nausea, and vomiting; large doses of the poison can be fatal. Laboratory studies have also shown that DDVP can cause cancer; California classifies it as a â??known carcinogen,â? and the World Health Organization and the EPA name it a â??possible human carcinogen.â?

The largest of the pest strips, often used in homes, will be completely removed from the market. The second-largest size will be limited to use in garages, attics, crawl spaces, and sheds where people spend fewer than four hours each day. The smallest size pest strip will be restricted for use in closets, wardrobes, and cupboards. Pest strips impacted include AlcoR No-Pest Strip, AMVAC Insect Strip, AlcoR Pest Strip, AMVAC No-Pest Strip, and Swat Pest Strip.

yogro

07-23-2006, 02:17 AM

Just occurred to me, Opie, if you start growing an extra eyeball on your elbow, let us know.

slowthestone

07-23-2006, 02:37 AM

Opie Yutts

07-23-2006, 02:37 AM

Low-level exposure to DDVP can cause headaches, nausea, and vomiting; large doses of the poison can be fatal. Laboratory studies have also shown that DDVP can cause cancer; California classifies it as a â??known carcinogen,â? and the World Health Organization and the EPA name it a â??possible human carcinogen.â?
The largest of the pest strips, often used in homes, will be completely removed from the market.

That's interesting. I wondered if there would ever be a ban on the strips. I guess they work too good to not get banned. People, better load up on these while you can. I got my one extra just in case. I think maybe I'll pick up another one or two while I still can.

Opie Yutts

07-23-2006, 02:41 AM

Kinda reminds me of insect repellent creams used by the infantry back in the nam.

Bummer. I take it you used some of these and they were bad for you. What did they supposedly do to you that was bad? Did you ever see the effects on people? I was just barely too young to serve.

tekneeqs

07-23-2006, 02:55 AM

Quick question: WHere do mites come from?

slowthestone

07-23-2006, 03:19 AM

I believe for many, the infestation occurs and then continues on from clones of an infected mother plant.

Can they survive long enough on a seed in a bag-o-bud that someone germinates asap?

Makes the idea of getting the seeds chilled for a while prior to germination for sake of taking a measure to assure the seeds aren't infected seem worthwhile. Or would some UV light do the same?

slowthestone

07-23-2006, 03:25 AM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_mites

yogro

07-23-2006, 05:52 AM

read the warning
Low-level exposure to DDVP can cause headaches, nausea, and vomiting; large doses of the poison can be fatal.
also metamorphoses your kneecaps into eyeballs. This could come in handy

Opie Yutts

07-25-2006, 04:17 PM

Quick question: WHere do mites come from?

From their mothers and fathers.

But seriously, mine came from the weed clinic (they since have stopped giving out clones, bummer). The guy said, we only have 3 left and they have spider mites, do you still want one? I said, what are spider mites? He said, they are no big deal, but I would need some neem oil to take care of the problem. I looked at the plant and didn't see anything, so I took it home and put it in with my others, sprayed it with neem oil, and wrecked my life for awhile. That guy was lieing or extremely mistaken.

A few of the many places they can come from besides weed clinics:
- through cracks in your grow area from the outdoors.
- from your clothes, after you visited an infested grow area.
- from your cat, after it was outside.
- from you, after you were outside.
- from a plant you brought home from a garden center.
- from the twilight zone.

Opie Yutts

07-25-2006, 04:22 PM

And don't forget about hybernation.

A couple of months after they appear to be gone, there they are again. Holy friggen crap! Many people mistakenly believe that they have somehow let them in again, or brought them in again, when all along the were there all the time.

Opie Yutts

07-25-2006, 04:27 PM

slowthestone:
Did you change your avitar? I like it.

About chilling stuff to kill mites. I am not an expert about this but this is my belief based on things I have read: You can drastically slow down the mite problem by lowering temps. The lower the better. As far as I know though, you can't kill them unless you lower the temps to freezing or below.

Of course lowering temps drastically slows down the weed growth also, and freezing would kill the plants. I don't know for sure if freezing would kill seeds. Anyone?

smokinbass

07-27-2006, 12:08 PM

ladybugs!!

they rock... no poison, no mess just release a few and they will eat your problem away.

Opie Yutts

07-28-2006, 01:37 AM

ladybugs!!

they rock... no poison, no mess just release a few and they will eat your problem away.

Are you telling me that plain old ordinary ladybugs will do the same thing as those spider mite destroyers do? I understand that the destroyers are in the ladybug family, and they do kill mites. The problem is they are very expensive, and it takes a whole bunch of them, depending on how bad your infestation is.

Not that I have mites anymore, but if I ever got them again this would be great. I have access to ladybugs, to say the least. I could walk out to the shed and come back in 5 minutes with a handful. And if this does work, what do you do about the ladybug problem then? Do you just make sure you keep them in your grow area, then they eventually die? Or do they reproduce and flourish? I guess I would choose ladybugs over mites, if I had to choose.

prairieplantsystems

12-04-2007, 01:29 AM

The no pest strips are dangerous, they contain dichlorvos, Ã* choliesterase inhibitor which is released from the resin contained in the strip. Cholinesterase is an enzyme necessary to return your neurons to their resting state after activation. This means that 1-It does not affect plants, since they have no neurons, it may accumulate in the plant, but the stips does not need tu be used for long for the effects to be felt and 2-Getting a large dose of this will kill you, but you couldn't die from the strip unless you ate the resin and kept it down. I have my grow in my room so this strip isn't great. Spidermites are such bitches that I gave in and decided to get one, but I do not continuously leave it there. I use it to bomb my room, I'll seal it up and place the strip inside during the plants night cycle (I would suggest using it only very early in the plant life cycle so as not to accumulate the dichlorvos). It is advised against this on the packaging because the concentration of resin vapor will build up and when the room is opened, you should definately evacuate the air as quickly as possible and store the strip in an airtight case (or reseal the pouch it came in). The concentration build up during this short period should be enough to bomb the place, but keep the strip to reuse it if mites reappear. Use great care when using these strips as they are very close to being banned since they are so toxic, they actually use an organophosphate, which is what is used in nerve gas, and hopefully the plants will not have absorbed a large quantity and it will break down before harvest as smoking heavily dichlorvos inpregnated bud will most certainly be dangerous.

Opie Yutts

12-04-2007, 01:45 AM

Yep, that's why they work. That's also why I recommended not using them during flowering, or at all if you are planning on having children.

Subjekt

12-04-2007, 04:08 AM

Well..... NO PEST STRIPS are probably one of the best things to use to rid you of your problem...Like Opie Mentioned, they are cheap, with no strings attached(LITERALLY) and it's odorless... I can honestly say they work because i too like other growers have had this problem before BUT i never heard of spending about 3,000 to kill the little bastards

As far as the ladybug method, I've heard of it, and I'm no Insect expert or Biologist but would a ladybug eat your leaves?

All in All, your all right, theres just different methods of how to solve your problems and just because you haven't tried a certain method then don't knock it...It works...And i understand what Zandor said about the impossibility of a Pest Strip Getting rid of a BAD INFESTATION.....

Peace

Opie Yutts

12-04-2007, 05:58 AM

It works...And i understand what Zandor said about the impossibility of a Pest Strip Getting rid of a BAD INFESTATION.....

Peace

Well, don't forget that I had a bad infestation. Well at least I think it was pretty bad. There was webbing up all the corners of the walls and a shit load of webbing in the corners of the ceilings. Over a period of 3 days the webbing just grew darker and darker until it was a solid black mass of spider mites. The plants looked like Dalmatians, with not much but black and white spots on them. Black from the congregation of mites, and white from any webbing that wasn't occupied with groups of mites. I guess that's what happens when you don't look in on your plants for a few days. When I first saw signs of them I didn't know what they were. You got to nip that shit in the bud, and now.

Long story short, the strips will rid you of an infestation if you use enough of them, seal up the place, and turn off the ventilation for one night. I will bet any amount of money you desire, and I take PayPal.

And please do not tell me they were not mites. Trust me I know what a two spotted spider mite looks like.

Subjekt

12-04-2007, 07:37 AM

"I" don't know if it could or can't....I'm pretty sure they can demolish a race of mites. it worked for me but you said you used more than 1 so i guess thats why but i used 1 and it did the trick but my problem wasnt as bad as yours...I thought you just used a single one but now i understand...I wont disagree with you about the mites buddy trust me i kno what they are...BUT its not safe to have too much Pest Strips in the house...Its not safe for the lungs

I will bet any amount of money you desire...No paypal i like CASH... :thumbsup:

Opie Yutts

12-04-2007, 10:12 PM

I had one strip in a 3'x3'x9' cabinet. I turned off the ventilation at night. It wasn't even sealed well, and the mites were dead in one night. I recommend using more in larger areas, or if you can't turn the ventilation completely off for some reason. I think I recommended using twice the amount the directions called for.

Cash is really cool, but it's kinda hard to send over the internet.

Opie Yutts

12-04-2007, 10:16 PM

Its not safe for the lungs

... or the brain, or the heart, or the nervous system, or sperm count, or the kidneys. I guess that's why they work so well.

Subjekt

12-04-2007, 10:17 PM

Yeah cash is hard to send over the net, money orders wont hurt either LOL...;)

Nah i understand what your saying i kno a pest strip covers a certain amount of ground and a few wouldnt hurt...more in larger areas, yes..tru indeed, because the mites can easily relocate to another location where the pest strip doesnt reach

Opie Yutts

12-04-2007, 11:02 PM

Subjekt, you've come around nicely. Glad to see that you have your head firmly on your shoulders, but I've suspected that's the case already.

Subjekt

12-04-2007, 11:56 PM

Well as a great man once said..If you never made mistakes its because you never tried nothing new... I've tried new things so mistakes have been made and converted to lessons...Ya digg

Peace

Subjekt

12-05-2007, 12:33 AM

oh and in a few weeks, i'll be posting my first cannabis.com grow log..Maybe sooner than that, seeds are germinating (Red Devil, Haze, White Rhino, Some Skunky Strain)

bud luv

12-05-2007, 12:46 AM

No Pest Strips do the trick, but they have chemicals that are harmful to humans in them. Depending on how sensitive to smells and chemicals you are, you might find them noxious. I used to work in sales for a pesticide company and I've always been able to "sense" when a harmful chemical is around. Call it a spider sense or whatever, but those things sketch me out hardcore. I can definitely smell them, it's an unmistakable toxic sensation. I do believe that one of the chemicals found in No Pest strips is now illegal in several states. It says on the box not to use them in areas of your house inhabitted by people, which means they're bad for you. Is it bad for you (long term) to smoke buds that have been in contact with No Pest strips? To a degree it is. The toxicology of pesticides is notated by a term called "LD50" which tells you how much of the substance is needed to produce a lethal dosage in 50% of the test population. All unnatural pesticides will kill you, it just depends how much exposure you have (amount of pesticide, proximity, enclosure size, etc). So it's not whether or not a pesticide is bad for you, it's HOW bad is it for you.. follow me? Using any synthetic pesticide like a no-pest strip is a measured risk, i.e. YES IT WILL HURT YOU and YES IT WILL KILL THE BUGS. You want to minimize your exposure and stay the fuck away from your gro room while those things are in there. For people that are prone to be sensitive to toxic chemicals, such as myself, you can smell/sense them throughout your house... I left the pesticide sales industry because it was too hard on my conscience. I had to sell them to put food on my table, but selling them required me to downplay their danger. Eventually i decided my employers were disgusting pigs and the conflict of interest between my financial/moral obligations was getting old. Professionally you're expected to say a toxic chemical isn't dangerous if the LD50 is low enough, but we all knew that they can still be harmful under certain conditions. If you give a client full disclosure you're going to scare them away, but then they'll just buy it from a guy who won't give them full disclosure. Anyways, I'm rambling.

The strips work, though. If you have a bad spider mite infestation on a sizable crop that you're depending upon then you can use them with caution, but don't hang out around the area while they're in there.

If I ever get spider mites again (god forbid) I'm going to try to go the hippy route: Two legit natural pesticides are Tobacco and Soap. I'm going to make a tobacco and soap tea and spray it on the effected areas. I did this last time I had mites in conjunction with the no-pest strips (so it wasn't a scientific experiment,) but I do think the tobaccy/soap juice had a positive effect. If you catch the infestation early it couldn't hurt to try this natural alternative for a day or two under close observation before you commit to the no-pest strips.

Just my 2 cents.
BUD LUV

Opie Yutts

12-05-2007, 01:04 AM

Thanks for the added insight into why the strips are dangerous. That's educational, and education ain't bad.

And I know what you mean about sales. I could never do it because the good salesmen have to lie their asses off to be good. Never buy "Dish" brand satellite TV. The salesman will promise things that will never happen, like $150 off for switching, or a free 7" portable DVD player. (Sorry, we have no record of that.) Direct TV is sooo much better for that and a whole bunch of other reasons, but this is the wrong forum for me to continue. Sorry.

bud luv, I know you have a lot of pesticide experience, but I find it very hard to believe that 8 hours of exposure to a plant that is in the early stages of life can be harmful to you if you smoke, or especially if you vaporize the buds months later. Again, I recommend you don't use the strips during flowering.

Opie Yutts

12-05-2007, 01:05 AM

..If you never made mistakes its because you never tried nothing new...

I like that.

Subjekt

12-05-2007, 07:02 AM

:thumbsup:

bud luv

12-05-2007, 07:26 AM

.

bud luv, I know you have a lot of pesticide experience, but I find it very hard to believe that 8 hours of exposure to a plant that is in the early stages of life can be harmful to you if you smoke, or especially if you vaporize the buds months later. Again, I recommend you don't use the strips during flowering.

Word. When I was talking about smoking plants that had been exposed to N.P.S. I meant in flowering plants, i.e. my use of the term "buds." 'Is it bad for you (long term) to smoke buds that have been in contact with No Pest strips? To a degree it is.' I'm not a biochemist and I don't know the metabolic rate of N.P.S. in vegging plants. My main point, however, was that just having the N.P.S. around (breathing contaminated air) at all is harmful, and extreme caution should be used to minimize the airflow from the affected areas to the main living areas of one's home. I can't tell you exactly how much of the active ingredient in N.P.S. is going to be stored in vegging plants (I bet at least a trace amt), but that wasn't my concern anyways.

My main point was to expound on the health/environmental issues at hand here. EVERY chemical is harmful in certain doses. Everything from table salt to citric acid has an LD50 number, so the question isn't if something IS or ISN'T dangerous; it's HOW dangeous is it? So when something like N.P.S. is approved for usage in homes, it's not because it is safe. It is approved because the LD50 numbers are low enough (when used as instructed) to be legal. Putting N.P.S. in an area of your home that is breathed by humans is NOT using it as instructed, and it will cause harm to you and your dogs and goldfish. The fact that the active chemical in N.P.S. is now outlawed in several states just goes to show that it is very difficult and counterintuitive to use the N.P.S. "as instructed." The only place most people care about an insect infestation is in their house, but it's unsafe to use N.P.S. in your house (unless you have a certain area that has zero airflow to the other parts of your house). So it is nearly impossible for most people to use N.P.S. as instructed, and thus it is going to be dangerous in most applications.

Now like I said I've used N.P.S. before because I didn't want to lose a 2lb crop, and yes I used them in flower. Was it smart? Hell no, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. N.P.S. are handy as hell when you have the mites, but like I said exposure to them and exposing your plants to them WILL hurt you. At the time it was either throw out 2 lbs of chronic or put myself at risk, and I made a decision that unfortunately a lot of crazy people like myself will make. As I said it's a matter of balancing how badly you need your crop to how much you're willing to risk your health.... There is a lot of grey area so I'm taking an opportunity to wax philosophical, but in any case N.P.S. should be a last-case resort. Really there is ZERO reason for any "normal" person to use N.P.S... the only time they are at all justifiable (on a $$$-health scale, if you want to put a price on that stuff) is to save a crop like MJ. For someone with a bunch of spiders in the basement or ants in the kitchen there are MUCH BETTER options, so really I do think they should be outlawed or restricted to use by licensed professionals. For instance, because I've passed a 4 hour test and am a state-licensed professional I can buy and use chemicals that would be illegal for normal citizens to possess or use. I can access these pesticides because supposedly I know how to use and handle them appropriately*, but if they were used improperly they would be a serious health/environmental hazard. Since several states have found that there is no intuitive/safe way to use N.P.S. they've outlawed them, and if their scientists found that the LD50 is unacceptable in confined areas I would tend to agree with them. On the other hand, take for example something like bleach: it will absolutey kill you if you drink it, but it is very easy/intuitive to use properly so it is legal.

Really I just want to give people as much info as I can put in here while I smoke a J, and hopefully they can factor it in when they decide how to deal with pests like mites. A key thing to remember is that most pesticides are not meant to be used in enclosed areas like growrooms, so proceed at your own risk.

*which is bullshit, but that's another story.

BUD LUV

P.S. For the tobaccy/soap bug juice I would simply get a bunch of rolling tobacco and let it sit in some water with a little dish soap. The LD50 to humans on something like this is insignificant, but it will kick most bugs asses. In the future if I ever get mites again (knock on wood) I will try to control them with frequent foliar sprayings of this before resorting to a highly-toxic alternative.

Opie Yutts

12-05-2007, 08:56 AM

Never buy "Dish" brand satellite TV. The salesman will promise things that will never happen, like $150 off for switching, or a free 7" portable DVD player. (Sorry, we have no record of that.) Direct TV is sooo much better for that and a whole bunch of other reasons, but this is the wrong forum for me to continue. Sorry.

Good Lord, I really am such a stoner. I'm sitting here watching TV and I happened to notice that it is brought to me via Direct TV. That's the suckie one, people. Sorry. Dish is the good one, and it's nowhere close, right down to the installation and the guys being happy to hang around and make sure you totally understand everything. Love Dish, hate Direct TV. Send me my free DVD player damn it!

Opie Yutts

12-05-2007, 09:16 AM

bud luv, I hear you man. I've always known they weren't safe. Even 35 years ago when my dad hung them in the barn. It sure cut down on the flies, but our horses were usually born with a unicorn horn. They used to not have that nice case around them like they do now and one might have confused it for a big piece of cheese. Imagine taking a bite of one.

As proof that I'm with you I offer this:

- Crap. I have mites. Now what?
The first decision you should make at this point is very important and not to be taken lightly. It could affect your entire life and the lives of those around you. You need to decide if you want to control them with natural, safe methods, or rid yourself of them with lethal chemicals. As far as I know, it is near impossible to rid yourself of mites using natural methods. Please donâ??t yell at me about this, I said near impossible, and I mean without spending a lot of money. Iâ??m sure it can be done and has been. In general, most methods that are natural only serve to control, or knock back the infestation. Whatâ??s worse, it is never ending. Using solely natural methods one is likely to end up battling mites the rest of his or her entire weed farming venture. The good thing is that natural methods are safe. On the other hand toxic chemicals are not safe, but can easily rid your grow of mites once and forever. Using toxins, I know of two methods that can rid your grow of mites. One is definitely easier than the other but both will work. I would not use toxins if I am trying to or planning on having children. Whatever you use be efficient, do it right and do it well, and kill as many as possible the first try. Mites can build up a tolerance to substances and then you are really screwed.

That's from a similar thread where I had some rather lengthy posts about the pest strips, which is here:

http://boards.cannabis.com/hydroponics/64107-spider-mites-3.html

It sure is cool to see a pesticide guys take on all this. Thanks again for your insight.

Opie Yutts

12-05-2007, 09:29 AM

Also from that other thread, MSDS on the pest strips:

Household Products Database: Health and Safety Information, from the National Library of Medicine (http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/brands?tbl=brands&id=19020034)

Opie Yutts

12-05-2007, 09:59 AM

Wow, I had no idea there would be so many studies of Dichlorvos on humans, even babies, believe it or not. Go here for human exposure studies and case reports.

HSDB Search Results - Frameset (http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/r?dbs+hsdb:@term+@rn+62-73-7)

Folks, if it can kill people, it can kill spider mites.

Also, I just figured out where a lot of the confusion on the names of these strips is coming from. For some reason one company (Spectracide) decided to put out 2 identical products and call them by different names. Both have 18.6 dichlorvos. Hmm, maybe Spectracide manufactures the same strip for Hot shot.

1. Hot Shot No-Pest Strip
2. Spectracide Bug Stop Pest Strip

CannabisCarl2134

12-05-2007, 11:45 AM

I agree with Opie 100% When I have Spider mites, and Black gnats raping my girls, I used Strips, and they worked awesome, I also made "Garlic spray" which worked 100% as well. But I found Insecticidal Soap, Neem Oil, and Fruit&vegetable spray works the best. Neem Oil, I had 100% Success on killing the mites, with no returns.

Opie Yutts

12-05-2007, 10:52 PM

Neem Oil, I had 100% Success on killing the mites, with no returns.

Uhh, are you positive? How long ago was that? Have you had a light cycle change from veg to bloom since? If yes, how exactly did you rid yourself of them with neem oil? Surely not just by misting?

And what are those nugs in your AV and why are they so red?

CannabisCarl2134

12-07-2007, 08:48 AM

^^ maybe 2 months ago? It was on my last plant. I sprayed the top and undersides of the leaves, that hard to believe?? Neem oil is by far the best shit for them.

Have you ever used Neem oil? Because there are numerous a post here, and everywhere about how "Great" it is.

Red Nugs, in my AV? ??? Those look pretty purple to me.

prairieplantsystems

12-08-2007, 03:42 PM

To find out what the strips do, wikipedia+dichlorvos. Dichlorvos is the main active ingredient in the strips. Any strip you buy regardless of brand will work as long as it has a high dichlorvos content. The one I got here has 19.2% dichlorvos. This chemical is so strong, you don't need continous release of it into your grow room, only use it as a bomb, for a couple of days in a row. Seal up your grow room so there is little air circulation so the vapor released from the strip builds up. I did this for 4 days in a row for 6 hours during the veg night cycle (so the temp would stay down as I switched off the vent system, switched it back to 24h light after) and the infestation I had was eradicated. Dichlorvos is apparently not absorbed by plants according to research on the chemical. It affects neurons, so no risk of it harming your plants, just don't smell it for too long. Air out the high vapor concentration quickly after and don't forget to save the pouch the strip came in and tape it back up in an air-tight manner so you can save the chemicals in the strip for later and also don't release them in your house. The strip releases vapor of dichlorvos, it seems to me people don't understand this, the vapor will reach anywhere air can reach if the concentrations build up to a high enough level.

bud luv

12-09-2007, 03:29 AM

Good links, Opie.

No Pest strips are meant to disperse dichlorvos into the air. Here is a study on the effects of dichlorvos respiration: /SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS/ After inhalation of dichlorvos, breathing and eye effects are the first to appear. These include tightness of the chest, wheezing, a bluish discoloration of the skin, small pupils, aching in and behind the eyes, blurring of vision, tearing, runny nose, headache, and watering of the mouth. After /ingestion/ of dichlorvos, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea may appear within two hours. After skin absorption, sweating and twitching in the area of absorption may occur ... within 15 minutes to four hours. With severe intoxication by all routes, in addition to all the symptoms /previously mentioned/, weakness, generalized twitching, and paralysis may /result/ and breathing may stop. In addition, dizziness, confusion, staggering, slurred speech, generalized sweating, irregular or slow heart beat, convulsions, and coma /may result/.
[Mackison, F. W., R. S. Stricoff, and L. J. Partridge, Jr. (eds.). NIOSH/OSHA - Occupational Health Guidelines for Chemical Hazards. DHHS(NIOSH) Publication No. 81-123 (3 VOLS). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, Jan. 1981., p. 1]**PEER REVIEWED**

Basically you don't want to be around anything that inhibits your cholinesterase levels, which Dichlorvos doe. In addition to seriously weakening your immune system, it is a verified carcinogen in animal experiments.

Check out this study: Not pretty

/HUMAN EXPOSURE STUDIES/ Humans exposed at concentrations ... varying from 0.14 to 0.33 mg/cu m for 30 minutes each hour, 10 hours a day for 14 days, showed no changes in cholinesterase or in number of physiological functions. ...On the other hand, when 28 human volunteers were exposed to dichlorvos by inhalation at a concentration of 1 mg/cu m, single exposures of 7.5-8.5 hours resulted in plasma cholinesterase depression of 20-25%.
[American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, Inc. Documentation of the Threshold Limit Values and Biological Exposure Indices. 6th ed. Volumes I, II, III. Cincinnati, OH: ACGIH, 1991., p. 446]**PEER REVIEWED**

And finally, here's a little something to make you sleep better at night:
CASE REPORTS/ Two workers in Costa Rica died after splashing a concentrated formulation of dichlorvos on their bare arms and failing to wash it off promptly.
[DHHS/ATSDR; Toxicological Profile for Dichlorvos p.57(PB/98/101124/AS) (September 1997) ]**PEER REVIEWED**

Opie Yutts

12-09-2007, 07:13 AM

quote=CannabisCarl2134

^^ maybe 2 months ago? It was on my last plant. I sprayed the top and undersides of the leaves, that hard to believe?? Neem oil is by far the best shit for them.
It's not hard to believe that you sprayed the leaves. If you mean that you sprayed the leaves and that killed all the mites, then yes, that is hard for me to believe. Neem oil makes the mites run away, and the only way it kills them is if they get caught in the stickiness and drown. Good luck after hibernation, but if you are extremely lucky, you might not see any when you change light schedule. They may have decided to relocate to happier hunting grounds, but don't get your hopes up too much.

Have you ever used Neem oil? Because there are numerous a post here, and everywhere about how "Great" it is.
Aarrrgh, you've got to be f'n kidding.

Red Nugs, in my AV? ??? Those look pretty purple to me.
Perhaps it's my monitor, but either way they look pretty good.

Opie Yutts

12-09-2007, 07:22 AM

Check out this study: Not pretty

/HUMAN EXPOSURE STUDIES/ Humans exposed at concentrations ...

I still like the human baby studies most. It just doesn't get much better than that.

bud luv

12-09-2007, 07:25 AM

I still like the human baby studies most. It just doesn't get much better than that.

Yeah, that was a bit surprising. :wtf:

CannabisCarl2134

12-09-2007, 08:15 AM

All praise "Allah Opieyutts" King of all Cannabis Knowledge!!!

Opie Yutts

12-09-2007, 09:53 AM

All praise "Allah Opieyutts" King of all Cannabis Knowledge!!!

Cha, hardly. But thanks.

Opie Yutts

12-09-2007, 11:14 AM

Yeah, we're all real scared. Somebody didn't get their nappy time today.

GaGrown

03-19-2008, 02:37 AM

Knock them off with a pump sprayer with plain water, for a couple of days.. Then spray with neem oil. Use protekt as an emulsifier. Mix as the label on the neem oil says. You add a couple of no pest strips and Bam!:thumbsup:

Opie Yutts

03-19-2008, 06:34 PM

I'm sure that would work, but I skipped the first three steps you mention and only used one strip. All my mites were dead within 3 days, eggs/babies included.

GaGrown

03-19-2008, 11:17 PM

I'm sure that would work, but I skipped the first three steps you mention and only used one strip. All my mites were dead within 3 days, eggs/babies included.

Your the one who turned me onto the no pest strips! You'll see one hanging in alot of my pics.... Been awhile since there were mites. I change them every 3 months.Hope your doing well today!

Opie Yutts

03-20-2008, 12:23 AM

GaGrown

03-20-2008, 12:12 PM

Do you keep one hanging at all times to keep other pests away as well, or is it just a mite problem? Just curious. The only pest problem I've ever had was the mites, and since the strips are so toxic I thought it would be best to not keep em around if I wasn't having a pest problem. If you don't have a strip hanging do mites get back into your grow area? My big mistake was bringing home a clone that had mites on it, and I've not had a problem otherwise. I know other areas of the country have bigger pest problems, and I was just wondering how bad yours was.

Opie,
I keep one hanging all the time! You can see one hanging in alot of my attachments,I've posted.I'm positive that there are no mites. I've even noticed dead gnats on the floor and around the rims of my pots.The yellow sticky pads would be good for those.As they fly around the room,from pot to pot laying eggs in the soil.The wetter the soil, the worse the gnat problem.The azalea is what a mite loves the most! Esspecially,here in the south.If you have alot of these plants around your house then that may be where they are multiplying.White powdery mildew is prevalent in the crepe mertal.It gets airborne and passes from one plant to the other.So you can see how easy it would be to bring all this into the growroom..

You doin' OK,today?

GaGrown

03-20-2008, 12:46 PM

I posted this Jan.2007. Pic of the strip... I've used them longer than that,though!!!! Thank's,to you! :thumbsup:

Cannabis.com Forums Message Boards - Medical Marijuana, Cannabis Club, Dispensary, News (http://boards.cannabis.com/attachments/indoor-growing/114255d1169403758-update-spider-mite-infestation-no-pest-strip.jpg)

Opie Yutts

03-20-2008, 10:33 PM

You doin' OK,today?

Yep, doing great. As long as I have weed and my other pain meds things are usually pretty good. Thanks for asking. I'm glad the strips are working for you, and I hope all else is well, as well.