Spider mites

Most of the people who say the strips didn't work have a real big unenclosed room and/or lots of ventilation. Did you follow the directions, then double the amount? Did you turn off /down your fans for a few days? The rest of the people that say they didn't work failed to buy the correct product. Are you using No-Pest Strips made by Spectracide? Actually I think there is another brand that works now. Scratch that. Are you using a yellow thing about 10 inches long, with an active ingredient called Dichlorvos? That's what you need to be looking for - it's some dangerous nasty stuff.

PS. If you can't get the proper strips to work, I highly recommend bombing. Spraying is temporary, bombing is more permanent.

I am growing them in an enclosed space with what i thought was little ventalation. After 2-3 days the spots started slowing down in appearance. Its been 5-6 days now and i had really restricted the air flow in there. I also moved the strip around from the floor to the ceiling "only 6 feet" high.
I bought the hotshot brand that contains the Dichlorvos. I was wondering how long i needed to keep it up. atleast a week 8 days?
I am using wide spectrum fluorescent bulbs suplemented with regular light bulbs 60 watt for light and warmth. Temp is around 75- 76F when lights are on 42-47% humidity. 68F when lights are off. I wish i could send pictures. I looked and couldn't see any mites. I did see a little tiny straight web or two on differant plants. I used a cheap magnifing glass but still saw no mites. Except fot lots of little white spots.
Thanks for the help.

Hey joe, if you see no mites, what makes you think the strips didn't work?

All of my mites were dead overnight, then within about 2 days all the babies that tried to hatch were dead as well, half out of the egg. It was in a 3'x3'x9' space. You just need to keep using the strip until you see no more mites coming out of eggs, and no fresh eggs, and of course no mites.

Another believer here! :thumbsup:

Saw the start of mites yesterday. I think they just hatched as there were not that many and they were really small. Found a post by Opie and bought a No Pest Strip at Ace. Stuck it in the enclosure yesterday and today I can't find any mites, dead or otherwise. I have a grow tent that is 3X2X6 feet. I didn't even turn down the inline vent fan.

I can't smell a thing either (except that damn *skunk* family that lives under the house).

I would try to avoid a dip in the beginning as a preventative. I have had bad luck with that. It was diluted and still more than a few plants died, and the others went through a pretty tough illness from it. Spraying is a little less drastic and should be preventative enough.

That's weird. There should be no illness of any kind from dipping a plant unless you keep the lights close afterward, and the leaves get burn spots. Dipping is the exact same as spraying, except it covers everything instead of half or less. I've had terrible luck with spraying because it basically does nothing. If you leave just one male and one female, your still screwed.

I am going to Home Depot tomorrow/today! :thumbsup:

I have been told by many people I hold as good sources of information (meaningless none the less) that growing Chili Peppers in with your plants will aid in preventing a mite infestation. As they dislike the pepper plants... any thoughts on this..

I've heard that too, but of course it will not rid your grow of mites like toxins will. Mites and other insects don't like spicy hot stuff, but (just guessing here) I think the mites will exist on the weed plants and steer clear of the hot plants. Spider mites are very resilient.

thanks opie, lets hope this saves a noob with his first infestation!!!

Ill let u know, and thanks again, this might be the best info on the web about this!!

You know what got do what opie says and get no pest strips ...I battled spider mites for 14 months until i heard about no pest strips from opie and it worked it got rid of those fuckers for good ...I tried neem oil i tried everything under the sun and still nothing,,,,But no pest strips worked for me

There you go. Sounds very typical of peoples' experiences with the strips. fishman, kinda seems like I told you this before, but I love that avatar. My 4-year-old is asking what Spiderman is trying to see.

Avid is the only thing that I've found that works consistantly. You've got to treat your indoor space as a "germ Free lab" and everything that comes in must be treated. If you go over to a buddy's house to see his plants, then change your clothes before you go into your space.

I have treated my space with Avid purchased via ebay and found that I have only used 1/10 of the bottle. I think (it was 2 years ago) I paid $65.00 for the container that I have. It was shipped to California from Florida as you cannot purchase it locally...

I have found that as soon as you've seen that you have mites, your production will be off by 30-70% verse a crop with no mites.

It makes no sense to not use this product unless you are working Organically.

I have sprayed my bloom crop up to 3 weeks from harvest, as that's what the manufacturer has stated for leafy crops such as lettuce, and the USDA has accpeted this study, but it's usually a better idea to spray before bloom while they are still in Veg.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lanietheberner

I have found that as soon as you've seen that you have mites, your production will be off by 30-70% verse a crop with no mites.

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The reason you've found this to be true is because you did not run out and buy a No Pest Strip when you discovered the mites. Had you done so, they would be gone in 1 or 2 days, with very little or no loss of yield.

Avid works, there is no doubt. There is also no doubt that it should never be used during budding. It's a systemic, which means that it stays inside the plant and continues to work for weeks. I would also not use the strips during budding. Both contain deadly toxic poisons.

I just wonder how well the no-pest-strips actually work, (hanging from the ceiling?) they are (in mite terms) miles away away from the source of the problem and I just worry about the mites having to climb up to them....

We've tried neem and enstein oil, and they both are a waste of time and money. They may help in controlling, but do nothing for eradication

I've had good experience using nematodes for gnats, but I've aways been one who uses a hammer for installing new batteries in my watch, so your recommendation may just work!!!!

I'll give it a try it if these little varments show up again! Thanks for your suggestions!:thumbsup:

Well once again, the mites don't try to climb to the strips. They do the opposite. The strips fill the air with a toxin and the mites die no matter where they are. For me the adults were dead overnight, then the babies as they hatched within another day or two. It's kinda like bombing, only a lot easier. You don't have to hang the strips, you can stand them up like I did. Don't confuse these yellow strips with the ones that have adhesive on them, which are worthless for eradication.

Those miserable @##%er's I hate spider mites. I have figured out a few things about them. First they need only one female to reproduce. Second the warmer it is the more offspring they can produce. Third whatever you hit them with, the survivor's offspring will be resistant to that method. So we have a tough SOB. First I like to spray a little H2O2 solution all over those buggers. This kills on contact and really knocks them back. Now I crank up the CO2 to 10,000 ppm for two hours and giggle. This I repeat weekly and I don't even have a spider in the corner. I also never enter the room wearing clothes that have been outside. Still once and a while the little creeps show up. Oh well I kill em dead. Good luck and thanks Opie for the tips!

Opie thanks im glad you get a kick out of my avatar.Tell your son spidermans senses are tingling but dont know from where or what......

Ohh i also use no pest strips to get rid of fungas knats seems to work....

whats the best kind of pest strips to use? and as far as toxic chemicals anything we shouldnt be using n smoking,..???

As far as I know there's only two brands of Pest Strip (one's a NO Pest Strip). As long as the active ingredient is Dichlorvos (sp?), you've got the right one. It is toxic, don't smoke it. I understand not wanting to read the whole thread, but I've said many times that I would not use these very far into flowering. I would control them with neem dips, and then kill em once I harvest. Personally, I wouldn't want to smoke neem either, but many people don't seem to mind.

Hey There:
Just got my Avid after waiting a longgggggg time but back to my dilemma. Nobody that I know, know's how to mix it and when to spray it. The when isn't hard to figure (that would be when you first see the little critters), and I understand that it should preferablly be done in veg. What I need to know is:
1, Mixture per litre/gallon. HOW MANY DROPS?
2. Spraying schedule.
I've got about 10 that I've had outside as well as being all cloned up an just about to start up again and get everything INSIDE, but was waiting for this product to arrive.
Any assistance on this would be MUCHLY APPRECIATED!

Sorry, I'd like to help but I can't really. I'm a pest strip kinda guy and haven't used avid. Are there no directions, or a link to web site info?

1.2 ml/gallon. Toss in a drop of dish soap as a wetting agent. Use w/in 12 hours of mix.Usually a single app will take care of problem. Remains active in vivo 21 days. Application more than monthly leads to resistance.

Do not breathe mist or allow solution to contact skin. I'd advise a respirator rated for organic vapors, and chem-resistant gloves. Avid concentrate will go right thru latex, as well as a lot of plastics.

Aerate unused solution for several days, ideally in direct sunlight, to decompose abamectin before disposal. Treat waste as hazmat, which it is. Don't just dump leftovers- shit can trash an ecosystem

Honestly, use the Avid to take care of a big infestation, then go back to management chemistry. That way, when you have a big problem again, Avid will still work.

Wow.

dammmmmmmmmmmmmm i got them little bastards bad and i am at the change 18/6 to 12/12.so make it clear what should i do.i have 5 grows they all have the little shits,i have tried everything.SO PLEASE TELL ME WHAT TO DO!!!I AM AN ESTBLISHED GROWER AND I HAVE NEVER HAD SPIDER MITES TILL THIS GO AROUND!!!!!AND I HAVE EVEN HAD ADVICE FROM SOMA AND IT HAS NOT WORKED!!!!SO TELL ME WHAT TO DO NOW?/

Well if you've read the threads much you should know what to do, but I guess I'll say it once again.

No pest strip
insecticide bombs
Avid
Spider mite destroyers (beneficial insect)

The first on the list is the easiest, and works like a charm 9 times out of 10. If it doesn't work, you are not using enough or you didn't turn down your ventilation for a couple days, or your particular mite has developed a resistance to Dichlorvos.

The last on the list is extremely expensive, but you can use it right up until harvest. I would at least double the recommended dosage if you want it to be sure to work. Triple if you have a bad infestation, which doesn't take long if you don't keep it in check.

Anything other than what's on the list will not get rid of the mites, but some things like neem oil are used to help with control.

NOTE: Kill them quick. They spread fast.

I hate em like everyone else and those bastards can get immune to chemicals if you keep using the same one. When i had a horrible infestation i used everyones methods, all kinds of soap, pyrytheum, bombs and miteicides. Nothing freaking worked. If your infestation is super bad you might have gone through the sae thing. The only thing that worked for me was getting rid of any excess plant matter. Even if the leaf is not dead but you see hundreds of specs rittled with mites then get rid of the leaf. No point in keeping food for the mites. I had to strip my girls alot cuz it was so infested. Then i searched and searched and picked me up a bottle of almighty "floramite" and knocked all of those bitches out. Now I do a weakly preventitive insect soap and once a month use the floramite for another preventive treatment. Floramite is $300.00 a qt. but you need only a 1/2 tsp. per gallon of water. Then after all your buddies see how effective this stuff is, you can sell it to them. hehe. You have to remember to do a soap or other miteicide with different chemicals in between your monthly "floramite" treatment so the mites can never get immuned to it. Hope this helps

o yah, remember to always spray anything in the dark, or buy a green light because the spectrum ofgreen lights dont promote photosynthesis. And now you're not completely in the dark. literally.

my only experience with them the no pest strips worked quick fast and in a hurry!
cheap too!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Opie Yutts

Well if you've read the threads much you should know what to do, but I guess I'll say it once again.

No pest strip
insecticide bombs
Avid
Spider mite destroyers (beneficial insect)

The first on the list is the easiest, and works like a charm 9 times out of 10. If it doesn't work, you are not using enough or you didn't turn down your ventilation for a couple days, or your particular mite has developed a resistance to Dichlorvos.

The last on the list is extremely expensive, but you can use it right up until harvest. I would at least double the recommended dosage if you want it to be sure to work. Triple if you have a bad infestation, which doesn't take long if you don't keep it in check.

Anything other than what's on the list will not get rid of the mites, but some things like neem oil are used to help with control.

NOTE: Kill them quick. They spread fast.

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Aloha, O.Y.

Just read through this thread
You are a very patient person.
I would have given up and said good luck by the second page.
Looks like you actually got through to a few.:thumbsup:

Let me guess.
You once taught grade school for a living, ya? :D

Where were you in '98, when I lost an entire grow to mites?;)

Thanks for the pearls, brah
Weezard

Thanks for the kind words Weezard. No I didn't teach school, but I do have a 4-year-old boy. In 98 I was flat on my back on the floor of my apartment, waiting to hear if I could get on a government health plan and have back surgery. I was in excruciating pain for 2 months, and then they said, "well you could have had the surgery, then if you were accepted to the program we would have reimbursed you." Yeah. If I had the money, I wouldn't need the government health plan, and not only that, I wouldn't qualify for it. Anyway it wasn't until soon after that I started seriously growing, and learning about things like spider mites.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Opie Yutts

If you want to continue the rest of your natural born days as a weed farmer to battle them, then go ahead and do the stuff mentioned above. If you want to spend 30 seconds to get rid of them for good, then follow this advice: Buy a No Pest Strip (at Fred Meyer, Walmart, etc.) and set it in your grow room for 3 days, then when your light cycle changes to bloom then next time, and the little bastards come out to play again, do it again. At this point all your spider mites will be gone for good.

.

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Hi there just a quick question for ya.....do the no pest strips need to be specifically for spider mites or just any no pest strip in general?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Opie Yutts

Thanks for the compliments guys. Ziggy, as far as I know the only brand and model that will work for mites is the one in my scan above: Spectracide's No Pest Strip. A couple years ago this was a greeen and yellow package. I don't think the package has changed because when I did a search I found them at the hardware store that I linked above.

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In regards to opie and knowm about the strips

PAN Product Info for Hot shot no pest strip


Don't know if this was posted or not, haven't got to the end yet, just wanted to do it before I forgot. At the bottom of the page it says
Distributor Names for Alco small pest strip

Product names Distributor Product Type Approval Date Cancellation Date
Alco small pest strip Amvac chemical corporation Parent Product Oct 18, 1988 Active
Bio-strip pest strip Amvac chemical corporation Distributor Product Nov 15, 1988 May 6, 2004
Bio-strip pest strip Amvac chemical corporation Distributor Product Feb 7, 1989 Active
Hot shot no pest strip Amvac chemical corporation Distributor Product Sep 30, 1997 Active
Hot shot ultimate bug killer for small spaces Amvac chemical corporation Distributor Product Sep 30, 1997 Active
Hot shot ultimate moth killer Amvac chemical corporation Distributor Product Sep 30, 1997 Active
Spectracide bug stop pest strip Amvac chemical corporation Distributor Product Sep 30, 1997 Active



So they are the same thing.

Hello,

I too have had my share of mite adventures, they are annoying, little, and crafty.

I installed pest strips in all my boxes, veg & flower after my latest outbreak, but yesterday noticed a huge outbreak on my mother Halloween plant.

I was able to repot it anyhow, can I dunk my mother underwater to eliminate them, or would soaps and sprays be better?

Growing is hard enough without these little fu*kers.

Hey opie i have a huge question for you. I am looking for these strips and im in canada, Ive asked around and they say they dont allow them here so i found something else from VAPONA called No pest strips but they say its for killing flying insects. i dont understand how it could be for only flying insects when the active ingredient is 20% and thats the same percentage as hot shots has. Do you think these other ones will stil work please reply because im thinking about going to the states just to pick these things up.

I have 3-4 weeks left before harvest...and an infestation has exploded...what can be done to save me? I have already removed 1 that was covered and smothered... I have used a spray of 90% alcohol and water mix to aid in killing some...but the infestation is to large and I need to do something before everything is to far gone. Any suggestions could be helpful. Is it to late in the cycle for the pest strips? Please Help
:(

here's my 2 cents:

i've been battling spider mites for over a year now and have spent big bucks on neem and predatory mites. i must have some badass mites because we never could seem to get rid of them.

this time i hit the clones from said plants daily with bug be gone once they rooted in. after they got about a foot tall and looked strong i mixed a 5 gallon bucket of floramite, cut paper plates to hold the dirt in the pots, and inverted and dipped the entire plants in the floramite solution. a couple more weeks of veg and the i'll kick the lights back. i'm not expecting to see spider mites again although i might be proactive and dump a couple predatory colonies on this batch. floramite is cool in that it doesn't kill your beneficial mites.

p.s. i found someone selling individual ounces of floramite on a popular auction site......$25 ounce beats the hell out of a $300 quart and this stuff goes a long way...1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per gallon.

Well, I am going to give this no pest strip thing a try. Please, please let it work! :(