Spider mites getting aggressive at 5th week flowering

[2gr33n]

Hi guys,

Here's an update on the situation... Strangely (but fortunately) my most mature plant seems to resist the spider mites invasion much better than the others... I found a couple of mites on it but I always kill them right away and it seems under control. Wish I had cloned it!!! My other plants however, I'm not sure if I'll get anything much from them... Not many trichomes are visible (they are only on pods, and tiny) and the buds look pretty ugly now, with lots of red/dead hair. Are the mites gonna completely destroy/kill them If I let them grow any longer?

As for the more mature plant, it's now looking quite nice and smells absolutely amazing. Very strong, sweet and fruity/slightly skunky smell. It's lovely and I get the feeling that harvest time is very near? I'm attaching the picture to let you see it. When I look simply with my eyes the trichs looks mostly clear/white but as you will see, the picture seems to make them look more white with some/many amber ones already. So my question is, Is this baby ready for harvest or what?? It's been about 6+ weeks now... What do you think?

Thanks for the help

[2gr33n]

Here's another perspective that shows more of the main top cola, perhaps it can give you a better idea:

[ckarrson]

Be patient wait a week or two.

[jungleboy]

IF you work at a hydro store you should be aware that recommending neem oil on a plant that is within 3 weeks of harvest is questionable advice. The residue has an outrageously rancid flavor and odor, and will RUIN your product if used too late. There are other, better options. For sprays, I use SMC on my flowering plants up to about 1-2 weeks before harvest and STILL try to avoid getting it on the buds, even though coriander oil is nontoxic (and smells lovely). For use in that sensitive time right before chop chop, you can fight mites by dropping temps, adding wind, and removing webs with a small vacuum. But within 3 weeks of flower, options for dealing with them are VERY limited, which is why it is important to knock back all pest populations before then. A good method for this is a set of pyrethrin bombs set off 2-3 days apart- bomb twice at least, but three times is much better. Pyerthrin breaks down quickly in intense light, and kills pests instantly.

What is this SMC and where can i find it....

[justanotherbozo]

here's some advice from my friend Opie Yutt's.

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 had a mite problem myself a few months ago and i tried several of the things
suggested on the web. then i followed Opie's advice and went to the local
hardware store and bought a couple of 'Hot Shot' No-Pest Strips for about
$8.00 each.

i only used one of them and the mites have been gone ever since and they disappeared almost overnight

[stinkyattic]

SMC = coriander oil. Buy at hydro shop.

[k9will]

No-Pest Strips work. Without question the easiest, fastest, way to get rid of them is with the no-pest strips.

[headshake]

if you can use pyrethrin then you might be able to use Permethrin. it is a pyrethroid. it is commonly used to kill insects. it i have used it to kill spider mites that my snakes have gotten in the past. it is commonly used in lice treatment too. it is the active ingredient in equate bedding spray. that's the walmart brand of lice treatment. it can be found by the pharmacy. it's should be under $4 a can. i'm not saying it will work but it might be worth looking into by someone with well more experience then my own.

for the treatment of snake tanks you remove the reptile and waterdish and spray over the bedding and let dry before returning said reptile. i usually spray a couple of times to make sure everything gets it. it is kinda of a dusty, dry spray evaporates pretty quckly. i used it once and the next day, maybe two, all spider mites were gone.

....or you could get some lady bugs. they eat spider mites. when you are done you can vacuum them up and keep them in the fridge.

where are do you get lady bugs you ask? well that wasn't the question!

hope this helps.

-shake

[madeline]

most growers won't use chems late in flowering so we use our tube-type vacumn cleaners when control of mites is needed. just put a couple fingers over the nozzle to act as a screen to keep the leaves on the plant and gently pass it over the affected areas, including webbing. do this every couple of days and you'll see far fewer critters running around and no more webs, altho it will do nothing about the eggs...

[headshake]

most growers won't use chems late in flowering so we use our tube-type vacumn cleaners when control of mites is needed. just put a couple fingers over the nozzle to act as a screen to keep the leaves on the plant and gently pass it over the affected areas, including webbing. do this every couple of days and you'll see far fewer critters running around and no more webs, altho it will do nothing about the eggs...

yeah, but doesn't that usually pertain to things fed to the plant? this is an aerosal, that is basically like a smoke, that dissepates. you can always spray them with some water. just a thought, something that should be looked into with someone with more experience than i.

what's one plant of someones grow in the name of science? i'm pretty sure it won't kill you and the worst that will happen is that the taste would be altered. i'll pay for the can of spray!

any takers?

-shake