Please share your experiences with spider mites here!

[lampost]

Hey guys,

Please share here if you've ever had a run-in with spider mites!

If you have, let us know when you found them, the extent of the damage, whether you were able to control/eliminate them, if they ruined your crop or affected your harvest, what you used on them, etc...

I brought them home on clones on my first grow and I'm interested to see whether or not people have been successful despite spider mites... and how you were able to contain them. I got them and I decided to keep going instead of starting over (which everyone I've talked to said is crazy). I'm specifically interested in NO PEST STRIPS. This is what I'm going to use right when I switch to flowering to make sure they're gone. Sounds like these things totally eliminate them!! But I'm still a little skeptical because a lot of long-time growers I've talked to are still spraying neem and have never heard of these things. I'd think if they worked so well that everyone would be using them!!

Anyway, let us know how your spider-mite tainted grows have gone!

lampost Reviewed by lampost on 01-17-2010. Please share your experiences with spider mites here! Hey guys, Please share here if you've ever had a run-in with spider mites! If you have, let us know when you found them, the extent of the damage, whether you were able to control/eliminate them, if they ruined your crop or affected your harvest, what you used on them, etc... I brought them home on clones on my first grow and I'm interested to see whether or not people have been successful despite spider mites... and how you were able to contain them. I got them and I decided to keep Rating: 5

[stuweed224]

Pyrethrins. You can spray the plants lightly,but do it in the dark with a 1 foot distance and fast sweeping. Should not take long. Spray air intake system/piping too. Direct contact with the bugs is recommended.
If they get out of control they will weaken the plant to death. In a bad infestation but recovery,the growth will be stunted.
I used to use Bug Stop but they changed the ingredients. Terro brand Ant Killer has the natural and the synthetic that does not break down as fast.
Bright light will break this product down.

[lampost]

Pyrethrins. You can spray the plants lightly,but do it in the dark with a 1 foot distance and fast sweeping. Should not take long. Spray air intake system/piping too. Direct contact with the bugs is recommended.
If they get out of control they will weaken the plant to death. In a bad infestation but recovery,the growth will be stunted.
I used to use Bug Stop but they changed the ingredients. Terro brand Ant Killer has the natural and the synthetic that does not break down as fast.
Bright light will break this product down.

Thanks. I've heard that some spider mites can develop a resistance to pyrethrins!! In fact, some of the ones going around in Colorado are supposedly resistant to pyrethrins. But that's what I used first and it seemed to kill them pretty quick. I followed up with neem though so maybe that is what did it...

So you were able to get them under control and get a decent harvest? Nice work!!

[senorx12562]

Thanks. I've heard that some spider mites can develop a resistance to pyrethrins!! In fact, some of the ones going around in Colorado are supposedly resistant to pyrethrins. But that's what I used first and it seemed to kill them pretty quick. I followed up with neem though so maybe that is what did it...

So you were able to get them under control and get a decent harvest? Nice work!!

I too started with infested clones and mothers. I've used pyrethrin foggers, neem oil, Organicide, and no pest strips, and seem to have gotten rid of them. Every once in a while I found spots on a leaf or two, and even a few eggs in my latest flower period, but never actually saw a mite. I think maybe the spiders in my basement kept eating them before they got very far. I was so proactive once I found them that I don't even know which of the many methods used did the trick or some combo of all of them. No apparent effect on my yield from either mites or control measures, although the Organicide really raised my nitrogen level in conjunction with regular veg feeding (ppm over 2000 in runoff water) and I had to flush them all which sucked. I thought I killed them.

[WashougalWonder]

Spider mites are a natural environmental pest that proliferate in warmer weather. My neighbor lost all his boxwood shrubs last summer to them.

Spider mites bore holes in the leaves, petioles, and stalks which is the damage that occurs from them.

My first experience with them was a few summers ago. I sort of sloughed off on the Neem weekly spray. I did not notice anything (Except the plants were yellowing) until one morning I found a top completely covered with web and mites.

At the time I had 6 plants in flower. I had to kill the one with the web, and throw it out.. it was disgusting. The others I hit heavy with Neem, and though production was down the balance did survive.

This year I got ahead of the buggers, sprayed all around the outside of the part of the house with the grow area with Seven - weekly(all of it weekly). I sprayed the intakes for the grow room with Seven. I sprayed the grow room side of the intakes too, and around all the cracks and doors inside and out. I sprayed the flower room with Neem weekly up until the last 3 weeks of flower and the veg room daily. (Once the leaves get a shiny luster there is enough on the plant.)

Like I said, my neighbor lost all his boxwood shrubs this summer, and I didn't have a spider mite one. They were just awful this summer.

It sure is a sick feeling to find a web all over the top of a succulent plant.

Oh, yeah, after I found them all plants were treated and the room was bombed. I also clean the floors monthly underneath everything. You would be surprised how many bugs live in those corners. Cleanliness is very important.

[senorx12562]

Spider mites are a natural environmental pest that proliferate in warmer weather. My neighbor lost all his boxwood shrubs last summer to them.

Spider mites bore holes in the leaves, petioles, and stalks which is the damage that occurs from them.

My first experience with them was a few summers ago. I sort of sloughed off on the Neem weekly spray. I did not notice anything (Except the plants were yellowing) until one morning I found a top completely covered with web and mites.

At the time I had 6 plants in flower. I had to kill the one with the web, and throw it out.. it was disgusting. The others I hit heavy with Neem, and though production was down the balance did survive.

This year I got ahead of the buggers, sprayed all around the outside of the part of the house with the grow area with Seven - weekly(all of it weekly). I sprayed the intakes for the grow room with Seven. I sprayed the grow room side of the intakes too, and around all the cracks and doors inside and out. I sprayed the flower room with Neem weekly up until the last 3 weeks of flower and the veg room daily. (Once the leaves get a shiny luster there is enough on the plant.)

Like I said, my neighbor lost all his boxwood shrubs this summer, and I didn't have a spider mite one. They were just awful this summer.

It sure is a sick feeling to find a web all over the top of a succulent plant.

Oh, yeah, after I found them all plants were treated and the room was bombed. I also clean the floors monthly underneath everything. You would be surprised how many bugs live in those corners. Cleanliness is very important.

I just did the same, since my flower room was empty of all but two plants, I put them in my veg room for their 12 hours of light, and cleaned the shit out of the place with a bleach based cleaner , set off a fogger, and closed 'er up for the night. In about an hour I'll go in, turn on my exhaust for a few and voila. I've decided it's really about control, not elimination.

[lampost]

I too started with infested clones and mothers. I've used pyrethrin foggers, neem oil, Organicide, and no pest strips, and seem to have gotten rid of them. Every once in a while I found spots on a leaf or two, and even a few eggs in my latest flower period, but never actually saw a mite. I think maybe the spiders in my basement kept eating them before they got very far. I was so proactive once I found them that I don't even know which of the many methods used did the trick or some combo of all of them. No apparent effect on my yield from either mites or control measures, although the Organicide really raised my nitrogen level in conjunction with regular veg feeding (ppm over 2000 in runoff water) and I had to flush them all which sucked. I thought I killed them.

Senor, thanks man. This really makes me feel better. I just found your grow log and I'm in a similar situation where I've put everything I've got right now into this... and can't afford to lose it. I've been vigilant as hell!! I've been just using neem, but I'm about to break out the No Pest Strip. Did you have to add a second one at photoperiod change? I've heard some eggs lie dormant and hatch upon light change.

Also, is Organicide an actual product? I need to get another product since these have supposedly been verified as pyrethrin-resistant. The place where I got the clones had a local entomologist come up and he verified that they were resistant!! I've been looking at Ed Rosenthal's product, forget the name, but it's got cinnamon oil and a bunch of other organic insecticides.

[senorx12562]

Senor, thanks man. This really makes me feel better. I just found your grow log and I'm in a similar situation where I've put everything I've got right now into this... and can't afford to lose it. I've been vigilant as hell!! I've been just using neem, but I'm about to break out the No Pest Strip. Did you have to add a second one at photoperiod change? I've heard some eggs lie dormant and hatch upon light change.

Also, is Organicide an actual product? I need to get another product since these have supposedly been verified as pyrethrin-resistant. The place where I got the clones had a local entomologist come up and he verified that they were resistant!! I've been looking at Ed Rosenthal's product, forget the name, but it's got cinnamon oil and a bunch of other organic insecticides.

Organicide is the brand name, and it's mostly fish oil. It is sold at home depot or the big tomato. Just don't use it right after feeding with a high nitrogen fert. I use it in place of one feeding,(now that I know). The no pest strip is only effective if you can seal it in the room for enough time to kill the pests, since mites don't fly.

I also have a suspicion that the place you got the clones is lying to you. I think they are trying to cover their asses, both in terms of you not being able to kill them and their reason for selling them to you. They hired an entymologist? Yeah, right. If they knew, why the fuck did they sell them to you? I don't buy it. I hate it when somebody fucks you, then lies about it later when caught. Tell us who it was (if you can) so we NEVER buy anything from them. Good luck man.

[bickeybammer]

ive had one run in.. i used some soap spray from the hydro shop and cold temps and they were gone

before
[attachment=o235788]



after
[attachment=o235789]

[t3rmites]

If you end up with infested buds just before harvest... don't throw them out! Water cure them. This WILL leave you with clean smokable marijuana, that is perfectly fine for personal use.