HELP! I have spider mites!

[batlin]

Guess I need to find out where I can get some Neem and quick!! My local shop doesn't have any

I also went to get some of the hotshot strips, and read the back, it was kinda scary (seemed toxic) they said only put it in a house that you wont be in for 4 months! so I didn't get any cause I don't want to smoke something had might have that in it... thoughts?

[khyberkitsune]

Most def spidermites - HOT SHOT PEST CONTROL STRIPS.

Not the ones in the orange packaging, get the ones in the blue packaging, much more effective. I have TWO in my tiny closet and NOTHING but plants are alive. Any bug that does get in there is dead within 24 hours (flies, moths, aphids, etc.)

Home Depot, Lowes, most any hardware store has them. I think you can also find the Dr. Doom strips, same stuff, at hydro shops - just ask for dichlorvos strips.

[Vancefish]

Well that is one FABULOUS pic! :thumbsup:

You can nearly see the Chlorophyll on it's lips.

However those are mites.

I went to town on mine three weeks ago. It was ALL OUT WAR! :apachecopter:

First I rinsed them in cool water holding the pot sideways over the tub. Making sure to hit ever leaf top and bottom with water, And turning the pot to expose more areas as leaves fell to the sides.

Then after an hour I did this again, but used an organic soap (I read a couple drops of Ivory dish soap works). We diluted the soap in a spray bottle full of water, and soaked all surfaces of each plant, then rinsed it off again.

THEN, I sealed them in a nearly air tight room with 3 lbs of dry ice in a bucket (gassing the room with mass CO2).

THEN2, I hung a hotshots (yep the four month one), in the room and sealed it up.

Then3, I upped the humidity to 60% and soaked the plants in neem solution.

I cleaned my house up one end and down the other!

Then, a week later... There's one,... DAMMIT!

ROUND 2:.... :Tomcat: same as round one.

Now week 3 of flower and not a sign, except that leaf I took the pic of.:thumbsup:

Good luck

[krisk1227]

for 14.95 you can order ladybugs online from the home depot. one ladybug will eat up to 80 of those little buggers a day. I used lady bugs in the past and mites were gone in a day or two. plus 100% natural. I am not much for spraying anything on somthing i am gonna pertake of...

[stra8outtaWeed]

Guess I need to find out where I can get some Neem and quick!! My local shop doesn't have any

I also went to get some of the hotshot strips, and read the back, it was kinda scary (seemed toxic) they said only put it in a house that you wont be in for 4 months! so I didn't get any cause I don't want to smoke something had might have that in it... thoughts?

dichlorvos does not get in your plant nor does plants absorb any...it only affects small insects...i found a black widow in my room and i killed it after watching it hang out under my trays and it did not die until i gave it the black flag spray of death...the horror writing on the back is in case some idiot wants to use the strips for a breath mint

[moody420]

dichlorvos does not get in your plant nor does plants absorb any...it only affects small insects...i found a black widow in my room and i killed it after watching it hang out under my trays and it did not die until i gave it the black flag spray of death...the horror writing on the back is in case some idiot wants to use the strips for a breath mint

very good point about the horror writing on the back!

I'm still not convinced they are spider mites.....you said earlier that you had noticed bugs moving around in the soil. Do you see these insects flying at all? Also, it seems those plants are not doing so well, and I don't think it's just the insect problem. They seem to have nute burn pretty bad. And they dont look anywhere near harvesting. I'd estimate another 4-5 weeks if they can make it! Sorry! I'll check back to see how you progress....good luck to you! :jointsmile:

[batlin]

Yea, they are not doing so hot, worse today.. I did a flush of the soil yesterday as well as used some organic insecticide and flushed it through, I went to my local shop and they didn't have Neem or Soap (all out) so i need to wait on that.

I have not seen any of these guys on the leaf or stem or anywhere on the actual plan, they are only in the dirt. (and crawling on the pot) They seem to stay in the dirt until light turns on then they come out and play (it takes a bit once the lights come on to actually see them moving.. but when they do its like a freaken' swarm!

Since I couldn't find any Neem or soap I just got a hotshot strip, put it in front my box fan and pointed it at the girls.. I have my best girl in a Rubbermaid tub and she started showing signs today of the little fuckers.. so she is isolated in the tub and the others are all in the closet.. I have some seedlings in another Rubbermaid tub but I have removed them from the room.

The plants looked a whole hell of a lot better before this infestation, but I also might be feeding them too much kinda why I flushed so we will see..

at what point do I throw in the towel on these girls? get rid of them and clean everything? I have heard of putting dirt in the oven for a bit to make sure everything is dead, is that something to do?

If i do consider these girls a total loss, is it usable or just throw away?

thanks all, again this is my first grow (i really didn't think I would succeed) so thank you all for the advice and help with this issue! :stoned:

-B

[moody420]

I'm really sorry....but it's your first time....it's all a learning process.

Do you have pics of the whole plant so we can give a better diagnosis on whether or not you should bother trying to save it?

Don't be discouraged....there is a lot to learn with growing....you seem to have the desire, you will succeed! :jointsmile:

[moody420]

Most def spidermites - HOT SHOT PEST CONTROL STRIPS.

Not the ones in the orange packaging, get the ones in the blue packaging, much more effective. I have TWO in my tiny closet and NOTHING but plants are alive. Any bug that does get in there is dead within 24 hours (flies, moths, aphids, etc.)

Home Depot, Lowes, most any hardware store has them. I think you can also find the Dr. Doom strips, same stuff, at hydro shops - just ask for dichlorvos strips.

Thanks for being descriptive....very helpful! Also, without jacking this thread....i wanted to say that your pic you posted on "Big Grow Expertise" (which was closed) is amazing! i must have stared at that picture for 5 straight minutes! Great job man!!! :jointsmile:

[stra8outtaWeed]

sounds like you have fungus gnats...the only thing i found that works on them is azatrol...it is the active ingredient in neem and is concentrated but it will take 3 -4 weeks of using this to break the breeding cycle....the azatrol makes the new hatchlings sterile so they cannot reproduce but it is important to keep the regim up until they are gone.....overwatering is usually the cause of infestation...they do not do as well in soil the gets dried out a little...my suggestion is during veg don't water until you see a little droop in the plants and with the combination of the 2...lesss water and azatrol that is about the only way i know to get rid of those pesky little shits:thumbsup: