Spider Mites

[stormin94]

About the 4th week of veg, and I've recently had an explosion of spidermites. This happens all the time from what I've been reading, and I'm not panicking..... Instead I'm planning a strike against them. I've been engaged in some sort of mite warfare since about two weeks after the seedlings sprouted( yes, I'm growing seedlings indoors). My budget hasn't allowed me to spend $10-$15 a piece on clones from the clubs so I grew some of my orange crush, purple trainwreck, and grape ape seeds. I plan on taking clones from them later.

Back to the issue of spidermites. I've been keeping them in check with almost daily water spraying, and once to twice weekly rubbing alcohol/cool water 50:50 spraying. Latelyin the past few days they've really upped their game. I went out today and bought a can of chewing tobacco and some bug bombs. I have a real urge to get rid of these mites quickly, and I'm wondering if I should just bomb them then spray weekly( or however often) with the nicotine chew spray, or if there is another option. Please keep in mind that I plan on doing a full 8 weeks of flowering, and I'm very good about keeping my leaves/ room clean. Also keep in mind that I have an extremely tight budget(think like $30 max, and I mean MAX).

Pretty much I just want to know if we are go for launch, or what?

stormin94 Reviewed by stormin94 on 08-15-2010. Spider Mites About the 4th week of veg, and I've recently had an explosion of spidermites. This happens all the time from what I've been reading, and I'm not panicking..... Instead I'm planning a strike against them. I've been engaged in some sort of mite warfare since about two weeks after the seedlings sprouted( yes, I'm growing seedlings indoors). My budget hasn't allowed me to spend $10-$15 a piece on clones from the clubs so I grew some of my orange crush, purple trainwreck, and grape ape seeds. I plan Rating: 5

[stormin94]

I should also add that my room is not air condition, but the temps outside drop to the 50's most every morning, which means 65-ish inside, and I can keep the temp inside below 100 regardless of the temp outside(sometimes 105+). Usually it's just about 90 though. I keep the ventalation systems so they take up loads of cool morning air, and exhaust just a couple times during the heat of the day until it cools off again in the evening.

Humidity is between 30 and 45%. There isn't much I can do for temps except water 2x a day to get humidity up about 5-7% and drops the temp about 5 degrees overall. It will start getting cooler in about a month thankfully.

So without much help from climate control, can I just nuke those mites at night time when it's cool and dark, or what?

Any suggestions/advice?

[WashougalWonder]

Prevention over eliminating an infestation. Mucho important.

You, have a problem. You must get them killed. They lay eggs on the leaves and it is perpetual. Use some Shell no pest strips in the room...or one if it is small room.

Meanwhile, get some Neem oil and mix about a tablespoon or two in a quart and spray on the bottoms of the leaves for a few days. Overdoing this will clog the stoma, so not too much.

Somewhere along the way, clean the hell outta the grow room, bleach in the water. Spray with Sevin in the corners, air intakes, and around the exterior of the grow room. It should take about 2 weeks to kill them all off, as the eggs will hatch and keep things going. The above breaks that cycle.

read the post in my signature.

[vtgreen]

I had spider mites before and hanging one of these things in the room knocked them all out. Don't know if I was just lucky, but for the price, give it a try. They are available at home stores and garden stores near me.

Amazon.com: Hot Shot 5580 No Pest Strip Unscented Hanging Vapor Insect Repellent: Patio, Lawn & Garden

[canniwhatsis]

I had spider mites before and hanging one of these things in the room knocked them all out. Don't know if I was just lucky, but for the price, give it a try. They are available at home stores and garden stores near me.

Amazon.com: Hot Shot 5580 No Pest Strip Unscented Hanging Vapor Insect Repellent: Patio, Lawn & Garden

Mites can become resistant to that stuff, It's worth a try, but stay the hell out of the room, and make sure your exhausting outside the house. The vapors are really bad to breath. Seriously, read the MSDS on that thing!

Neem isn't cheap, but it works better than anything I've tried to kill the mites on my wife's rose plant, I've been lucky and haven't gotten any pests in my grow room.

[vtgreen]

I posted that before finding many posts here about them. I just read the MSDS and I think your cautions are well advised. For any others interested this is a link to the health problems associated with the primary ingredient.

DICHLORVOS - National Library of Medicine HSDB Database

[stormin94]

Alright, thanks for the responses. I know that most spidermite problems are not unique, and that there are probably more threads about this than almost anything else on here. Neem is pretty pricey around here though. I'll see what I can do about getting some of that.

[-Time-]

Neem has never failed me.

If you're infested I'd grab a no-pest strip and some neem.

If you pray the neem top to bottom (be sure to cover every surface), then apply systemically (water your plants with it) @ 1oz per gallon that will be a good start. Be careful with the no-pest strips and use 2-3 if you have a large room. Don't leave no-pest strips sitting out for months. Use them for 2-3 weeks to rid the mites then remove them or, like many people have mentioned: the mites can become immune to the strips

Repeat the neem spray in 3-4 days and then another systemic application in about 10.