bugs!!!help

[Dr. Manny Bowles]

Do they look anything like the smaller bug in my avatar? If so, it probably is thrips that you have. Thrips have several life stages, and will look like a small worm at first then transform into a small cricket looking thing that flies. If you do have thrips, you should have damage on the top sides of your leaves, it first shows up as small shiny spots- thats their pooh on your gorgeous girl.

You have Thripes. Look into Azamaz, although it's expensive thripes can breed in soil and it works fantastic as a soil drench and a foliar spray. Thripes are relatively easy to defeat so you should be all set if they havn't got out of control. The feed on organic matter and soft plant growth.

I heard the same thing that thrips were easy to defeat. I discovered them in my growroom over a year ago, and have battled them constantly ever since. I haven't used Azamaz as jmansweed mentioned but have used numerous other things and what worked best for me was ISO/water foliar sprays and Pyrythum bombs. The ISO/water will just keep the numbers at bay and not completely wipe them out on its own IME. I've just finished completely disconstructing and rebuilding my room and I'm not even sure they are 100% gone. There hasn't been a plant in there in 4+weeks so lets hope so eh...
Anyways, hopefully it's not thrips you have but if you do get prepared for war. Good luck!

 

[jmansweed]

Okay, heres what I know about Thripes:

There are over 5 or 600 species in the U.S. A photo would show a resembalance but many thripes are diverse in color and patterns from black to yellow. Nymphs even appear transparent. There are winged and non-winged species, small and larger versions and even very beneficial types. Some herd around the leaves and others run around below the pots almost "hopping" around. They can reproduce through laying eggs and "parthenogenetically" basically cloning themselves after fertilization. They reproduce and over winter primarily in soil, and can be difficult in that aspect to get rid of. Most bite through plant material and suck the juices out creating a breeding ground for bacteria and fungal infections. The Banded Thripe is relatively beneficial, eating insects and other Thripes - when they're food runs out however, they too will feed on plants. Thripes are suseptable to many pesticides and infrequently beat the odds when properly erraticated. First, attack they're breeding ground - meaning the soil. Use a soil drench such as liqued Pyrethrins or Azamax. If you prefer chemicals something like Bayer 3in1 w/ Imadicloprid works well (1 Tblspn per gallon). These products can be applied with your feeding program and may need repeated cycles to kill all the eggs and/or nymphs. As far as foliar applications many traditional methods work, "Safer" products worked well for me, "Concern Garden Defence", pyrethrins(airesol spray), neem oil or mild hortultural oils, and many typical homemade "insecticidal brews" work well also. Make sure to treat the area around your pots and your grow room generally speaking. They can and will hide on you. Some folks will recommend Nematodes but I've found thripes don't always stick to the soil so the beneficials don't fully work. Any insect infestation is never "easy to defeat" but compared to most, Thripes will die. Some insects like mites and root aphids are seemingly impossible to get rid of once they establish themselves. Persistance and detailed inspection of your environment will get rid of them..........best of luck