I love how you look on the brite side Crash
Crash Journal
- Thread starter CrashMagnet
- Start date
I figure I'm getting my mite experience early. Just about all the experienced growers here seem to have one or more spider mite stories. Better to develop the caution/paranoia and good habits early than learn in the middle of a large breeding operation or something.
On handling the bugs in the shop, I'm seriously considering shutting off the vent fans for 24 hours and using a Hot shot No-Pest strip. Have to leave the lights low in the grow room for heat control, but from what I've been reading it kills everything but the eggs and doesn't leave a residue. I can hang one in the grow room for 24 hours, then relocate it to the attic. Then use another one a few days later to get the new hatchlings.
Still planning on using the Pylon bombs, but these work continuously for weeks to months. I just don't want to leave one too long in the grow room with flowering plants.
On handling the bugs in the shop, I'm seriously considering shutting off the vent fans for 24 hours and using a Hot shot No-Pest strip. Have to leave the lights low in the grow room for heat control, but from what I've been reading it kills everything but the eggs and doesn't leave a residue. I can hang one in the grow room for 24 hours, then relocate it to the attic. Then use another one a few days later to get the new hatchlings.
Still planning on using the Pylon bombs, but these work continuously for weeks to months. I just don't want to leave one too long in the grow room with flowering plants.
I put a no-pest strip in the grow room 18 hours ago, turned off the vent fans and side light, and dimmed the main light enough to keep the temperature under 90. It was actually 84 when I got home, so I can afford a little more light next time. RH was 76% which is worrying, but hopefully OK for short periods?
No bugs anywhere. I checked many leaves on and off the plant. There were some eggs, but no bugs. And no powdery mildew from the increased humidity. The pest strip seems to work as advertised. I will do it again Saturday night to hopefully kill the new hatchlings.
Of course, now I'm on the hook to keep them going for a few days after I put the strip in there to make sure any residue has fully broken down. Rinsing the buds at harvest time was a given the first time I sprayed soap on them. Speaking of soap, I will hit them again with it tomorrow, and maybe some neem oil on Saturday.
The plants outside gave up a few more leaves to the search for mites effort, and I saw none. I think they like their evening hose offs. I don't even wrap the pot in plastic anymore, just spray them where they sit. They are all drinking so much water a little extra isn't going to hurt them.
So no mites were found on any plant, weed or veggie. My tomatoes had (emphasis on had) some leaves with brown spots and black dots on the back. I dunno what that is, but it isn't spider mites. They will get a more thorough hosing off tonight anyway.
No bugs anywhere. I checked many leaves on and off the plant. There were some eggs, but no bugs. And no powdery mildew from the increased humidity. The pest strip seems to work as advertised. I will do it again Saturday night to hopefully kill the new hatchlings.
Of course, now I'm on the hook to keep them going for a few days after I put the strip in there to make sure any residue has fully broken down. Rinsing the buds at harvest time was a given the first time I sprayed soap on them. Speaking of soap, I will hit them again with it tomorrow, and maybe some neem oil on Saturday.
The plants outside gave up a few more leaves to the search for mites effort, and I saw none. I think they like their evening hose offs. I don't even wrap the pot in plastic anymore, just spray them where they sit. They are all drinking so much water a little extra isn't going to hurt them.
So no mites were found on any plant, weed or veggie. My tomatoes had (emphasis on had) some leaves with brown spots and black dots on the back. I dunno what that is, but it isn't spider mites. They will get a more thorough hosing off tonight anyway.
I would be careful with the pest strips and what may be absorb into the buds (Unknown to me)
I hear tell by people who have used them they work for bug control though/
I have used an water alcohol dilute spray under the leaves and killed the mites but not the eggs
You need to kill the newly hatched mites before they lay the next batch of eggs to break the cycle.
I did it successfully once but spray often and the alcohol I believe knocked the trics for a loop.
I bought it off amazon but I can not find the name
I have been waiting for some Freakshow seeds for a while. When they finally showed there were some free seeds included. There were 6 seeds together with this mysterious label:
I originally thought it said "Free Blueberry <garbled> X AK47 (Fem)" and dumped all six seeds in a bag and labeled it. Now I'm thinking there were (Free) three blueberry somethings, and three AK47 Fem. Is that a smiley face at the end? This kind of sloppy work annoys me a lot more than any spider mites. The Freakshow seeds look immature. I hope some of them actually germinate.
I originally thought it said "Free Blueberry <garbled> X AK47 (Fem)" and dumped all six seeds in a bag and labeled it. Now I'm thinking there were (Free) three blueberry somethings, and three AK47 Fem. Is that a smiley face at the end? This kind of sloppy work annoys me a lot more than any spider mites. The Freakshow seeds look immature. I hope some of them actually germinate.
I read everything I could find on the pest strips and the insecticide they use (Dichlorvos). What residue remains washes off - there are traces of it in our water supplies. Anyway, it was just 18 hours exposure. I'm not leaving it in there. But I do plan to use it to kill the hatchlings in a few days. After that it will be at least a week before harvest, then a nice bud bath before trimming and chopping.
Checking out the runt outside I found this at the base of two limbs along with a few small blackened buds. When I pulled the limbs apart I got 5 or 6 little crab spiders on me. It looks like the mother spider laid her eggs in some kind of fly and strapped it to my plant. I wouldn't have known what to think without the spiders and the pair of wings. Anyone see this before? Is this what comes after the borg??
I think this poor plant has had enough. Thinking I should harvest tomorrow. There is maybe 1 amber trichome in 15. A few more at the top and a few less at the bottom. I won't be smoking any of that stuff at the bottom anyway <shiver>
I think this poor plant has had enough. Thinking I should harvest tomorrow. There is maybe 1 amber trichome in 15. A few more at the top and a few less at the bottom. I won't be smoking any of that stuff at the bottom anyway <shiver>
I wish I had taken a pic of the black buds before ripping them off the plant. I could have gone for the sympathy vote in the BOM contest : )
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You have my sympathy if not my vote. You sure have had a rough go of it. I admire your positive outlook.
Always loved our Friend Arty
Circus Mites?
Honestly, I find all this to be highly entertaining.
Damn, why didn't I think of that?
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I need some of your happy pills…
Not for the faint of heart...
Forum Pic for you
You get that from my facebook page?
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