Spider Mites

[keyspy2]

About two months ago, five weeks into flowering, I discovered I had spider mites. I was to far along to use any heavy duty miticides, so I washed of my plants, harvested them early and cut my losses. I cleaned out my closet with bleach and water, threw away all af my house plants, then a week later I cleaned out the closet again. My new plants are about 3 weeks into vegging and look real good. My question is, If I still have mites, wouldn't they have shown up again by now? I am almost positive that they came from a plant that someone gave my wife, that I didn't look at close enough. Also should I treat them with somthing like Avid, so I don't go through this again.

:tokie: :tokie:

 

[gourmet]

I personally haven't found an insecticide that works on spider mites. A q tip with alcohol is the only thing I found that rids spider mites, but perhaps others have had other experiences.

 

[dman1234]

if i were in your shoes, and i have been, i would do a preventative treatment, these little suckers have a way of showing up mid to late flower.

 

[4u2sm0ke]

Im with Dman...Im a preventive man now...3 times a week my plants get azamax...even though you dont see them they will return its a given....Mites thrive in High heat and low humidity...try and keep the humidity above 50%...but get ya self some weapons....theBorg Is futile

take care and be safe

 

[Irish]

i use azamax regularly too...whether needed or not...

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I always keep Forbid and Floramite on hand (Gourmet, these really work against mites). I have started spraying when plants go from veg to flowering just as a preventive. I live in the kind of climate they thrive in--high heat and low humidity.

 

[gourmet]

Thanks for the info on insecticides that work against mites everyone. My plants are fine but my outside garden is riddled.

 

[4u2sm0ke]

Not much ya can do on outdoor...I just mist to keep High Humidity...Not sure of the other weapons mentioned But I Know Azamax is Organic...not Insecticide...


take care and be safe

 

[dirtyolsouth]

Yo Peeps~!:ciao:


Here's some info that was shared elsewhere so I'll share it again~!


I've used Avid for about 8 years... the bottle was expensive but has lasted that long and has a shelf life of 10 years. If you use Avid in early veg and keep a clean garden you won't have mites mess with your plants at all. I had a major infestation when I bought Avid and I haven't had a bad mite situation since. I spray my plants when I xplant them from cups to pots for vegging and then I veg a good 6-8 weeks and would never use a pesticide in flower.

Some of the newer miticides like the ones THG mentioned are very effective too and if you check out the table below you can see how each works and whether they also kill the eggs which Avid doesn't. If you use Avid you need to spray 2x about 10 days to 2 weeks apart to kill any newly hatched mites since the initial treatment.


Good luck with your situation bro... at this point get out your vacuum:huh:and remove as many as you can but once you harvest you need to do a full scale cleaning and if you can bug bomb your grow space and get on top of the situation. Like 4u2 sez the borg is futile and imho you need big guns to deal with them...:hubba:

Peace~!


Miticides and the Life Stages They Are Most Effective On

Miticides and the Life Stages of Two Spotted Spider Mites They Are Most
Effective On
By Dr. Raymond A. Cloyd
Kansas State University


Twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae is a major arthropod pest of many greenhousegrown crops feeding on over 300 plant species. Twospotted spider mite feeds within plant cells damaging the spongy mesophyll, palisade parenchyma, and chloroplasts, which reduces chlorophyll content and the plant’s ability to photosynthesize resulting in characteristic symptoms such as leaf bleaching, yellow stippling, and bronzing of leaves.
The primary means of maintaining twospotted spider mite populations below damaging levels, in greenhouses, is the use of commercially available miticides that either have contact or translaminar activity. Miticides with contact activity include acequinocyl (Shuttle), fenbutatin-oxide (ProMite), clofentezine (Ovation), hexythiazox (Hexygon), pyridaben (Sanmite), bifenazate (Floramite), and fenpyroximate (Akari).In general, these miticides
provide minimal residual activity once spray residues have dried.However, a number of miticides have translaminar activity, which mean that the material penetrates the leaf cuticle and the active ingredient resides within the leaf tissue including the spongy mesophyll and palisade parenchyma cells, resulting in a reservoir of active ingredient. This provides extended residual activity against twospotted spider mites even after spray residues have
dried. Twospotted spider mites feeding on the leaves, even after spray residues have dissipated, may ingest a lethal dose of the active ingredient. This may lead to a decrease in the number of miticide applications thus reducing worker exposure and minimizing the potential for spider mite populations developing resistance. Miticides registered for use in greenhouses that have translaminar activity include abamectin (Avid), chlorfenapyr (Pylon),spiromesifen (Judo), spirotetramat (Kontos), and etoxazole (TetraSan).

Table 1 presents all the miticides registered for use in greenhouses and the susceptible life stages of twospotted spider mite, the activity type (e.g., contact, translaminar, or systemic), and the mode of action of each miticide. This table may assist greenhouse producers in determining which life stage miticides are most effective on. For example, four miticides are active, as indicated on the label, on all the life stages (egg, larva, nymph, and adult) of
twospotted spider mite: acequinocyl (Shuttle), bifenazate (Floramite), fenpyroximate (Akari), and pyridaben (Sanmite). Three of these miticides (Shuttle, Akari, and Sanmite) are classified as mitochondria electron transport inhibitors or METI’s. Four miticides are less active on twospotted spider mite adults: clofentezine (Ovation), etoxazole (TetraSan), hexythiazox (Hexygon), and spiromesifen (Judo). Finally, four miticides have both contact and translaminar properties: abamectin (Avid), chlorfenapyr (Pylon), etoxazole (TetraSan), spirotetramat (Kontos), and spiromesifen (Judo).

In order to effectively manage twospotted spider mite (or any mite pest) it is important that greenhouse producers identify the life stages that are affected by the currently available miticides. This will enhance the prospects of developing pesticide mixtures that make sense.


Certain insecticides stimulate mite reproduction. For example, spider mites exposed to carbaryl (Sevin) in the laboratory have been shown to reproduce faster than untreated populations. Carbaryl, some organophosphates, and some pyrethroids apparently also favor spider mites by increasing the level of nitrogen in leaves. Insecticides applied during hot weather usually appear to have the greatest effect, causing dramatic spider mite outbreaks within a few days.

TABLE 1. MITICIDES (ACTIVE INGREDIENT AND TRADE NAME), ACTIVITY TYPE, TWOSPOTTED
SPIDER MITE SUSCEPTIBLE LIFE STAGES, AND MODE OF ACTION.​

 

[AluminumMonster]

@DOS good info brother! Im glad you posted this up over here as well.

I got my first bottle of avid last Saturday and used for the first time on Monday... hopefully this will nuke the little buggers.
A.M.

 

[Old_SSSC_Guy]

I've used Whitmere's "Exclude" and "Pro-Control" for maybe 15 years. Its based on pyrethrins and for many years it was the only pesticide approved for use in food service areas. It used to be extremely strong and now is a lesser concentration, but still works great. The 'Pro-Control' is a bug bomb you fire off and run away for a few hours. The 'Exclude' is a regular spray can. One 6-oz can of Pro-Control covers up to 5,000 square feet; so we turn on the fan on our AC and let it circulate through the whole building. They were made for greenhouses and bug control in restaurants and are known to be non-toxic.

The stuff wacks spiders and mites, and (if you like that sort of thing) is fun to use against bees and/or wasps. Knocks them right out of the air like they were hit with little SAM missles... heh...

 

[keyspy2]

thanks for all the info guys(and gals THG) I think I am going with the floramite, I just hope I never see another one.

 

[terky]

Azamax, Its Awesome.

I just recently found a Natural Food Grade Systemic Insecticide. Its made by SNS. Have not tried it but supposedly after 2 or 3 doses the bugs dont want anything to do with it. I also sprayed one group of plants with the pepper solution I learned about on here and it seemed like those plants didnt get too many mites.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I, personally, have not had much luck with pyrethium based products. I would love to be able to use some kind of bomb that works, but have not really found anything that works.

 

[4u2sm0ke]

Not a fan of the pyrethium bombs either..Ive done a few Dr.Doom bombs..but even the can says ya have to reapply every week...Stay with Organics

 

[HemperFi]

I have Floramite, and I use something my Hydro guy suggested called SNS 217. Last year I had to deal with the little buggers, and this stuff did the trick. It kills both eggs and adults and is organic (made from Rosemary oil). Good luck getting rid of the little devils -- it ain't easy.

Peace

 

[Old_SSSC_Guy]

I've not had problems using pyrethrins, done it for many years. Floramite and Forbid seem to be $40 an ounce? Wow... I can do my whole house with pyrethrins for about $8 total.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I've not had problems using pyrethrins, done it for many years. Floramite and Forbid seem to be $40 an ounce? Wow... I can do my whole house with pyrethrins for about $8 total.

It only takes a tiny tiny bit of Floramite and Forbid. A 1/4 ounce lasts me for months. I would love it if something cheaper worked for me, but I have really not had much luck with anything other than Floramite and/or Forbid.

I have not tried the SNS 217 Hemper mentioned, but I sure have tried a lot of other products through the years.

 

[KP419]

It helps if you put a humidifier in your room and keep the humidity up and I have heard of putting a drop or two of dawn dish soap in a spray bottle and lightly misting underside of plants. I read this somewhere but cannot remember and do not know how true it is so dont take my word on this but I do know high humidity works. I use schultz House plant and garden insect spray kills on contact cost about 5 bucks and works good but they always come back a week or two later. Good Luck I hate those things

 

[Old_SSSC_Guy]

But how do you measure from the 1/4 ounce an amount for only a quart of mix? Best I can figure it takes about 1 mL per gallon. So to make a quart spray bottle it needs 1/2 mL. How in the heck do you measure only 1/2 mL?

Is it like Azamax in that you need to mix and use, or can you store it mixed?

It only takes a tiny tiny bit of Floramite and Forbid. A 1/4 ounce lasts me for months. I would love it if something cheaper worked for me, but I have really not had much luck with anything other than Floramite and/or Forbid.

I have not tried the SNS 217 Hemper mentioned, but I sure have tried a lot of other products through the years.