Spider f......g Mites

[Cawo 3]

Hi Guys .....

i am new to this Forum 

i am trying to grow a Little Core cut Here ....

the Problem ..... i have These Tiny visitors..... spiter mites 

i tried neemoil and a few Other things (chemicals) .... But nothing Works for Long 

i Would apreciate some good advice for my next run hol to get rid of these little bastards......

greetings 

[ifish 1,478]

Hi cawo : )

https://www.defenders.co.uk/pest-solutions/spider-mite-control.html

https://www.defenders.co.uk/pest-solutions/thrips-control.html

[Cawo 3]

Does that work on regular spidermites?

i dont have rede ones 

i have the regular ones with the 2 Black Spots on their backs 

[ifish 1,478]

I would say yes ( I think red spider mites are the same as two spotted mites , red when inactive and then have two spots after feeding , active , just different names  ) ................. But for your own peace of mind ask who you get the preditors from , as I am not expert on subject , I just know they worked for me : )

i have only used the amblyseius , as I had thrips and spidermites at the same time 

i assume the other one would be even more effective / quicker as you just have spidermites 

avoid any preditors that fly as they just land on the buds and just stick there and die 

high humidity and fans slow them down also ( spidermites ) but only slows them down tho , high humidity might slow the preditors down too , so check first 

you also may need to give your mum / room a rinse ( plain water ) to remove harmful chemicals previously used 

also get them from a good place ( fresh )

And release the army : )

let us know how you get on , and any good info you come across

oh I also read that amblyseius ( not sure about the other preditor mites ) can also survive eating cat tail pollen ( bull rush pollen ) when thrips and spidermite eggs are finished , so if you want them not to disperse / leave , your greenhouse / grow room after , this might keep them there , but I have not tried this 

: )

 

[dieseldog381 2,622]

Go nuclear with mites, they’ll really mess up a grow fast.  

Try this.  You’ll find lots of opinions here, if they start talking “organic pest control”, move on, it won’t work, no matter how much you chant or how many of Joni Mitchell’s tears it has in it, just about all the Organic cures for mites simply do not work.   Period.   The vinegar, cayenne, dish soap, baking soda, essential oils, etc, etc, may slow them down, they will not get rid of them, Ive tried them all.  

This is the best stuff I’ve ever used, it essentially wipes them out in one or two applications.   Yes, it has pyrethrums in it, but at extremely low doses compared to commercial bug sprays and it breaks down to harmless compounds in just a few days   I use Mighty Wash with a tablespoon of Ed Rosenthals Zero Tolerance (essential oils), which is about the only organic bug spray I’ve ever found that actually does work pretty well, smells good, too.   Combining the two totally eradicates the little bastards in my experience 

good luck! 

http://www.npk-industries.com/mighty_wash.html.  On Amazon, too.  

[Cawo 3]

Ok...... nuclear...... But as far as i found out ....... Mighty is just water
what about vertimec? 
does Anyone have Any experience to Share about That product ??

[JetDro 7,624]

Never mind.............

[Hamme Hydro 4,837]

40 minutes ago, Cawo said:

Ok...... nuclear...... But as far as i found out ....... Mighty is just water
what about vertimec? 
does Anyone have Any experience to Share about That product ??

It worked for me, baptizing clones in it.

[gardenartus 13,816]

If you want to go to the dark side, Use Forbid by Bayer, kills those lil freakers dead. You only have to spray the tops of the leaves and stems.

Forbid

[dieseldog381 2,622]

1 hour ago, Cawo said:

Ok...... nuclear...... But as far as i found out ....... Mighty is just water
what about vertimec? 
does Anyone have Any experience to Share about That product ??

No, it’s NOT just water.   I wrote to the guys that make it, as they were briefly banned on Amazon for not disclosing an extremely small content of pyrethrums, which disqualified it as organic.   They wrote back explaining the situation and  It is now relabeled as “Mighty” instead of “Mighty Wash” and lists the contents.   They do claim a proprietary treatment to their water.   If you’re selling medical, there is a chance it will show up in testing, but for personal use, I’m not worried about it.   Compared to the other pyrethrin products out there, it’s extremely minute. 
 

All I know is it works really well, just bought another gallon as had a few mites show up on my Goji OG.  

In a pinch, I just spray them with kerosine and light them for a minute.   Works really well, but kills all but the hardiest of plants.   Gives them a nice diesel flavor, though.   :)   Mites suck! 
 

 

[dieseldog381 2,622]

44 minutes ago, gardenartus said:

If you want to go to the dark side, Use Forbid by Bayer, kills those lil freakers dead. You only have to spray the tops of the leaves and stems.

Forbid

I prefer sprays that kill them slowly, so I can listen to them scream a bit before the end.  

[gardenartus 13,816]

Burn em with diesel should do that lol Masochist huh, hehehe

[Cawo 3]

If anyone is interested....... i sprayed the little clones For 2 Weeks everyday with neem ..... and bevor planted put the whole clone in neem water ....... looks like the creepy little Asses are gone 

[Weederstand 471]

18 hours ago, Cawo said:

If anyone is interested....... i sprayed the little clones For 2 Weeks everyday with neem ..... and bevor planted put the whole clone in neem water ....... looks like the creepy little Asses are gone 

It seems but they will be there...

Nothing works for ever, if you think you get rid of them, the´ll come back.

If you like Vertimec, wich is not sold without permissin in Germany, you can try BAC Plant Vitality Spray.

Pure Vertimec can be ordered via internet to germany, message me if you need the adress( homepage.

Something new I´ve tryed last time was a dutch product, called C-Result, it works but not for ever like all the rest.

 

 

 

[Cawo 3]

Of Course i like to have the adress for verimec 

hope it is Not „landhandel polen“

i ordered from there and goverment took it and want to See my permission

[Cawo 3]

at liest i am mitefree for about one month now .......

not a single bite or egg in Sight 

[saxo 12,616]

....." Landhandel Polen "   never heard of ,but that does not realy sound serious ,i´d say

Welcome aboard, Cawo

[Cawo 3]

Thanks saxo 

[Sacred Plant Warrior 2,468]

Cawo, 

 mites are something that are hit and miss with shit you use to fight them. best advice i heard was to use 3/4 different items to keep them off guard. long safety issue with forbid/floramite and a few others.  many have used mighty washed and liked it while others use it and it wasn't so effective. when i was assaulted by broad mites i searched thread after thread of contradictory info o the same products all over each pot board i saw. yet, i kept searching only to try various things and in the end the broad mites won and merc'd my plants helped by the various applications i used to try to kill them.

hilarious when i saw the post on nothing organic will work followed by i add this to the mighty wash. thing is for whatever reason for certain growers find a fix that doesn't work fort others and we don't fucking know why that is. i couldn't afford to buy all the various chemicals and one o forgot to mention was Azamax and the other one with a similar name. you're going to roll the dice no matter what you do. I'm just glad that you have a fix so far. 

the good news is spider mites are easier to kill and you can at least you see them.  best thing i heard was too deal with them before you see them just for gp.  drowning is good if you have smaller clones, rig a plastic whatever to let them sit in the water awhile. redo after cleaning give them a break for awhile and do it again.  i wish u all the best . so far so good. welcome dude

[Cawo 3]

S

1 hour ago, Sacred Plant Warrior said:

Cawo, 

 mites are something that are hit and miss with shit you use to fight them. best advice i heard was to use 3/4 different items to keep them off guard. long safety issue with forbid/floramite and a few others.  many have used mighty washed and liked it while others use it and it wasn't so effective. when i was assaulted by broad mites i searched thread after thread of contradictory info o the same products all over each pot board i saw. yet, i kept searching only to try various things and in the end the broad mites won and merc'd my plants helped by the various applications i used to try to kill them.

hilarious when i saw the post on nothing organic will work followed by i add this to the mighty wash. thing is for whatever reason for certain growers find a fix that doesn't work fort others and we don't fucking know why that is. i couldn't afford to buy all the various chemicals and one o forgot to mention was Azamax and the other one with a similar name. you're going to roll the dice no matter what you do. I'm just glad that you have a fix so far. 

the good news is spider mites are easier to kill and you can at least you see them.  best thing i heard was too deal with them before you see them just for gp.  drowning is good if you have smaller clones, rig a plastic whatever to let them sit in the water awhile. redo after cleaning give them a break for awhile and do it again.  i wish u all the best . so far so good. welcome dude

Sacred plant Warrior, thanks for the welcome 

yes i do know it is hard to kill this Little Mites, they are a real pain in the Ass ........

i just entered week three of Bloom .... still everything is looking healthy and beutyful......another 2 weeks and I am safe ..... if they come back in week 5 ,the harm they do will not be that bad anymore ...... it is easy to kill the mite ..... neem is very Good ....the eggs are the real problem I believe ......

for the moment everything is looking really great 

i already tried a lot of things to kill them .... H2o2...... burnt my plants ...... mighty wash.... I think if you do that.... you Must be a believer, otherwise it won’t work 

[Hempyfan 4,152]

Just following up on Sacred's advice on not using only one treatment type for mites.  Especially on a regular basis.

The reason is that mites breed very fast and grow in numbers quickly.  This means they can adapt to regular use of the same treatment in a quick period of time compared to say mammals.  This further means these mites are now resistant or largely resistant to your treatment.

To prevent this you use 3 or 4 treatment types rotating throughout the entire treatment process, the more the better as long as they are effective.  An example:

• one weeks treatment might be a garlic based treatment,
• The next week Azomax,
• The next week Worm casting tea,
• The next week Neem,
• The next week mighty wash. 

 

Soaking the plants if you can is also a great idea, even spraying is great if you can hit them with a hose or shower in a bathtub. 

• The idea is to knock down the mites, this significantly helps to lower the population down before treating and helps whatever your doing for a treatment to have greater initial effect.
• Be sure to have an environment that will effectively dry the plant as soaking can cause the plant to hold more water than being sprayed and in the wrong to unfortunate situation you can get mold and mildew.  This rot is typically in the center of the buds and thus harder to detect until it is a significant issue.  With that said, do not go crazy with the drying.   
  • If you soak the buds in a tub.  Be sure to drain the water after each plant or often as best you can as to not spread plant mites to another.
  • Add some Hydrogen Peroxide to soaking water.  Mix to 5 percent range.  Is ok if a bit or low.  At minimum 3% which is what you would buy at a drug store.
  • Rinse peroxide to rinse off mites and mite feces but peroxide will break down so no need to rinse excessively to remove peroxide.
•  If you cant or dont want to use Peroxide add a bit of easy to rinse unscented dish soap or baby shampoo. 
  • Not so much just to enough to make the water slightly soapy but we don't want a bunch of bubbles.  Just enough that the soap will cover the mites and help them drown to suffocate but also rinse well.
    • Rinse well.  We do not want to leave residue soap.
    • If in bathtub/shower, once plants are soaked/rinsed, using a good fan, on medium to medium/high have the fan blow on the plant as to blow off more water before putting back in grow room.
      • If you have an area where plants are not in grow room you can put their with a fans blowing of setting of medium to medium/low until dry.
        • The idea is to limit the added water/humidity to the grow room.
        • If you have no area than the grow room than that is fine but be sure to have fans blowing on top of the medium to the top of the plants.  This works to prevent wetness areas that are havens for molds and such. 
        • Have similar airflow in grow area.  Not so much air that leaves go nuts but gently to slightly move.  We want like a gentle breeze.
          • Tip:  It is ok to have a stronger fan that comes on every half hour for a few minutes to simulate stronger winds.  This will help your plant get strong.  Do not make storm winds or crazy.   Just that it moves the main stem.  If possible with your grow turn the plants every few days as to evenly stress the plant in a good way that it strengthens the main stem and roots.

 

Environment is key Humidity and Temperature should be in a good range.   The higher the humidity the lower your temperature should be.  High temperatures hold more water in the air and this is your relative humidity.  We want the best mix of temperature and humidity as this is what allows your plant to be the best it can be.  Pay your environment more attention than any other factor in growing!

Humidity information - http://culturalhealingandlife.com.www413.your-server.de/index.php?/forums/topic/83-the-indoor-garden-environment-part-3-humidity/

The following numbers are generic sweet spot ranges.  These are safe ranges.  While some people will go outside of those ranges on purpose, they are skilled growers and likely have a system, an environment and genetics that allows for those extremes that in their case promotes the plant but for most this is not the case and thus for most this is my best advice.

• Clones 60% to 70%
• Early Veg 55% to 45%, you can start at 60 in early veg but do not go higher.
  • Lowering 1 to 5 points a week until late flower/harvest. 
  • Make the number even out with time to get to get as close to 40% by late flower. 
  • Do not go to 60 after early veg and higher as this is horrible for the plants uptake but also makes mold/mildew/rot happy.
• Early to Mid Flower 50% to 45%,
  • 50% is good and common but if you can get it lower wonderful.
•  Late Flower 45% to 40% getting as close to 40% as possible.
  • 50% is good and common but if you can get it lower wonderful.

 

Temperature Information - http://culturalhealingandlife.com.www413.your-server.de/index.php?/forums/topic/82-the-indoor-garden-environment-part-2-temperature/  The following is generic advice for safe and quality ranges.  Their are many ways to crack an egg so to speak but this is my best advice for a new to experienced small grower with a traditional setup.

• Stay in the 80f to 70f reducing in even increments until 70f is reached at late harvest.  Reduce together with reductions in humidity if possible.
  • Say below 90f at all cost for typical growers.
  • Can be on higher end in mid/late veg. 
  • Think spring to summer to fall with each stage of growth.
    • Consider late veg to cross over to flowering summer temps then begin to lower once bud sites are starting to swell.

Think like this, the higher the temperature, the lower the humidity it should be is best for the plants. 

• High humidity and high temperatures a disaster and murder of plants!

If you want advanced.  Learn about VPD, Vapor Density.

 

Hope that helps!

Hempyfan!

[Sacred Plant Warrior 2,468]

btw i just ordered and received something i have never heard of for pests to include mites. Fels-Naptha . I DON'T RECALL HOW I STUMBLED OVER IT BUT APPARENTLY garden folks have used this stuff and known about it for years. shave some off, put in in boiling water and dilute for use. I'm on a fixed income so i always try to find the cheapest solutions i can. got 4 bars of it .99 each i think. so at that price damn right i will try it as a preventive rather than going back to neem which is far more costly. 

Yes, i have used neem and i also found out it's better to use something like 70% rather than the 100% neem as well. i have a little SNS-217 still from a sample and their fungicide unused sample. going back to their site just now i saw this. The SNS-217C is for killing the Broad Mites & Their Eggs! The SNS-244C is for killing the Fungi Spores they bring and spread when feeding.   so, apparently the fungicide was supposed to e used in conjunction with the mite killer. i didn't do that.  their sample packs have been increased and i'm not certain the 411 was the same when i ordered. at any case now i know how i can use the fungicide even if i don't have independent fungal issues.  i like green cure for pm mos def. used it and it worked for me.

https://sierranaturalscience.com/product-category/free-sample-kits/

i just googled via another browser but their are quite a few garden sites that you can review about this stuff.

https://www.gardenguides.com/how_5022722_use-felsnaptha-soap-kill-insects.html

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/make-garden-spray-fels-naptha-soap-96597.html

apparently this soap can be used for all sorts of shit besides insects. https://sixdollarfamily.com/ways-to-use-fels-naptha-soap-to-save-money-around-your-home

 

@Hempyfan wanted to say thanks for that post before i forgot lol. i lit up a used joint from yesterday to wake an bake a couple puffs and put it out..

[Hempyfan 4,152]

@Sacred Plant Warrior,

Thank you so much for the fels naptha soap information.  I am not familiar with this but soon will be!

[olsqueak 236]

On 1/10/2020 at 10:46 PM, Hempyfan said:

might be a garlic based treatm

Hello,from France country.I hope all is fine for you.

I need help for found product for kill spider mitte,they come back in every grow...I use a lot off product but don't kill them just slow down.I can see the forbid by bayer but i can see it's very expensive for the original one,generic is cheap but i don't know if it's work same than original ? Vertimec i never can found it.

All help is welcome,have a good vibes,big up One Love,friendly,Olsqueak.

[Hempyfan 4,152]

I hope this helps.  

I have one major suggestion, depending on how bad it is, just take it as a learning experience as the crop is surely going to be reduced.  However, not the end of the world and does not mean your end product will suck.  I just say to appreciate what you have at the end of it by expecting the worse.  This makes it less harsh, at least in my mind.

I will need to know:

• the current status of the infestation such as early, middle and heavy populations.  
• Growth stage of plants, veg, transition, early flower, mid flower, later flower.
• State of plants, little visible damage, moderate damage, heavy damage.  
• Your environment for day and night. 
• What have you tried already and separately what have you tried in the previous grows?

I suggest you take the direction of understanding the pest's life cycle and infestation stages, how to effectively go after the pests in each stage and how to proactively work against future infestations.

 

This site in link is the best I have seen for pests information.  Take a look at this information, come up with a plan with the products you can get or have access too and I am sure many here will give input on.

Pasted from:

•  https://www.growweedeasy.com/cannabis-plant-problems/how-to-get-rid-of-spider-mites#proven-spider-mite-remedies
• Click on that link to see below but also the whole writing on spider mites.  It is excellent.

How To Get Rid of a Spider Mite Infestation

Step 1: Kill Them!

Step 2: Follow Up Again in 2-3 Days

Step 3: Repeat if Necessary

Step 4: Protect Your Plants

 

Step 1: Kill Every Spider Mite You Can

Kill the spider mites! Here’s a list of proven spider mite remedies for cannabis plants (from home remedies to organic repellents to serious chemical pesticides)…

Before your first treatment….

Cut down their numbers!

• Control the heat
• Have lots of air blowing over the plants and top of growing medium
• Spray spider mites off the plants if you can

Spider mites like the heat and hate a windy environment. A cool breezy grow space won’t get rid of spider mites, but it makes it harder for them to reproduce so your other control methods are more effective.

If it’s possible for you to bring your plants outside or somewhere safe, you might even consider spraying off as many spider mites as you can, to get their numbers down before you start your main treatments.

Get a fan blowing over the plants and top of growing medium 

Not only do plants grow better with a breeze, great air circulation is great for pest prevention. Spider mites love heat and stagnant, non-moving air. They can’t mate in windy conditions so a strong fan can help keep the infestation from getting worse. A breeze also helps pest treatments go better because fans help spray treatments dry on the plant.

Azamax is a time-tested way to rid your grow room of spider mites. Spray plants 15 minutes before lights out, making sure to drench the foliage under the leaves as well as the top of your soil. Use a fan to blow on your leaves to help things dry. Treat your room more than once, even if you believe the spider mites are gone. You can also add small amounts of Azamax when watering your plants, as it will not hurt your roots but will kill spider mites in the soil. You will need a mister (also called a “One-Hand Pressure Sprayer”) to spray all the leaves evenly.

  

Spinosad Products (safe & organic) – Spinosad products are organic and unlike many other spider mite pesticides, completely harmless to pets, children, and plants. Unlike many insecticides, you can spray spinosad heavily on leaves and roots with basically no negative effects. Spinosad products can be used directly to kill spider mites on contact, but can also be used when watering plants to systematically kill spider mites via the roots. Spinosad can also be effective at fighting caterpillars, thrips, and many other marijuana pests.

Can be used both as a topical spray like Azamax and Mighty Wash, and can also be used directly at the roots. Spinosad is an organic insecticide made from the fermentation of a specific soil bacteria (actinomycete Saccharopolyspora spinosa) and kills spider mites via ingestion or contact by affecting the insect’s nervous system. Spinosad can be a good choice for organic and outdoor growers, because it is very toxic to spider mites, but is less toxic to many beneficial arthropods.

Note: Most spinosad products are effective for only about 24 hours after being mixed with water, so only mix as much as you will need per application. Anything left over will be waste. You will need a mister (also called a “One-Hand Pressure Sprayer”) to spray all the leaves evenly.

Recommended: Monterey Garden Insect Spray with Spinosad

 

Essentria IC3 (organic)

Essentria IC3 Insecticide is a mix of various horticultural oils which are organic and safe for humans. It is often marketed as a “bed bug killer” but it can be effective against many bugs, including spider mties, when the plants are treated regularly. Unfortunately, it only stays effective on the plant for about 8-12 hours so you will want to either apply this daily or (better idea) combine with other options. You will need a mister (also called a “One-Hand Pressure Sprayer”) to spray all the leaves evenly.

Insecticidal soaps

Fatty acid salts or insecticidal soaps weaken the outer shell of spider mites but are safe for humans and don’t leave much of a residue.

With soaps, coverage is very important as it does not stay on your plant for long, so follow-up applications may be necessary. Although this is considered safe, avoid getting any on your buds so it doesn’t affect the taste/smell!

Doktor Doom Spider Mite Knockout Spray

This spray is hard on spider mites, but the main ingredient Pyrethrum can also be hard on plants, especially in tight spaces without much ventilation, so keep it as a last resort if possible. Use with extreme care around humans as the ingredients can be toxic. Never use Pyrethrum-based products on your plants while your grow lights are on as it can burn your plants. Avoid using Pyrethrum products on young or sensitive plants as they can get burned even when the lights are left off.

Do cover your grow lights and vents when bombing your plants with Pyrethrum and make sure you give the area at least 24 hours to air out before you try to breathe the air. This spray can work well for a couple of plants, but you’ll want a Pyrethrum fogger if you have a lot of plants to treat. Outdoors, Pyrethrum can kill beneficial insects too, so keep that in mind if you’re using natural predators to control pests (like ladybugs). All that being said, this spray will work to get rid of most spider mites, and it kills them on contact. Pyrethrum kills spider mites but not their eggs, so this product usually needs to be used 2-4 times (once every 2-3 days) to stop the breeding cycle and get rid of the toughest infestations.

NoPest Strips

These emit a vapor that kills spider mites but do NOT use these if you will be breathing air from your grow room as the vapor they give off is toxic to humans and other mammals. These are only suitable if you’re growing somewhere that is NOT your living space but can be an effective way to get rid of spider mites.

Floramite – Strong stuff with harsh chemicals, incredibly expensive, but it can often do the job when everything else fails. Use as directed and only as a last resort!

Bleach solution (1 tablespoon of bleach to 1 gallon of 95°F, pH balanced, water in a spray bottle or mister) – make sure to clean all surfaces of your room, and bleach them too if possible.

Alcohol and Water mixed together (9 parts water to 1 part alcohol) will also kill the bugs on contact and shouldn’t hurt the plant. You will want to use a spray bottle or mister.

SM-90 mixed with water (1 part SM-90 to 5 parts water) kills spider mites on contact and is organic (it even smells good!). You will need a mister to get nice even coverage on all the leaves with SM-90. Note: SM-90 has been temporarily discontinued. See this article for more info

Neem Oil works in a similar way to SM-90, though Neem oil doesn’t smell as nice and will leave an unpleasant taste/smell on buds when used to treat flowering plants. There’s some evidence Neem oil may be harmful to humans so use with care! Just as with SM-90, you will need a mister to get all the leaves evenly, especially since neem oil and water will separate easily.

Insect predators – there are also insect predators such as ladybugs and predatory mites that can provide some control and reduce your spider mite numbers, but it is unlikely these will get rid of your spider mites on their own. Insect predators can be effective if you have a small problem or if you need to get to harvest and chemical sprays are not a good option.

Diatomaceous Earth – Basically, this is fossil dust – sprinkle on the top of your soil, and anywhere else in your room (window sills, doorways, etc). This powder-like substance is harmless to mammals and plants but is incredibly sharp at the microscopic level. Therefore it will tear and dehydrate spider mites on physical contact. This will not get rid of an infestation but can help control and slow things down when used effectively.

Treat Entire Grow Area With Insecticide, Not Just Plants! – Treat complete room with broad-spectrum insecticide (only do this for a really bad problem or one that keeps coming back) – avoid this if you can!

Note: Many growers try to avoid chemical sprays or miticides which contain Abamectin or lindane because these are harmful to humans. Please take a look at anything you use to treat your grow room, follow the directions closely, and heed all warnings. Some treatments will work for some setups or types of mites, but not for others. As mentioned earlier, if you got your spider mites from another marijuana grower, chances are you may need to resort to extreme measures to get rid of your infestation.

 

Step 2: Follow up in 2-3 days with a different method to kill them (you should also re-apply your first method)

Follow up in 2-3 days with something different that will also kill their eggs and any surviving adults. The adults at this point will already be more resistant to your original method so you’ll get the best results using something else for the second treatment.

 

Step 3: Repeat Step 1 & 2 at least one more time – always treat grow area at least once after you think spider mites are completely gone

Repeat steps 1 & 2 at least one more time to ensure that you have really cleaned out your grow room. Some species of spider mite can take days or weeks to mature and will reappear in the grow room stronger than ever. Because of this, you should treat your area at least once after you are almost certain that all the spider mites are gone.

Using a mix of several different methods seems to work best for getting rid of spider mites. Some spider mites are more resistant to some methods than others.

If you can see spider mites with your eyes, it means you probably have millions in the room waiting to hatch.

 

Step 4: Prevention: thoroughly inspect and proof your grow area against future attacks

Once spider mites are gone, you need to worry about prevention.

With spider mites, the best offense is a good defense! Stop spider mites from ever getting hold of your grow room with good prevention….

 

Indoor Spider Mite Prevention

The best spider mite remedy is prevention!

If you’ve had spider mite attack your grow room in the past, you might be unintentionally doing something to encourage or attract them.

There are many preventative products such as sprays which make plants less tasty to annoying spider mites. However, these should only be used as a supplement to good gardening practices.

The most important aspect of spider mite (or any marijuana pest) prevention when growing indoors is a clean and secure grow room.

Never Bring Spider Mites into Your Grow Room!

Many indoor growers get spider mites from bringing in cannabis clones that are infected, or from visiting another grower or grow room with spider mites. Even just a few eggs on a clone or a few spider mites on your clothes is all it takes to start a full-fledged infestation. This is the most common way people get spider mites, especially the marijuana-specialist spider mites (“the borg”) which can be almost impossible to kill!

Most importantly, never move plants or clones from the outside world into your grow room without treating and quarantining them. If you get a new plant, keep that plant away from your other plants until you know that it’s clean.

For every new plant or clone:

• Get a handheld microscope and use it to look for bugs on new plants. Check closely for tiny spots on the leaves which could be spider mite bites. Also, check for eggs and tiny bugs underneath the leaves. It’s easiest to find bugs when the plant is at its smallest.
• Dip new clones or small plants in room temperature water treated with Safer Soap or Mighty Wash
• If you can’t dip the plant, spray with a proven spider mite cure.
• Keep new plants in quarantine for at least a week and check regularly to ensure they have no bugs before you bring them around your other plants.
• Never go directly into the grow room from outdoors to avoid tracking in bugs. If you’ve visited another grower or grow room, it’s especially important to change your clothes and possibly shower before going to check on your plants. You don’t want to infect your plants with spider mites that are cannabis specialists!

One of the cool things about growing with seeds is you never have to worry that they come with bugs!

Keep a Clean Grow Space

Try to keep everything clean and tidy. Not only does this help prevent bugs but it protects buds so they don’t have fibers and dust all over them!

• Collect any dead leaves or other plant matter regularly and remove them from your growing space. It doesn’t count if you put them in a neat pile or trash can in the corner, you need to keep dead plant matter out of your grow room.
• Make sure that you or anyone who comes into your contact space is clean (don’t let anyone walk into your grow room directly from outside). Be especially cautious if the person has recently visited another grow space.
• No dogs, cats, rabbits or any other pets in your grow space. In addition to shedding and possibly bringing in bugs, some cats will happily chew on your leaves and buds, so double reason not to let them anywhere near your plants!
• Wipe up and sterilize everything in between grows.

Maintain a Great Growing Environment

Spider mites do better in some environments than others. Luckily the conditions that make your plants happy are not that great for spider mites. So if you’re taking care of your plant’s environment, you’re also helping to prevent bugs and mold.

• Make sure you have great airflow in your room because spider mites thrive in stagnant air. Creating lots of air movement will not only help prevent spider mites, fungus gnats and mold, but your plants love it too!
• Spider mites like hot, dry weather. Maintaining a comfortable room temperature and a moderate amount of humidity in the grow room will help prevent or slow down a spider mite infestation.
• If you have an air intake from outside, make sure you have some sort of filter to keep bugs from getting in
• Sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth on top of your soil and all around your grow room – this all-natural remedy is safe for humans (we can even eat it) and works because it is very jagged on the microscopic level. Tiny spider mites get ripped apart by diatomaceous earth while plants grow through it happily

Keep a close watch on your plants, and react quickly at the FIRST site of spider mites!!!!

If you’re growing just a small amount of marijuana for personal use and are really worried about spider mites, you might consider starting with seeds instead of clones. That way you don’t have to worry about accidentally getting cannabis zombie mites when starting from seed (plus you can choose to grow any strain you want!). Another way to help prevent some pests is to grow hydroponically, since spider mites and most pests are much less likely to thrive in a soilless environment!