Spider mites! Help!

[marlon_asher]

Hi people!

I'm doing my first grow. An indoor hydroponics setup. Everything has gone well so far but 5 weeks into flower I have an infestation! I have too many plants, which i think i let grow a bit too wild, to individually treat them!

Also, being so far into flower and being on a 12/12 cycle, chemicals and predator mites are out of the question. What can I do?? Would a mist/humidifier work? Are no-pest strips any good?

Thanks

 

[dykster]

Since you are 5 weeks into flower, I would spray with 70% alcohol to knock them back. I would also spray with water and remove all the dead leaves you can find.

 

[Muddy]

Remove any buds with heavy infestation and spray everything with insecticidal soap, both sides of the leaves. Repeat again in 3-4 days and that should take care of most. If needed give a 3rd treatment. Before harvest you can spray with plain water to wash any residue.

 

[marlon_asher]

Thanks for the response guys. Gonna remove dead leaves and get a humidifier/mister today, along with the pest strips. I think it might be too dense in my tent for a bomb but its worth a try. Cant find anywhere local with this DE stuff though.

@Muddy... The main infestation is right on the top of a main cola (massive bud).... would you still recommend removing it? I must be able to treat it! I hope...

 

[L]

If you really want to get rid of them without spraying use this stuff your spider mites will be dead in 48 hours. Its called Hot Shot No-Pest strips just hang it in your room and the vapors will kill them without contaminating your grow its not organic but it works and it works well. the only thing that i have found that actually works on them once you stop seeing the mites take it out of your room.

 

[Muddy]

I would remove it. Even if you do kill all them off that area is still going to be full of dead mites, webbing, mite turds, etc. Not something I'd want to smoke.

Thanks for the response guys. Gonna remove dead leaves and get a humidifier/mister today, along with the pest strips. I think it might be too dense in my tent for a bomb but its worth a try. Cant find anywhere local with this DE stuff though.

@Muddy... The main infestation is right on the top of a main cola (massive bud).... would you still recommend removing it? I must be able to treat it! I hope...

 

[marlon_asher]

Thanks everyone. I'm combining advice from all of you and the hydroponics shop I use and will see what happens. I removed dead leaves from the bottom of the plants, and hung some no-pest strips. I then turned off all lights and fans and hosed the plants with water. I then let off a large smoke bomb. Once that has cleared im going to run AC through the tent for the night. Hopefully that will get em.

If not, i have a humidifier on stand by and I'm currently trying to source CO2. I'm determined to destroy the bastards!

 

[Hopper]

I use to have real nightmares involving those buggers! . And to think i haven't had nightmares ever since I was like under 10.. How long does it take for them to die (most of the time) when using the misting water method? Couldn't you just lower the temp the soonest possible after they die? I seem to think that mild mold problems are better than the mites.. Yet I have never seen mold in action so i might be wrong..

 

[marlon_asher]

It's possible that a patient with a suppressed immune system to go into "shock" if exposed to mold - while spider mites hurt bag appeal and if the infestation is large enough - it'll harm the plant plus given the fact that the thought of smoking bugs disgust people - there isn't much harm. If you eat any sort of grain product, there's a certain level of feces allowed by food inspectors. Plus I've eaten crickets sauteed in soy sauce & lemon juice by the handful! - You'll be surprised how tasty they are. So toking on a few mites isn't going to bother me.

Thanks for that Buddha Man. I thought I was going to lose the whole crop if I couldnt completely get rid of them. Seems to be going well so far tho. Most seem to have died. Will set off another bomb tomorrow. Cheers everyone!