Spider mite infestation, harvest or try to push through?

[knoxie]

Hey, so I just went to check on my outdoor grow, RQS Diesel automatic, only to find white spots all over my leaves and blacks spots under them, found two places with a tiny bit of webbing, my guess is that its spider mites. I dont want to buy neem oil and any other insecticides. I was wondering if my plant would be able to make it another week and if not, how terrible would it be to harvest now (day 69). Attached some photos, really want to know what you think.

 

[MR magoo]

Amazon product ASIN B0768L3Z6T they are immature, not much bud. and not very strong. if you used this they would finish and give you a good crop. this is organic, and can be used up to harvest. and is safe. this is what i would do.

 

[knoxie]

Thanks for the tip, but sadly this is way too much to spend as its 30 bucks plus like 30 more for shipping to where i live. But still, thanks for the advice

 

[Arthur]

Cutting now would be the equivalent of cutting it and tossing it in the trash. There is nothing there worth smoking yet... it needs several more weeks. I have finished a run that I has a mite issue, ran a vaccum over those plants daily till they came down, but they were much farther along.. not a lot you can do here, fight it, which will cost $, or call it quits on this grow.

 

[7.62]

I agree, you need to treat it and let her go. She is quite aways from finishing.

 

[BII]

If it were me, I'd spray the plant leaves with a harmeless insecticide, such as a Spinosad- or pyrethrin-based one, with Spinosad likely the best, toxic only to insects, while I'd want >3 weeks left before harvest for the any pyrethrin to fully metabolize/break-down/dissipate. Also, I'd fumigate using No Pest Strips, 1 or more, placed in the closed tent for 20-30 (or more) minutes, ideally with a fan blowing on it/them. with the vapor effectively killing any air-exposed (not in soil/medium) insects, with no concern about residues as with liquids or powders, with the pesticide vapor simply not absorbed into the plant, with the toxic fumes (which you don't want to inhale at all) easily gotten rid of using your usual air exhaust/filtration system (or I just open the tent fully and put an exhaust fan in the window).

All 3 of these types of products are likely available at any decent garden or hardware store (in the US at least). Such using both potent liquid- and air-contact insecticides should definitely fix the problem. And depending or the mites' life cycle and recommendations to get rid of them, probably plan to treat the plants several times.

 

[Doug58]

Have you tried spraying with soapy water?

Use a pure liquid soap, such as Castile, or all-natural soap. The active ingredient in insecticidal soap comes from the fatty acids in animal fat or vegetable oil, so it’s important to use the real thing. Don’t use detergents (which aren’t actually soaps), dish soaps, or any products with degreasers, skin moisturizers, or synthetic chemicals. Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap is usually pretty easy to find in stores, or check your local natural-foods store for other options.

5 tablespoons soap to 1 gallon of water

• Diluted Solution: If the spray causes damage or burns your plant foliage, cut the amount of soap in half and try a 1% solution. This is the concentration usually found in commercial sprays. The lighter solution might be less effective but is gentler on plants.
• 
  
• Cooking Oil: To help the solution stick a little longer, add two tablespoons of light cooking oil (such as corn, canola, olive, or safflower) per gallon of water to the mix.
• 
  
• Vinegar: To make a spray that also targets powdery mildew, add a teaspoon of cider vinegar per gallon of water to the mix.
• 
  
• Garlic or Pepper: To help repel chewing insects, add a teaspoon of ground red pepper and/or garlic per gallon of water to the mix.
• 
  
• Bar Soap: For a less-exact recipe, drop a bar of pure soap (such as organic bar soap or Ivory) into a gallon of water and leave it overnight. Remove the bar and shake well before spraying.

 

[GoeRilla]

Go to a garden center, they have lots of products to deal with those little bastards.

 

[Bob's Auto's]

If it were me, I'd spray the plant leaves with a harmeless insecticide, such as a Spinosad- or pyrethrin-based one, with Spinosad likely the best, toxic only to insects, while I'd want >3 weeks left before harvest for the any pyrethrin to fully metabolize/break-down/dissipate. Also, I'd fumigate using No Pest Strips, 1 or more, placed in the closed tent for 20-30 (or more) minutes, ideally with a fan blowing on it/them. with the vapor effectively killing any air-exposed (not in soil/medium) insects, with no concern about residues as with liquids or powders, with the pesticide vapor simply not absorbed into the plant, with the toxic fumes (which you don't want to inhale at all) easily gotten rid of using your usual air exhaust/filtration system (or I just open the tent fully and put an exhaust fan in the window).

All 3 of these types of products are likely available at any decent garden or hardware store (in the US at least). Such using both potent liquid- and air-contact insecticides should definitely fix the problem. And depending or the mites' life cycle and recommendations to get rid of them, probably plan to treat the plants several times.

I second the Spinosad treatment. This takes only three days to decompose. If you wait a couple of weeks you should be safe
It also only works when in liquid state and on contact, so don't forget the underside of the leafs.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

Wall Mart carries Mighty for $22 Qt. here! I think Ace Hardware may carry it also. Whatever you do do it sooner than later.