Hello chaps. Long time no post.
I've been struggling with spider mites (and Leaf Spot Fungus too!)for the last year. I've tried using the SMC product, with a little limited success, then bought some SBPI when that ran out. I've used SBPI before but found it caused curly leaf mutations and stunted crowded growth in my plants, so I stopped using it.
I've been seeing the same mutation again, this time in only one plant, a Northern Lights from Female Seeds (not meaning to associate FS wth the problem!!) The other two phenos are unaffected, just this one plant. All other varieties are fine too. Unfortunately so are the bugs.
I'm diluting 10ml to a litre as it says on the bottle, spraying on weekly as it says on the bottle, but still they come (war of the worlds song!) I'll accept that this one plant is having an allergic reaction and growing strangely, but what am I doing wrong to make the buggers stay alive?
Before flowering this lot, I turned off the flowering room for a week and bleach sprayed twice, bleached all the pots and trays twice, bleach sprayed the vegging box etc, as I was determined to get rid of lsf as well as the mites.
But they're still sucking the blood of my plants, and consequently bringing LSF on their filthy little probosces.
What can I do folks? I'm at my wits end, with no weed left due to multiple crop failures, no sleep due to no weed, I don't have a lot of money to spare so I can't keep buying more things, I'm nearly out of essence powder (but that doesn't seem to be dealing with the constant onslaught of the fungus, and the rate at which I'm having to spray my plants will only cause more problems I'm sure.)
Sorry to get into one there but I really am desperate ! I've grown for years without all these hassles and I can't think what to do.
Thanks for any advice you can offer.
Lots of love
Jim
ps, I'll try and get some pics of the mutation up.

Here's some photos.

gulp

More

it took me a few years to rid my grow of fungus, with the fungus came bugs, i cant put a name to them, but they were not spider mites, once i was rid of the fungus the bugs never came back. i did have spider mites recently and "blockout" worked good and rid me of them.

#3 it's exactly the same mutation as I had before.

For the mites Jim Ive used it at 7ml per litre for a full infestation!

4ml per litre as a preventive..every 3 days I think thats their egg cycle?

Only ever had them twice and this action killed them.

goodluck.

p&q

Thanks for the speedy replies chums.
I don't want to sound ungrateful, but that can't help can it? lowering the dose? maybe i'm misreading your advice due to my mental state.
Thank you anyway, Jim.

Thanks Grandad, but that's £5.49 I don't have spare, and if that doesn't work it's £5.49 gone. Cheers though.

Mines looked like that when i used too much biobizz buzzoff...hense changing to the sbpi & it worked for me mate..

goodluck!

p&q

in the right conditions, 1 spider mite can lay 200 eggs, they take 5 days to hatch, blockout kills the eggs.

I know, I can hear them popping out there's so many!!

I started SBPI at 7 mls because of the mutation last time, the bugs kept coming after a couple of weeks so I upped the dose to kill them.
Thanks again for your time bud,
Jim
ETA; mutie in lower left, other two phenos all round

Off the the Chili pepper show at the market today to take my mind off this. Yumsk!

Thats the hot fruits not the band.

You say your spraying weekly Jim?

Every 3 days fella you gotta keep at it to break their cycle..as far as I remember!

Dont let the little fcukers beat you.

p&q

Or this stuff Jim.. http://www.uk420.com/boards/index.php?showtopic=126501

Hi Jim

I can feel your frustration, man. Maybe it's just 'the year of the borg' 'coz I'm also fighting a bloomroom infestation for the first ever time.

Over the last few weeks I've done a LOT of reading about the little bastards and how to nuke them. As I see it, the big problem is how to do it without using 'dubious' chemicals. Or rather it was. Now I just want them all DEAD DEAD DEAD.

What's frustrating me is that I can put a leaf under the microscope, spray it, and all the buggers are dead. But FIVE sprayings of the bloomroom have failed to clear them from the plants. Keeping the numbers in check, for sure, but not clearing them. Sprayed every 48 hours.

This was with Bayer 'Masai' which I don't think is available in UK but is sold in both growshops and garden centres here.

If the last spraying, at 6.40am, hasn't done it, Monday I'm going to get some 'B.A.C. Plant Vitality Plus' & try that. Know there are some question marks about how 'organic' it really is but someone I trust over here says it works so what the hell?

Failing that, my last shot would be to order some 'Harka-Mectin' from an online petshop. There's a massive thread about the mectins (et al) HERE which is a decent starting point.

T'would be such a shame if a COTC winner was forced to quit by the little twats. Really hope you beat them, dude.

Thanks for your reply GanjaCat. I wish I lived a 20 min beast ride from the dam!
That link has provided some light of hope in my very dark place. trouble is the funds to pay for it. I've heard of drug addicts stealing to fund a habit, but a farmer staeling to pay for pest control?! four or five pounds is a lot of money to me.,<<< sadly this is no joke. I really do only have a fiver spare each week, and now it looks like I'll have to pay for pot again if i wish to remain functional and married. Trouble is I don't know how to obtain it anymore. AAAGGGGHH FFUUUCCCKKK!!!! Sorry about that, it needed to come out.

No need for apologies, dude, we all feel like that from time to time.

Just keep things in perspective, willya?

It will cost less to kill the borg than your first 'score' from a dealer. When the chips are down ya just have to getcha head down and do what needs to be done. Stand up one more time than 'they' can knock you down.

8 quid for the Harka-Mectin shouldn't threaten your marriage. I'd give up food for 2 days to afford what's needed to end the invasion. Well, beer anyway.

Chin up, chap - you ain't beaten yet.

just got back from the chilli show with a lovely purple fruited orozco chilli plant. maybe I'll make up a chilli spray, anybody aware of this working?
Maybe I'll just eat the chillis

I was just about to reccomend this, i sprayed mine yesterday and looks ok so far, i blended chilli`s, cooking oil and a touch of milk.

Blend then sieve then spray.


E2a, used a variation of this over the years,you could put in vinegar and w/up liquid too, i just experiment.

Hello ratdog, thanks for that. Are you doing a diary? I'd love to see the results. So far there's just one ripe chilli and lots just turning so it'll be a few days before they're ready and I'd like to see how your plants fare. Are you spraying against mites?
Regards, Jim

i use sbpi and derris liquid alternatively and seem to be winning, never totally clears them but keeps them under control

Yes `jim,got indoor diary and outdoor veg diary, links below. only just got spidermites for the first time since i restarted growing weed, but i used it years ago too and with good results, i got the original recipe from Jorge Cervantes Grow Bible about 8 years ago. I use a similar one to combat black/white flys in the garden with superb results. cheers Ratdog.