Spider Mites

[ukscroger]

my mate gave me 9 plants, 2 have bad mite festation, others are ok-ish. i plan to clean up once two of the 4 strains have finished. what should i do, the webs and clusters were all over the bud leaves, (3 clusters only, on one plant- removed with tissue).

can i use neem oil? buzz off, or diatomaceous earth? which would be best to minimize damage before harvest, then clean up time, i will need to apply to buds and dont really want to smoke evil chemical shit

should i be worried about recycled soil, now in the veg room cut pots...

was bagged for a good few days before use so im thinking i am ok there?

many thanks

[MrBenn]

Personally I wouldn't like to use any spray during flower...

Never been faced with the problem myself but plenty have....do a search of the boards and you'll find loads of advice B)

Good luck!

[Lizard]

Spidermites are bastards I've been battling them almost since I started growing , buzz-off is great to get them off vegging plants , but I certainly wouldn't risk it on flowering ones ( and I've been sorely tempted to try it at times ) . The best thing I've found you can do with flowering plants ( aslong as they aren't in the last week or something ) is to bung them under the shower ( drop the pots into a carrier bag so you don't get mud everywhere ), this won't get rid of all the mites by any means but it will knock the worst of them off .

I think once mites have established themselves you're gonna have a hell of a job getting rid of them again , they move from plant to plant and get bloody everywhere .

I wouldn't completely panic if you have mites you can just about live with them aslong as you stay on top of them and keep knocking them back before they get too established . Like I said I've had them for ages now and I've still had a couple of decent crops despite the mites , once I've got a bit of weed stockpiled I'll go for a clean break and disinfect everything and then start afresh ( I think it's the only way you'll ever get shot of them ) .

Edited June 15, 2004 by Lizard

[ukscroger]

cheers matey, that was kinda what i wanted to hear. its just a shame they seemed to colonise all over a nice crystally cola. i take it it isnt worht trying the predator mites or all of that as you can just clean and start again. im gunna disinfect when this lot is pretty much finished

[Mono]

I moved 200 miles to escape the feckers, and they still ain't found me...

Lizard lots of good advice....I think it too easy for peeps to panic and start ripping up their grows in the event of an early infestation....

Like you I lived for years with them, never cpmletely eradicating them, whatever I used they always recolonised, BUT you CAN live with them....

I tended to spray with Hot Pepper wax after the clones were well established (this seems to give some degree of prevention, little killing potential though, at least with my strain of borg)....maybe a spray or two of BUZZ OFF, until the stretch finishes and the buds have set.....

After this I didn't really use anything, not wanting to taint my buds with spray before harvest.....

Misting with water during the dark period can check colonisation, but won't stop or reverse it......

By harvest time the colonies were back in full force, but damage to quality was undetectable, and quantity too......

MUCH MUCH happier working without them now....

It's only a matter of time though....

Mono....x