Dealing With Mites

[mattmushi]

Hello all uk420 disciples.

Need a little advice, I have done a search so please don't shout at me.

I have a Mango bitch, showing lots of pre flowers. She’s ready to go to the next phase

Brought a couple seedling into the grow area, they have been growing well.

Couple days back I noticed some signs of mites on couple seedlings, they have been quarantined now, though today I noticed couple specks on the Mango, eggs under the leaf.

I have taken this leaf off; also checking other leafs, all the rest looking ok.

I have purchased Scotts Bug Clear, dilute and spray stuff, cost bout £7 for 150Ml, any one used this stuff for Borg disposal.

Spoke to someone from a well-known Hydro site, they have suggested Spider Mite Predators. Is this good advice?

Any advice would be good.

Thanks B)

[Owderb]

Hello all uk420 disciples.

Need a little advice, I have done a search so please don't shout at me.

I have a Mango bitch, showing lots of pre flowers.  She’s ready to go to the next phase 

Brought a couple seedling into the grow area, they have been growing well.

Couple days back I noticed some signs of mites on couple seedlings, they have been quarantined now, though today I noticed couple specks on the Mango, eggs under the leaf.

I have taken this leaf off; also checking other leafs, all the rest looking ok.

I have purchased Scotts Bug Clear, dilute and spray stuff, cost bout £7 for 150Ml, any one used this stuff for Borg disposal. 

Spoke to someone from a well-known Hydro site, they have suggested Spider Mite Predators.  Is this good advice? 

Any advice would be good.

Thanks  B)

245593[/snapback]

its all in the FAQ mate in pest control

[Guest RAZ]

Why can't I find anything on mites in the faq?

[Vlad (the impala)]

I've tried searching for "bug clear", and got nowhere fast...........I suspect it's a "chemical" bug killer, and as such should NEVER be used on ganja....

If I'm mistaken, and its one of the natural ones based on soap or plant oils, then use it, but only up to when they go into flowering! There is a good and effective spray by "Growing Success" called "Bug Killer" based on plant oils that can be found in many big chains. The two best-known and effective remedies are "Buzz off", and "Leafcoat" from Biobizz.

You may find you have low humidity, which encourages spidermites - possibly worth a look!

[Vlad (the impala)]

bloody hellfire!!!!!!!!!!!!............what homicidal idiot flogged you that? - not one to be dissuaded, I carried on Googling - the active ingredient - Bifenthrin is a synthetic pyrethroid........ deadly dangerous shite! UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES USE IT FOR ANYTHING, especially ganja!!!!!!!!!! My suggestion is to take it to a toxic waste dump, it's where it belongs!

If you want to read of the dangers, just bang "Bifenthrin danger" into Google............amongst several "plums" was the following................"If bifenthrin formulations are burned, they may release toxic by-products, including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen fluoride and hydrogen cyanide"

Edited October 24, 2004 by Vlad (the impala)

[Vlad (the impala)]

ps predators are fine in theory, but don't thrive on 12/12

[Vlad (the impala)]

it gets worse!.............further reading shows Bifenthrin to be - carcinogenic, mutagenic, acutely toxic, and a suspected neurotoxin!..................

This is a weapon of mass destruction, not something that should EVER be used!

[Guest RAZ]

Watch out you'll have George and Tony sending the troops round.....

RAZ

[Vlad (the impala)]

chapter and verse.

[Urakhai]

Wow! Sounds nasty!

Luckily ive never had to deal with the borg so im not much help. Just hope you get it sorted matey

Watch out you'll have George and Tony sending the troops round.....

[Delta Bravo]

I`ve had the little bastards for years now and can never seem to get rid entirely. I grow in the loft and this time of year they`ve all fecked off south for winter. They will be back in the spring tho where a good regime of buzz off and predators keeps the numbers down a bit. They don`t seem to affect my plants too much, but I suppose it depends on variety. I grow Chronic and the seem to be fairly resistant.

[oldtimer1]

Sorry this is scaremongering and taking things out of perspective.

All active insecticides are made of something that is toxic.

Pyrethrum daisies, are a tropical flower, they contain natural compounds that disrupt the nervous system of all living things, extracts have been used for hundreds of years to control insects. Ingest it and depending on the amount you get Numbness of tongue and lips. Excitation, convulsions, paralysis muscular fibrillation. And finally death from respiratory failure.

Yet it is recommended for use as insect control by organic organisations as it is a natural substance. It is not classed as a carcinogen, but maybe that is because it has not been tested by modern methods, in much the same way as aspirin has not, another product that would not be allowed if put up for approval now.

The thing about some of the newer pyrethroid’s like Bifenthrin is yes they do say its a possible carcinogen, that is on the bases of feeding rats half the kill dose of Bifenthrin in concentrate form every day in their food for 87 weeks.

What Vlad is saying is do not ever use any chemically active insecticide ever. I do not agree with this point of view, as indoor growers we control the environment the plants grow in entirely.

The thing is because its a constant protected environment without winters, it is also an ideal place for pests to thrive without hindrance.

If you do get a pest infestation the only real option is to eradicate the problem completely.

The other route is to go for control, IMHO, this is irresponsible and environmentally damaging. The reasoning behind this is, that in places like Holland, that failer over many years by cannabis growers to eradicate mite, has led to the cannabis growers creating super bugs that are resistant to every known insecticide/acaricide. These mites have now also spread to the glasshouse flower and veg producers.

To compound the problem ton’s of bud carrying diapausal mites and eggs produced by the Dutch growers are exported to every other eu country including the uk. This by the way is a reason for never skinning up in the growroom with bud you did not produce yourself. Also to keep in mind you can carry mites and eggs on your cloths, remember it only takes one egg/mite to start a dynasty.

Back to insecticides.

If you are going to use them, never do it once flowers are initiated ie:- once there is any product on the plant you might smoke. This especially means oil based products.

IMHO it is worth two or three consecutive sprays to eradicate a pest, that if allowed to proliferate, will over the years have to be sprayed constantly every grow with more and more substances as their resistance grows.

Remember active insecticides are nerve poisons of some sort, so you should not let them into your body in any way. This means breathing in mist, skin contact and finally swallowing them.

Bifenthrin will eradicate mites completely if they are a wild form, if they come from the uk glasshouse industry or early Dutch glasshouse strains you may only get control, If they are of resent Dutch origin it will have little effect if any.

The best thing at this moment in time to get a complete kill is Dynamec, this contains abermectin. It is not licensed for public use but some growshops sell it in small doses. Two or better three sprays 7 days apart should totally eradicate all current mite strains.

Once you get into a position like DeltaBravo his entire loft will be infested with diapausal mites that can live with out food for up to a year, this makes eradication nearly impossible as they hide in every little nook and cranny.

The final reason to eradicate mite populations is they are virus vectors.

Things like neem oil, buzzoff and miscible rape/mineral oils do not eradicate mites, they will give a temporary reduction in numbers ie some control. This may be ok as a temporary measure, but long term eradication should be the aim.

Final notes.

I believe that buzzoff has been reformulated, only time will tell if its an eradication or control agent.

There is another product coming on the uk market soon that offers hope for eradicating several pests and fungal diseases and may even solve DeltaBravo and others like his problems.

[Vlad (the impala)]

one or two small points - Bifenthrin is banned in Holland.

I try to take a more "organic" view..........if we are fortunate enough to be able to provide a sterile environment, then are willing to use toxic chemicals, we can eradicate our spidermite population............in the real world, they are going to get back in, and the process will have to be repeated. I choose NEVER to use such toxic chemicals, and have found that the "Growing Success" Bug Killer has to all intents and purposes eradicated them as a problem for me (I get the occasional affected leaf or two, quick spray, problem over!)

I used "tabloid headlines" to underscore the dangers attendant on using these products - as OT has demonstrated, they should only be used with extreme care, and in specific circumstances......they are not a safe "cure-all" to be sprayed willy nilly on one's crop!

Maybe I'm a bit touchy on the subject, as I react very badly to synthetic pyrethrins..............

[Owderb]

i mentioned dynamec as a last resort a few weeks ago and was slapped down by one of the mods but all i said was that if av used evrythin else then its got to b a good thing to get rid of the bugs with this product cos it works.

Edited October 24, 2004 by owderb

[oldtimer1]

Vlad Pyrethroids are synergised derivatives of the pyrethrum daisies and tend to be more effective than natural pyrethrins, thats mainly because insects have had less time to develop immunity to them, they are also much less toxic to to humans and mammals than natural pyrethrins. If you are really allergic to Pyrethroids you will be just as allergic or more so, to both the natural pyrethrins one and two, and also their breakdown products, this must be a problem for you as they are still extensively used by organic vegetable and fruit producers. Thats one of the reasons I grow my own, I know what goes on them and in them apart from atmospheric pollution, not much I can do about that.

The Dutch banned it because it was no longer effective [mainly due to cannabis growers], and huge doses, many times the max recommended were being used by food growers in an attempt to maintain control , apart from the residual problem in food it also gave mites and thrips a quicker immunity to newer Pyrethroids as they were introduced.

I do take an organic view, both Pyrethrum and Derris are far more toxic chemicals than Pyrethroids and all of them are way less toxic than a green potato ot the other old natural organic insecticide used by growers called nicotine, this is a deadly poison/chemical.

Sorry so you are controlling mite re:- the oil you are spraying is controlling them for now, eradicate is eradicate! The problem with miscible oils is its easy to spread them from one part of a plant to another even weeks after spraying, even small amounts it is highly toxic if burnt and inhaled, I would have no problem with eating it as long as the rape oil used was not GMO.