Curing Process and Mites

Grow_man731

Grow_man731

Active Member
Hello

I thought the spider mites would just simply go away once the plant is dead. But they are still there.
Would I be able to start the curing process while mites are still in my buds?
These bastards, once i had them, i cant seem be able to get rid of them..
 
calibuzz said:
Hey HM,

1.) Mites are like leeches, they feast on live prey. Once a plant is harvested, the leaves begin to dry out and the flow stops. Thus, the juice or intestial fluid is gone, and they can not feed.

The mites will look for other food - if they can not feed. Some will hang around, but then will die.

Ultiumately, Mites do not suck out THC. So what's built up on and in ones buds is still gonna be there, regardless of any minor temporary sucking like maybe a day after picking).

Prudence would suggest, that a farmer that has to harvest a plant with mites, does not dry nor cure his crop near other growing plants - as mite walk, and they will just walk-on-over to the live plants.

Practical knowledge: I have taken infested leaves, put them in a jar with a sealed lid, and come back in two days... and all mites are dead.

Peace be with you,

calibuzz
Click to expand...
 
Also, once the grow is over, if you're growing indoors, disinfect the grow space (tent, soil, pots, tools, etc) and anything that comes in and out of it. The "Borg" are relentless, and you can carry them in on your clothing.
 
Herb & Suds said:
The mites will reduce yield but they do disappear on harvest
No amount of washing will remove the bigger issue
Webs in buds
It breaks your heart when they show up in your grinder but they won’t hurt ya
Click to expand...

Would you recommend i simply put my buds in Jars knowingly mites live there? These mites have been a nightmare ever since they appeared the first time.

Or should i wait a couple of days on the drying Process, they can still dry for an extra day or two..
@Phytoplankton I am starting my next grow in around two weeks, during I will disinfect the whole grow closet with hydrogen peroxide, as well as the soil and all grow related stuff. Maybe even my whole house
 
Grow_man731 said:
Would you recommend i simply put my buds in Jars knowingly mites live there? These mites have been a nightmare ever since they appeared the first time.

Or should i wait a couple of days on the drying Process, they can still dry for an extra day or two..
@Phytoplankton I am starting my next grow in around two weeks, during I will disinfect the whole grow closet with hydrogen peroxide, as well as the soil and all grow related stuff. Maybe even my whole house
Click to expand...
They die as the plant dies
The eggs hide till next round
Just curious how did you identify them as mites ?
 
with a simple microscope under the light. They left webs around my buds and bleach-like marks on my leaves. They have whitish legs, and the babies are usually white in color, the grown ups have a somewhat black head/body with white legs.
Are you suggesting they could be a different type of insects? I first spotted them on my outdoor grow (first time ever seeing them), afterwhich i did an indoor grow and somehow they followed me inside.
 
Washing your buds and not allowing them to thoroughly dry out will cause mold to grow and ruin your buds. Mites can be controlled with really low room temps(65f or lower, also helps keep turpines from evaporating), a topical like Mammoth canncontrol up until mid flower(I rarely have to use it), and I know its poison but a friend has been doing this forever by putting a no pest strip in the area. Having healthy plants that can fend off small intrusions from mites keeps them from evolving into web making nightmares. Doing all of the above I haven't seen any. They are quite easy to spot by looking under your leaves through to the lights to spot the tiny bastards. You will also start to notice yellow spots from them sucking out the chlorophyll from the plant. Catch them early on by keeping an eye on your plants daily especially if you had an infestation. I had many of these infestations and you almost can't get them all without a full decontaminate clean of the grow space. Another tip is if you put plants outside, even to get that afternoon sun, you will most likely contaminate your grow space. Keep your plants outdoors or keep them indoors, never swap plants in and out. This also goes for outdoor grows that you hang up to dry indoors. Keep the drying plants as far away from your indoor grow as possible and change your clothes before you enter your grow space. Treat your flower room like a level 5 biological white coat room. Another TLDR tip is to trim all the lower foliage from the plants regularly. The closer the foliage is to the growing medium, the higher chances of them latching on the lower growth to thrive.
 
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rocketdog1989 said:
Washing your buds and not allowing them to thoroughly dry out will cause mold to grow and ruin your buds. Mites can be controlled with really low room temps(65f or lower, also helps keep turpines from evaporating), a topical like Mammoth canncontrol up until mid flower(I rarely have to use it), and I know its poison but a friend has been doing this forever by putting a no pest strip in the area. Having healthy plants that can fend off small intrusions from mites keeps them from evolving into web making nightmares. Doing all of the above I haven't seen any. They are quite easy to spot by looking under your leaves through to the lights to spot the tiny bastards. You will also start to notice yellow spots from them sucking out the chlorophyll from the plant. Catch them early on by keeping an eye on your plants daily especially if you had an infestation. I had many of these infestations and you almost can't get them all without a full decontaminate clean of the grow space. Another tip is if you put plants outside, even to get that afternoon sun, you will most likely contaminate your grow space. Keep your plants outdoors or keep them indoors, never swap plants in and out. This also goes for outdoor grows that you hang up to dry indoors. Keep the drying plants as far away from your indoor grow as possible and change your clothes before you enter your grow space. Treat your flower room like a level 5 biological white coat room. Another TLDR tip is to trim all the lower foliage from the plants regularly. The closer the foliage is to the growing medium, the higher chances of them latching on the lower growth to thrive.
Click to expand...
You said it
Have to treat my grow space like a clean room
 
Mites are the one thing I just don't want to deal with....and it's not an uncommon problem with growing marijuana. What I have found works for me, in my area, is to wait until the Fall to start my seeds. That way, it's less likely that pests will be vectored into the grow space from outside -as they are going dormant in the cooler weather. As you mentioned, mites are very small and they can "ride" into your grow room via you, your pets, your kids, open windows, etc. Your first line of defense is to make your space and anything entering into it, surgically clean. Your second line of defense is to carefully observe your plants with a magnifying glass everyday and be on top of anything that sneaks up.

Once the mites have become established, there's not much you can do, tbh. It's not just about finding a way to kill the living mites, but also about considering all the poop, eggs, webs and corpses of the ones you kill. It all stays on the plant. You're left with few options. Bud washing will diminish some of the garbage, but it won't do anything to the webs. And bud washing is an art unto itself that can cause even more problems if it's not done meticulously. I'm not sure how extensive your mite problem is, but sometimes, you just have to cut your losses and chalk it up to a lesson learned to do better next time. :( On the other hand, when I was young and weed was illegal and scarce, I smoked many a mite and probably other bugs and whatever other "crap" was on the plants. I just didn't care. Sad, but true.

Someone once said that growing weed was easy. It is. But, growing the best quality marijuana for consumption, is a whole other story.
 
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