F$*k you spidermites...f$*k you!!

[Hettyman]

I am in the early stages of my first seed grow, and after just 3 weeks in soil, my plants look so pretty, apart from the leaves being mullered by these little pricks.

I have read lots, and basically have heard 1000 times, that now they are here, that's it.... spidermites mite be hardy and persistant, but i'm obsessive and a complete mentalist (which has in no way been caused by 12 years of serious smoking )

Luckily, I am in a position where I can take the 4 small plants out of the cupboard and blitz it.

So far it's been emptied, every single surface hoovered with the brush attachment, and completely scrubbed with a house hold disinfectant, light fitting and spray gun also getting scrubbed, as well as the outer surfaces of the pots (making sure that no nasty stuff gets near the plants).

In a minute i'm spraying the whole cupboard with flea spray, just cos I have a huge can knocking about unused, and then sprayed with Plant Vitality, and finally a spray of the Plant Vitality on the plants.

I'm sure that i'm gonna get loads of replies telling me i'm dreaming, they're here to stay... and with a heavy heart I admit you are probably right. But if anybody is gonna beat these little plant chewing fuckers, it'll be me!!!!

 

[vh13]

Use neem oil. It's safe and effective.

 

[Hettyman]

Thanks, neem oil is what I plant to use from now on, to stop the hard core survivors getting out of hand. Any ideas of a home made solutoin I could make untill I get neem oil at the weekend. I've heard of ppl using soap water, but is this as simple as it sounds, soap and water??

 

[Ponicengineer]

Pyrethrum bomb ? It evaporates off of plants under HID light. As far as something to slow them down, I have heard from people giving their plants a shower with RO water and raising the humidity a tad to slow the suckers down.

If your plants are in veg, neem oil will be fine.

 

[TWS]

just get a no pest strip.

 

[Hettyman]

Well, that's the major clean job sorted, and the plants placed back in there new home... fingers crossed I've beat them, but I will keep you posted

Thanks for your inputs, as far as raising humidty goes, I thought of this, but short of spending money (which I don't have) on a mist spray thing, I can't figure out how to do it.

And I've heard good things about no pest strips... however we are talking about a cupboard in the bedroom where myself, my wife and my dogs sleep. Surely putting toxic vapour in the room isn't a great idea for our health

 

[Little Tommy]

I have battled and beat them. By the time I noticed them, they were everywhere. It took 2 months of hard work to completely eradicate them as I had some plants in flower which limits the choices for Mite Destruction, but it can be done. I am with you, we are all in this together. The majority can be sprayed off the plants with a soapy water mix and once the numbers are down, whack em hard. They seem to run a 3 day cycle so stay on them every 3 days. I used Neem tree oil in flowering and once I harvested I bombed my rooms with Doktor Doom. It worked great, and once you are aware, never let your guard down. I got them from a house plant that came from my wife's salon. She wanted me to fix it. I fixed it all right - euthanasia. Oddly enough, it was a spider fern.

 

[Hettyman]

Pyrethrum bomb ? It evaporates off of plants under HID light. As far as something to slow them down, I have heard from people giving their plants a shower with RO water and raising the humidity a tad to slow the suckers down.

If your plants are in veg, neem oil will be fine.

What is RO water?? please

 

[Little Tommy]

I sent everyone, people & pets away for 4 hours when I bombed them at my house. Popped the tops and ran away.

 

[Hettyman]

I have battled and beat them. By the time I noticed them, they were everywhere. It took 2 months of hard work to completely eradicate them as I had some plants in flower which limits the choices for Mite Destruction, but it can be done. I am with you, we are all in this together. The majority can be sprayed off the plants with a soapy water mix and once the numbers are down, whack em hard. They seem to run a 3 day cycle so stay on them every 3 days. I used Neem tree oil in flowering and once I harvested I bombed my rooms with Doktor Doom. It worked great, and once you are aware, never let your guard down. I got them from a house plant that came from my wife's salon. She wanted me to fix it. I fixed it all right - euthanasia. Oddly enough, it was a spider fern.

My word!!! the first person i've found with hope!!!! As far as long term goes, I plan to keep up the hard work till christmas, so I can get a few crops from a perpetual grow, then let the freezing weather take care of the outside grow room (for flowering, not currently in use), and then clear out my veg room cupboard, clean it again, fume the fuck out of it again, leave it a couple of weeks, clean it, clean it and then maybe start a fresh grow.

Thank you for your optimism Little Tommy, perked me right up. Funnily enough the only plant we have in the house is a spider fern, which my wife has been nagging me to re-pot as it can't get any bigger in the tiny house it has. I know may follow your advice and replant it in the compost heap. Oh yeah, doctor doom, sounds good, I'll have to research if we are lucky enough to get that in the UK

 

[Justin00]

I HATE them also =), just want to let you know your not alone, i hate them right down to my core. they serve absolutely zero purpose in this world i do my utmost to remove as many of them as possible from it.

 

[Hoenhiem]

What is RO water?? please

reverse osmosis. click the search if you would like to know more.
@ hettyman im rootin for you, all these posts about mites make me paranoid as shit. so im always staring deep into my canopy, under the leaves and in the soil. so goodluck bro

 

[Little Tommy]

I spent a year looking with a 200x magnifier at every plant once a week after they were gone. Paranoid much? This is the hot season here and that is when they thrive. A little prevention goes a long way.

 

[Hoenhiem]

i cut my lawn and trimmed my shrubs outside yesterday. before i even went into my bedroom i stripped all clothes took a shower and a surgical scrub before i let myself back into the room with the box. *taking no chances*

 

[jdmcwestevo]

i bomb my rooms 3 times before i put plants in then bomb them again just to be sure. and the first 2-3 weeks of veg i spray them down once a week with fox farm don't bug me just to be safe. the more precautions you use the better. prevention is much less hassle than having to kill them once they are there.

 

[Hettyman]

i cut my lawn and trimmed my shrubs outside yesterday. before i even went into my bedroom i stripped all clothes took a shower and a surgical scrub before i let myself back into the room with the box. *taking no chances*

I'm with you on that, laundry bin has been moved to the kitchen, shoes are not allowed in the house, and my wife is annoyed that I am now finally bothering to hoover the whole house every day.... "plants more important then me??" .... Errrr, yeah they are... women are fickle, and fleeting but Mary J never lets you down!!

 

[Hettyman]

Oh yeah, and thanks all, for your support, advice, and encouragement!!

 

[MrDank007]

I had some. I threw a hot shot no pest strip in my box and I just sprayed the crap out of my leaves with water (undersides as well) for a couple of days. Gone. They don't like water and if you leave that strip in they won't come back. Now I just start with the no pest strip in the box from seed. I think they last 4 months.

I used a chem spray once that dried and burnt up leaves, so be careful.

 

[Sir Stickybuds]

No pest strip worked for me when I had some bugs, but be sure to let the room air out before u tend to it, it can leave you light headed if you don't. I left it full strength for a couple weeks then wrapped it in a plastic bag with holes in it to weaken it a little

 

[Hettyman]

These no pest strips sound really good, not found any in uk yet, but I have found bug bombs and foggers. Problem is I sleep in the room with my grow cupboard, and I don't think that it'll be too good for my health!!! Plenty of water blasting it is then!!!