First time spider mites, can I save the soil in the 4x4bed?

PadawanWarrior

PadawanWarrior

Well-Known Member
I'm curious about these guys. Their bite is supposed to hurt so I'm not sure I should put them in my bedroom closet though. I don't care if they bite if I'm messing with the plants, but if they wanna crawl in bed with me we're gonna have problems.

www.arbico-organics.com

Minute Pirate Bug

Excellent General Predator in Field Crops and Greenhouses. Minute Pirate Bugs, Orius insidiosus , also known as flower bugs, are one of the most common general predators in field crops. Emerging early in the spring, their diet consists of a variety of small pests. They particularly love to...
www.arbico-organics.com
 
Antidote Man

Antidote Man

Well-Known Member
Creepy... some of them get dinner plate sized..

But back to spider mites... at least you're not dealing with powdery mildew my friend... wait until that one gets ya...
 
xtsho

xtsho

Well-Known Member
All pyrethrins should be banned for use. They are highly toxic to bees and other pollinators and their use is abused worldwide. It's no surprise that bee populations are declining globally.

Being made from Chrysanthemums means nothing. Lots of plants contain compounds that are toxic. Look at the Castor bean. It's a nice looking plant used in landscaping. Yet the bean of the plant is what's used to make Ricin which will kill you dead in very tiny doses.

Just because something comes from a plant doesn't mean it's safe.
 
Dreminen169

Dreminen169

Well-Known Member
Kind Sir said:
That was one of my worries. Using some chemical that kills predator insects, but will this damage the beneficials IN the soil?

Have you done this before yourself or do you just know? I start getting worried using stuff i’ve never read about before, but will do whatever it takes.
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Beauveria Bassiana is a fungi, everything I listed is 100% organic and safeish. Make sure to spray with sulfur before adding the beauveria Bassiana though cuz sulfur will interfere with the BB. & cover the soil so no sulfur drips and disrupts the BB or other predators

Weekly Wettable Sulfur sprays is an IPM that was recommended to me. I just started using sulfur and like it so far. BB and predators I’ve been using for a while & love them. I was able to knock out root aphids, one of the hardest known cannabis pests to get rid of, with BB & predators
 
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Dreminen169

Dreminen169

Well-Known Member
PadawanWarrior said:
I'm curious about these guys. Their bite is supposed to hurt so I'm not sure I should put them in my bedroom closet though. I don't care if they bite if I'm messing with the plants, but if they wanna crawl in bed with me we're gonna have problems.

www.arbico-organics.com

Minute Pirate Bug

Excellent General Predator in Field Crops and Greenhouses. Minute Pirate Bugs, Orius insidiosus , also known as flower bugs, are one of the most common general predators in field crops. Emerging early in the spring, their diet consists of a variety of small pests. They particularly love to...
www.arbico-organics.com
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I want them, heard nothing but good things & they’re super badass
PadawanWarrior said:
It's be sweet to have a tarantula in my grow room protecting shit.

And PM isn't that bad. Just increase airflow and get the environment right and it should go away on its own.
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My girls got a new friend 1639291969456.jpeg1639291994424.jpeg
 
Dreminen169

Dreminen169

Well-Known Member
xtsho said:
All pyrethrins should be banned for use. They are highly toxic to bees and other pollinators and their use is abused worldwide. It's no surprise that bee populations are declining globally.

Being made from Chrysanthemums means nothing. Lots of plants contain compounds that are toxic. Look at the Castor bean. It's a nice looking plant used in landscaping. Yet the bean of the plant is what's used to make Ricin which will kill you dead in very tiny doses.

Just because something comes from a plant doesn't mean it's safe.
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Shouldn’t effect to the bees if used for indoor ops though.
 
PadawanWarrior

PadawanWarrior

Well-Known Member
Dreminen169 said:
Where you getting them?
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I've never ordered bugs before. But it will be a fun experiment with the pirates as long as they don't wanna sleep with me.

Just ordered

www.arbico-organics.com

Minute Pirate Bug

Excellent General Predator in Field Crops and Greenhouses. Minute Pirate Bugs, Orius insidiosus , also known as flower bugs, are one of the most common general predators in field crops. Emerging early in the spring, their diet consists of a variety of small pests. They particularly love to...
www.arbico-organics.com
www.arbico-organics.com

Amblyseius cucumeris

Ships via Overnight methods on Tuesdays Only. Minimum 7-day lead time prior to shipment. See Shipping Info for details. For Delivery Only. Not available in store. Amblyseius cucumeris predatory mites are primarily thrips predators, but will also feed on a range of mite species in...
www.arbico-organics.com
www.arbico-organics.com

Stratiolaelaps scimitus (Hypoaspis miles)

Overnight shipping required. Ships on Tuesdays only. Not available in store. See shipping info for details. Knockdown and Preventive Control of Soil Dwelling Fungus Gnats , Root Aphids, Thrips and Springtails. This tiny, translucent brown to tan predatory mite naturally inhabits the...
www.arbico-organics.com

I've got their home ready.
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J

JimmyJackCorn

Well-Known Member
I typically use a combination of citric acid and predator mites to control spider mites.

If the balance on my plants gets off (I start to see that mottled spider mite look on too many leaf spears), I hit the whole grow with a citric acid spray. That will, as @xtsho taught me and I have observed, kill all mites on contact (good and bad mites).

Once I have leveled the playing field, I top dress with some of my own EWC.

For the most part, the cucumeris mites (predatory to spider mites) will control the spider mite population in this setup of mine. But the spray will level the playing field if the balance gets to be off.
 
J

JimmyJackCorn

Well-Known Member
xtsho said:
True but that's just this case. It's used outdoors all over the place. People just spraying whatever on everything without a care in the world as to the harm it's doing to the ecosystem. I'll stop before I write a book. Most don't even care anyway.
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Agreed. A holistic, considered approach is best for long-term, responsible care.

To anyone, if you must use pyrethrin, do so strategically and sparingly--and avoid the derivatives.
 
Rurumo

Rurumo

Well-Known Member
I wouldn't release pirate bugs inside your tent if you sleep nearby, they bite! Your wife is going to murder you. With a soil bed like Kind Sir has, I would just treat the plants with citric acid-which totally eliminated my problem with spider mites a few months ago, and I haven't seen a single one since. Then, once those plants are harvested, I would get some predatory mites and add them to the soil and just give the bed a break for a couple of weeks before adding new plants. It will be fine.
 
PadawanWarrior

PadawanWarrior

Well-Known Member
Rurumo said:
I wouldn't release pirate bugs inside your tent if you sleep nearby, they bite! Your wife is going to murder you. With a soil bed like Kind Sir has, I would just treat the plants with citric acid-which totally eliminated my problem with spider mites a few months ago, and I haven't seen a single one since. Then, once those plants are harvested, I would get some predatory mites and add them to the soil and just give the bed a break for a couple of weeks before adding new plants. It will be fine.
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I know. I'm not sure the pirates were a good idea, lol. Do they really hurt that bad? Have you had them or been bitten by one?
 
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