Spider mites and Harvest

Grow_man731

Grow_man731

Active Member
Hello

I have just harvested like a week earlier due to Mites. I spotted them around 2.5 weeks ago, and started directly to cut all fan leaves and most of the sugar leaves, hosed it with cold water (under pressure) and checked daily for new spider mites, it was a lot of work.

Today was harvest, they looked in very good condition, but i have noticed on a bud location, web formation with mites all around. All I did afterwards, is cut the plant, wash thoroughly with cold water (under pressure) now hang up to dry under good ventilation and air circulation.

My question is, is there anything i should expect regarding these mites? Will they ever move on or they going to multiply during curing and/or the drying process? (I don't/ didn't want/use any spray on the buds).

I am going to apply a manual check on almost each bud after drying process is finished.

Any input is appreciated.
 
U

ukdave

Well-Known Member
Grow_man731 said:
Hello

I have just harvested like a week earlier due to Mites. I spotted them around 2.5 weeks ago, and started directly to cut all fan leaves and most of the sugar leaves, hosed it with cold water (under pressure) and checked daily for new spider mites, it was a lot of work.

Today was harvest, they looked in very good condition, but i have noticed on a bud location, web formation with mites all around. All I did afterwards, is cut the plant, wash thoroughly with cold water (under pressure) now hang up to dry under good ventilation and air circulation.

My question is, is there anything i should expect regarding these mites? Will they ever move on or they going to multiply during curing and/or the drying process? (I don't/ didn't want/use any spray on the buds).

I am going to apply a manual check on almost each bud after drying process is finished.

Any input is appreciated.
Click to expand...
Excerpt: Eggs can withstand temperatures below 0° C and will wait to hatch until temperatures are rising again. Young mites can also survive the winter. They achieve this by going into a type of hibernation (a dormant state).

What I did with an infestation was to clean the grow tent with water and a little bleach once emptied. When your next grow starts, keep your eye on the underside of the leaves while the plant is still small and unflowering, just in case and any do turn up hungry, and spray some neem oil. About a tea spoon full, mixed a cup of warm water, and a tiny drop or two of washing up liquid to disperse the oil. I sprayed the whole plant, the pot, everything and it solved the problem immediaely. Its excellent oil, but don't put it in your car. I put my plant outside during the day to save a bit of electricity, and that was a mistake, a couple of mites turnd up and one said, "Shall We". And so I brought the the little mites indoors and you know what a male and female mites likes to do in a warm, cosy environment.
 
Grow_man731

Grow_man731

Active Member
ukdave said:
Excerpt: Eggs can withstand temperatures below 0° C and will wait to hatch until temperatures are rising again. Young mites can also survive the winter. They achieve this by going into a type of hibernation (a dormant state).

What I did with an infestation was to clean the grow tent with water and a little bleach once emptied. When your next grow starts, keep your eye on the underside of the leaves while the plant is still small and unflowering, just in case and any do turn up hungry, and spray some neem oil. About a tea spoon full, mixed a cup of warm water, and a tiny drop or two of washing up liquid to disperse the oil. I sprayed the whole plant, the pot, everything and it solved the problem immediaely. Its excellent oil, but don't put it in your car. I put my plant outside during the day to save a bit of electricity, and that was a mistake, a couple of mites turnd up and one said, "Shall We". And so I brought the the little mites indoors and you know what a male and female mites likes to do in a warm, cosy environment.
Click to expand...

Damn, I tried outdoor grow only once, and mites came up to me as well and I live on the third floor.. What everyone seems to agree on that these mites will go away after the plant is dead. SO, can these mites actually survive a couple of weeks w/o a new plant and just be dormant then rise up when the temperature is rising? Tough bastards.
I am going to clean my closest thoroughly as you suggest, and will do a bit of research about it.
After cleaning up your closet, did you noticed these lil bastards again?
 
Modern Selections

Modern Selections

Well-Known Member
Spider Mites can live 7-12 days without plants. Some speculate the eggs can lay dormant for a very long time.

Some info:

ag.umass.edu

Twospotted Spider Mites

Mites belong to the order Acari of the class Arachnida (spiders, daddy-long legs etc.). Mites are very small and in contrast to insects, they are wingless and the head, thorax and abdomen appear to be fused together, generally giving the body a compact oval to oblong shape. Sex in many species...
ag.umass.edu ag.umass.edu
 
U

ukdave

Well-Known Member
Grow_man731 said:
Damn, I tried outdoor grow only once, and mites came up to me as well and I live on the third floor.. What everyone seems to agree on that these mites will go away after the plant is dead. SO, can these mites actually survive a couple of weeks w/o a new plant and just be dormant then rise up when the temperature is rising? Tough bastards.
I am going to clean my closest thoroughly as you suggest, and will do a bit of research about it.
After cleaning up your closet, did you noticed these lil bastards again?
Click to expand...
They came back yes, so I spotted them early, sprayed everywhere, even the outside of the pot and the grow was perfectly fine. Like Modern Selections said, its eggs laying dormant that is the problem, i didn't explain that well enough. Just be ready with neem oil, they hate the stuff.
 
Wizzlebiz

Wizzlebiz

Well-Known Member
What I noticed when I had them is when I hung the plant upside down they began to climb up the stalk after a about 2 days of drying. I used a shop vac to suck them off the plant.
 
Grow_man731

Grow_man731

Active Member
Wizzlebiz said:
What I noticed when I had them is when I hung the plant upside down they began to climb up the stalk after a about 2 days of drying. I used a shop vac to suck them off the plant.
Click to expand...
I love the idea!
I just checked, those bastards are indeed accumulating at the end of the stalk
Imma try vacuuming the shit out of them
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top