Yes I use the bits, most Big Box will carry the dunks/donuts…just crush em up.
Good luck man, let us know how ya fare.
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Sounds like a plan. I’ve fought just about every other battle growing except bugs up until now. This is just the latest in the saga of growing plants. lol. I sprayed everything from top to bottom with the Hydrogen Peroxide mix a little while ago, including undersides. I’m hesitant to pull any leaves just yet. Hoping to maybe see some reaction or improvement before I pluck any leaves. I’ll probably do that tomorrow once I get back from the store. Thanks again!
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Here are my notes on spider mites - all are from this site, google or other forums.
Top dress with diatomaceous earth. I also found a powder sprayer contraption about $3 on Amazon. You can use it to dust the leaves. Wear gloves and a mask. DE is rough on skin and lungs.
Sprays:
Rubbing alcohol and water spray: Mix 50:50 and spray plants down thoroughly.
Cinnamon spray: 1 TBPS cinnamon in boiling water. Let sit for 24 hours, strain and dilute to one quart.
“Ningacide”: Chop up several cloves of garlic and the hottest peppers you can find. Put in boiling water to make a tea, let sit, strain, and dilute to 1 quart.
Dish soap and water spray: 1 tsp Dr Bonner’s Castille soap to 1 quart water.
Essential oil spray: 1/2 tsp Dr Bonner’s Castille soap, ~tsp of essential oil. Dilute to 1 quart. Oils recommended are rosemary, thyme, mint, tea tree, pine, citronella, geranium.
I used the essential oil spray recipe last grow. I thoroughly sprayed the plants twice a day, rotated the oils about every three days and in 10 days no more signs of mites.
First grow I used the rubbing alcohol water spray.
This grow I used Captain Jack’s Dead Bug but already burned through the ready to use bottle, so I am going back to the essential oil spray.
I hope this help and I am sure other growers can’t provide more techniques to slay those little beasties.
Best to you!
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Totally bad typo in the last sentence. I meant CAN not CAN"T! Sorry my growmies!
Hiya Jane!
Thank you for the great info! I hit the store a little while ago and grabbed a few things. Got the Captain Jack’s DeadBug spray, but also a container of the concentrate so I can mix up more if/when the botte runs out. Also got a container of the mosquito bits to sprinkle around on the soil. While I was snooping around the store, I happened upon another spray bottle of stuff called All Natural Insect control with a bunch of essential oils in it. Figured I’d give it a shot too. I was pleased to see your mention of the oils when I got back. Maybe it will be the icing on the cake. We shall see. I went ahead last night with your suggestion of defoliating and I’ll be darned if I didn’t find those mite buggars on everything I pulled off. Once you know what you’re looking at, you don’t even need a scope to see them. So… I just sprayed the plants with the Captain Jack’s. Waiting on it to dry, then perhaps a follow up with the spray containing the oils. Got a question about the Mosquito Bits for you or @Pet_de_Chien … I’m fine sprinkling on the soil, but I also read about adding to the water and letting it steep before watering so it penetrates into the soil. Question is will it cause any ph issues when it’s added? I suppose I can just mix up my usual, add the bits to soak for a little while, then ph? Any nutes or ph up or down I add won’t affect the microbes in the bits? I’m using all organic stuff, so it’s probably not a big deal. Figured I’d ask anyway. Thanks for your advice yet again? I’ll try your suggestions if the arsenal of death I just got fails. lol!
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Both work fine, I just scratch em into the soil and then lightly water to wet them. I like your multi pronged attack, I’d do jacks one day, the thyme/rosemary oils the next, and back to cjbd.
I’ve not seen an PH issues with the dunks, they are little corn bits so they get a little fuzzy mold sometimes, but never had it affect anything negative. Don’t bother with the mycos for a few days while you are dealing with this. If you need to Ph the water do it, before dunks/bits, dont wanna burn em to death with the ph adjusters(acid/alkali) Mites primarily live and lay eggs on the undersides of the leaves, dont miss this with spray. If I missed something, nudge me.
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All good to know. Yeah, I wondered about the ph and mycos, so it made sense to me to think about it with the bits too. I did the spray with hydrogen peroxide last night. It may have helped, but I didn’t see much. Still found those mites alive and well after waiting a few hours. I also spotted some little round yellowish balls when searching. My guess is they’re the mite’s eggs?
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I’m just curious what microscope your using because you either got a good one or a steady hand lol my pictures never come out like this
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HA! I had a hekkuva time attempting to view anything on the plant with my scope. It connects to your cellphone using it’s own wireless network, so you hold the scope in one hand and take pic using the phone. It’s crazy. lol! Best pics from on the plant were havin g someone else hold the phone while I focused. Still a royal pains. The best thing is to pluck something from the plant and lay it out on a flat surface you can then set the scope on to view while having the phone nearby to snap the shots. The scope itself is some cheap-o I found on Amazon a while back. Mine didn’t come with the stand like the link, but looks to be the same. If you have an IPhone, you download the MAX-See app to your phone to use it. I’m pretty shaky. lol. It’s definitely much easier if you try to view something on a flat surface rather than on the plant. Doesn’t work for everything, but for this, worked like a charm. Here’s the link. There are others selling the same thing but varying prices. Amazon.com : KKSQ Professional Digital Microscope 1600X with 8LED Light USB Digital Microscope Endoscope Camera Magnifier Zoom with Adjustable Stand : Electronics
I have the same one but wireless. Thinking about getting a legit tabletop microscope because these suck to use but I guess its better than 20x zoom on my phone lol thanks man
I hear you. Mine’s wireless also. It’s pretty difficult to use when viewing on the plant unless you have another person. Easier, but still a pain plucking and using a flat surface. It’s come in handy for a lot of things since I got it though, so even with the hassles, it’s been a good buy with me.
So… I sprayed the plants once with Captain Jack’s and waited until dry to check for mites. I could see them with my eyes crawling around where I know I sprayed before. A little discouraging. Sprayed with the All Natural spray containing essential oils. It coated the leaves better and I spotted more than a few dead mites on the leaves after they dried. I did shake both sprays well before applying, but the Captain Jack’s was more watery, leaving droplets whereas the oil spray covered the leaves better. Probably one reason it may have worked better. I don’t care, as long as the mites die. lol. Gonna keep this up for a while. Hopefully, they’re gonna be a thing of the past at least the rest of this grow. Waiting on the Mosquito Bits. Watered last night and the soil hasn’t dried enough to water the bits in yet. Beginning to feel better about this bump in the road.
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They don’t die right away, Spinosad is a bacteria, same crap you put on kids to get rid of lice, they eat, then in turn its goes Alien and eats their insides out. The essential oils works a bit different, 2 fold, first the oils will kill them but it also becomes a plant systemic. Be patient, I know its hard seeing those biotches on everything.
Edit, that alien is BTI, the bits put on the damp soil and scratch em in, your reactviate some and get them marching.
** How does spinosad work? Spinosad affects the nervous system of insects that eat or touch it. It causes their muscles to flex uncontrollably . This leads to paralysis and ultimately their death, typically within 1-2 days.**
If you want instant, DoktorDoom Pyrethrin spray, but smell taste can linger like neem…only in veg.
@MeEasy turned me on to soaking the bits overnight and strain. Use it on your water day. PS don’t forget you mixed a gallon and open it a month later!
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Yeah… I should have thought on that more. lol. Makes complete sense. I do like the one, two whammy using the oil and Captain Jack’s. I just saw a video where they used another oil based spray called SN 217. Said it was the bomb for eliminating the mites. Looked interesting, but I’m gonna hold off and stick with what I have and wait it out as you mentioned. The plants I sprayed do seem relieved a little. I think I’ll let them be until tomorrow and take it from there. I’d like to avoid that Pyrethin spray you mentioned, plus I’d really like to try knocking this out before I flip to flower if at all possible. That’s a month or more down the road. Should be ok.
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I have Sierra 217 its Rosemary. Its good stuff, but smells like rosemary, which I love but dont wanna smoke. I like that and 244 can be mixed and applied at once.
What was offered was least harmful to you and plant first, then lets get more aggressive.
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Great idea! I think that’s just what I’m gonna do. No worries on mix-ups or forgetting. I try to label stuff I mix up to avoid doing something silly. lol!
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Hi all, I had a really bad case of Russet Mites this year on my plants in veg. I did the sulphur burn method and it totally wiped them out after 3 burns a few days apart. Unfortunately you can only do this with plants in veg or up to week 3 of flower.
There are many tutorials on youtube to check out
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Captain Jack’s dead bug. Get the concentrate version as u can double down off the rip to get rid of them faster. If u do a single dose and it don’t kill them off it might get them a bit more immune to the spray where it won’t work right. They r a pain to rid of but it is possible @Joshmcginnis28 had them super bad and got rid of them with cjdb good luck and welcome to the forum
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Thanks for the welcome, Mark. I’ve been lurking here for a while. Usually only post when I’m in some kind of trouble. lol!
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