So I ended up running into a problem with spider mites in which I’ve been using a spray to knock them down tonight I’ll be doing my final spray and pruning and then tomorrow I’ll be ordering the predatory mites and introducing them into the system. Does anybody have much experience with predatory mites is there anything I need to take into consideration or know about. I’ve never used them before but I read they have a lot of positive beneficial effects for the crop. Everything is in veg State inside of a veg tent right now.
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@Skydiver has used meat eaters before I think
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I’ve used many things but in the end for me anyway is using predatory meat eating mites. They are available from several places. The two that I’ve ordered from are Arbico Organics and Natures Good guys. Both sites have some great info to look over.
Certain meat eating mites have defined temps and humidity they need to flourish and reproduce so depending on your grow environment temps and humidity that will help dictate which ones to choose as well as if you are able to actually identify which mite species your dealing with as that too is part of the equation.
If you’re not sure of the species of the veggie eating mites look for the multi species mix as they will cover most of the veggie mite species.
They offer supplimental food discs but you can also use pine pollen to keep the meat eaters fed when needed.
So what makes you think you have veggie mites on your plants?
You might also look at their beneficial nematode mix pack as well as they aren’t that expensive and since a big part of the cost isn’t the mites or nematodes but the next day shipping as they are live things. I use the nematodes for my plants for fungus gnats and to fight bad nematodes too and it’s just mixed with your plain feed water and watered in.
If you have pets and want to naturally control ticks and fleas in your yard you can use the nematodes for that as well but unless your living down south or an area that has warmer weather those need to be applied once things warm up.
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Very interesting information, thank you. I quickly realize that the cost wasn’t quite into Mike’s as much as in the shipping as you stated you are completely correct about that. I think I’m going to go with the 2000 live mix predatory mite one. It has multiple predatory mites and that should solve the situation and I’ll show you a couple pictures of why I think I have spider mites and have been trying to treat them with sprays
I think that’s the correct pic I can’t quite find them but I found the webbing. I know it is spider mites. Also the damage on the leaves, small white spots, circles.
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It does look like their damage.
If you have a jewels loop pluck off one of those leaves and look underneath the leaf for both spider mites and the eggs they lay.
If you don’t have a jewels loop get one you’ll need it for this and when in flower.
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Yes I have a 1000x microscope that I use but I literally found webbing so I know there were nest. I eliminated one plant entirely the one with the worst part of the infestation. It’s all in veg tents though in vegetative state. I’ve been applying a spray to kill and knock down their numbers. I sprayed the night before last and I have predatory mites coming today that I am going to apply to my growing areas. I just hope there is no negative effects. I’m using nature’s Good guys 2000 predatory mite mix
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Cool
Just remember those knock down sprays if used after applying the meat eaters will indiscriminately kill both veggie mites and meat mites.
Wishing you well on getting them under control
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Is this an indoor or outdoor grow?
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@Caligurl Happy cake day!
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Thank you @Riskguy !
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Also, here’s a nice little tip. Even if you harvest and there are still live mites, what I do is chop branches into ‘V’ shapes so I can hang upside down on a thin rope. The mites will 100% migrate to the top of the stem (where you cut it). You can then, daily, take a paper towel and douse it with a pesticide of choice. Wrap it around the top of the stem then wipe it down. and remove the dead mites. It may take 4 days or so for them all to migrate up so you can kill them. What happens is the stems stay moist while the hanging buds are drying so the mites move to the stem. Trust me… it works LOL
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I’m late but Happy Cannaversary @Caligurl
I use preditor mites from natures good guys. I use them indoors in my tents and outside on my flower and food gardens. I’ve had great success at getting rid of mites and now use them as part of my IPM (integrated pest management) 
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Thanks Jewels @GreenJewels !
So outdoors, do you spray anything? I get all sorts of infestations… seems like something new every year LOL and I’m wondering if you do sray, what do you use that doesn’t hurt the predator mites?
Oh! And Happy Cannaversary to you too!!!
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Good morning Cali I use SNS 209 which is a systemic soil drench of basically essential oil. That rid my lilac of scales very well. Sap suckers don’t like it. That along with a weekly spray if EM1 and the preditors.
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Thanks 
where did 6 years go, holy cow! 
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Oh cool! I have a recipe for DIY EM1 (once and done kind of thing) and I have a LOT of the ingredients so I can make a lot… I just keep forgetting about it LOL
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Thanks! Yikes! 6 years??!!
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Congrats.
Hopefully, many more, too.
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Indoor. I released 2000 predatory mites I probably released about $750 in my outdoor greenhouse and about 12:50 indoors in my two separate veg tents. They seem to be really helping the situation I use knockdown sprays prior and then waited but I’m not saying any more spider mites signs at all so far so good 
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