Bug problem! Leaf diagnosis?
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not sure what I should do!!
The Germinator
Well-Known Member
Looks like spider mites. I've never had em so I can't give you good advice. Especially since you're in flower.
Yeah spider mites. They're horrible. I battled them for a couple years and tried almost everything. Many many cleaning sessions and bleaching and painting the whole grow. I went through a bunch of different pesticide which didn't work. I shut the grow down completely for six months and sterilized and painted everything. They were back as soon as I started up again.
In the end what worked for me was a product called Mite-rid. At the time I had to order it from Australia. I also figured out that the mites were in my greenhouse and house plants. Once I treated all of them I solved the problem.
What you need is a systemic pesticide. Which means a pesticide that is absorbed into the plant and then turns it poisonous to the mites. They'll keep feeding off it and dying, and in this way you can wipe out all the new hatchlings.
One time treatments kill the mites just fine. But even if you kill all the adults (unlikely) you can never kill all the eggs. They keep hatching out every few days and you can never do more than beat their numbers down.
My situation is good in that mites don't live in the wild here. I got them on some clones I was given. Once I got rid of them- they were gone for good.
Most people aren't so lucky and may be continually reinfesting their grow from their backward or their houesplants.
In the end what worked for me was a product called Mite-rid. At the time I had to order it from Australia. I also figured out that the mites were in my greenhouse and house plants. Once I treated all of them I solved the problem.
What you need is a systemic pesticide. Which means a pesticide that is absorbed into the plant and then turns it poisonous to the mites. They'll keep feeding off it and dying, and in this way you can wipe out all the new hatchlings.
One time treatments kill the mites just fine. But even if you kill all the adults (unlikely) you can never kill all the eggs. They keep hatching out every few days and you can never do more than beat their numbers down.
My situation is good in that mites don't live in the wild here. I got them on some clones I was given. Once I got rid of them- they were gone for good.
Most people aren't so lucky and may be continually reinfesting their grow from their backward or their houesplants.
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- #5
Bug problem!! Leaf diagnosis?
Thanks Weasel!! I can't find any local suppliers but did some research and apparently the active ingredient for mite-rid is the same as in Eco-neem do you think this will do the job as I can pop out and get some and treat within a couple of hours
Eco-Organic Garden 100ml Eco-Neem Concentrate | Bunnings Warehouse
Thanks Weasel!! I can't find any local suppliers but did some research and apparently the active ingredient for mite-rid is the same as in Eco-neem do you think this will do the job as I can pop out and get some and treat within a couple of hours
Eco-Organic Garden 100ml Eco-Neem Concentrate | Bunnings Warehouse
Re: Bug problem!! Leaf diagnosis?
Yeah the key ingredient is neem oil. Although it does contain plenty of other things as well- I'm not sure how big a difference they make though. All I can say is that the Mite-rid did the job when everything else failed. Neem should probably do it. You just have to be very diligent and spray any possible infested plants around your area. Don't spray buds though- just the leaves.
Read the directions and reapply after a couple (three?) weeks. I sprayed a third time a couple weeks after that just to be sure.
Yeah the key ingredient is neem oil. Although it does contain plenty of other things as well- I'm not sure how big a difference they make though. All I can say is that the Mite-rid did the job when everything else failed. Neem should probably do it. You just have to be very diligent and spray any possible infested plants around your area. Don't spray buds though- just the leaves.
Read the directions and reapply after a couple (three?) weeks. I sprayed a third time a couple weeks after that just to be sure.
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- #7
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- #8
Oh yeah I remember now. It's been several years since I had the mites.
In their Mite-Rid spiel they said it was a refined concentrate of the active ingredient in neem. I've never tried actual neem oil. Someone tried to convince me that it was the main ingredient in Mite-Rid and I guess I believed them. Seen plenty of neem trees- we used to use the twigs to brush our teeth with- but other than I don't have experience with it. It's true that I've seen people on this forum use neem and still not solve their problems. So Mite-Rid may be more effective.
At any rate it absolutely eradicated my mites, after two years of hell.
My understanding is that neem is also a systemic. But as you can tell my knowledge of the stuff is a little bit thin.
In their Mite-Rid spiel they said it was a refined concentrate of the active ingredient in neem. I've never tried actual neem oil. Someone tried to convince me that it was the main ingredient in Mite-Rid and I guess I believed them. Seen plenty of neem trees- we used to use the twigs to brush our teeth with- but other than I don't have experience with it. It's true that I've seen people on this forum use neem and still not solve their problems. So Mite-Rid may be more effective.
At any rate it absolutely eradicated my mites, after two years of hell.
My understanding is that neem is also a systemic. But as you can tell my knowledge of the stuff is a little bit thin.
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- #10
They did have two different products so I think Eco-neem is a slightly different product to neem-oil which they also sold and was a lot cheap 500ml for $15 opposed to eco-neem $22 for 50ml
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- #11
They'll be happier out there. Probably better light, and the mites may not like it outdoors so much. Don't be surprised if they show up next time you try to grow in your dungeon though. They can lie dormant for ages.
DoctorGonzo
New Member
Spider mites can't live outdoors. In 14 days or so they'll all be . dead
Really? They can't live outdoors even in warm places? I didn't know that- but I live in a cold and wet place.
All dead = good.
All dead = good.
TheFertilizer
Well-Known Member
Did you emulsify your neem oil? What kind was it?
Most important thing about using neem oil is mixing it into soap until it is a milky white substance.
DoctorGonzo
New Member
A little quick and shallow digging on the internet seems to show about an even divide between people saying neem is a systemic and other people saying it is not. Mite-rid does seem to be a systemic, and it certainly seemed to act as one when I used it. In any case- a systemic of some sort is absolutely what you will want if you have to face those bastards again. Honestly, I don't know how you got them in the first place- but do whatever you possibly can to not get them again.
DoctorGonzo
New Member
No, neem isn't systemic.
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- #19
Reasoning?
I think everyone is getting caught up on the "neem" part of this. This product ECO-NEEM is not "neem oil", its active ingredient is azdarachtin.
Thanks for the feedback guys, after the first treatment there is no sign of mites anymore and one day later the leaves already look to be repaired
DoctorGonzo
New Member
Reasoning?
I think everyone is getting caught up on the "neem" part of this. This product ECO-NEEM is not "neem oil", its active ingredient is azdarachtin.
Thanks for the feedback guys, after the first treatment there is no sign of mites anymore and one day later the leaves already look to be repaired
Neem isn't systemic, it's a topical.
And you just controlled the mites, not eradicated them. Meaning: When eggs hatch, shortly, you'll be back to Ground Zero again.
