Big spider mites issue: mineral oil during flower?

[Spidermight]

been dealing with spider mites for years, never been able to get rid of em, my area is littered with pests and being outdoors ain't much i can do.

i found white bio mineral oil is pretty effective at controlling mites, as long as you apply it every week once.

most ppl say you shouldn't use it in flowers, however, every time i stopped using it during flower - THE FUCKERS TOOK OVER, when i spray it once a week i can keep very good control on the mites. very very little damage to leaves, but as soon as i stop they destroy everything


oil bottle say's i can keep using it up until 20 day's before harvest (this is for stuff like tomatoes other vegetables and fruits) i don't see why that wouldn't apply to weed??

i wash my weed before harvest anyways, just like we wash our fruit. can it really impact bud taste??

 

[Phytoplankton]

Yes it can, unless you're washing buds in soap. Oil isn't dissolved in water. you'll get some of it off, but not close to all of it. Also, willing to bet that mineral oil will dissolve trichromes. The other thing to remember, and it is often forgotten or overlooked, when the package says you can use it up to 5, 10, 20 days before consuming (fruit/veggies) that is assuming you're eating it. I very much doubt that there is any info on what the residual compounds do when they are SMOKED. Burning can change some molecues from benign to toxic (and in reverse). I wish you well in your battle with the borg!

 

[Spidermight]

Yes it can, unless you're washing buds in soap. Oil isn't dissolved in water. you'll get some of it off, but not close to all of it. Also, willing to bet that mineral oil will dissolve trichromes. The other thing to remember, and it is often forgotten or overlooked, when the package says you can use it up to 5, 10, 20 days before consuming (fruit/veggies) that is assuming you're eating it. I very much doubt that there is any info on what the residual compounds do when they are SMOKED. Burning can change some molecues from benign to toxic (and in reverse). I wish you well in your battle with the borg!

i wish the buds in baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and lemon

any source regarding mineral oil trichomes? that's got me worried.



got any tips on how to deal with the mites during flower if i can't use the oil?

 

[Phytoplankton]

No info on mineral oil, but since alcohol will dissolve in mineral oil, and alcohol will extract trichromes, it stands to reason that mineral oil will too, perhaps not as efficiently. You could try putting a little mineral oil on a piece of bud and see if it messes with the trichromes. The only thing I've ever had work to control (not eradicate) spider mites is to spray the undersides of the leaves and the buds with a a hard stream of water. Basically you're washing them off, and you have to do it every few days. I will not smoke anything that's been treated while in flower, my personal choice, again because there are no studies related to what happens to residual compounds when they are burned. The downside of using water is that it can lead to bud rot. I shake as much water out of the buds as I can, and do it early in the morning to give the plant a longer time to dry out. The borg suck! Knock on wood, this is the first year I haven't had any borg issues, I believe it's because I took the roof off the greenhouse allowing for better airflow, less heat and humidty.

 

[Spidermight]

No info on mineral oil, but since alcohol will dissolve in mineral oil, and alcohol will extract trichromes, it stands to reason that mineral oil will too, perhaps not as efficiently. You could try putting a little mineral oil on a piece of bud and see if it messes with the trichromes. The only thing I've ever had work to control (not eradicate) spider mites is to spray the undersides of the leaves and the buds with a a hard stream of water. Basically you're washing them off, and you have to do it every few days. I will not smoke anything that's been treated while in flower, my personal choice, again because there are no studies related to what happens to residual compounds when they are burned. The downside of using water is that it can lead to bud rot. I shake as much water out of the buds as I can, and do it early in the morning to give the plant a longer time to dry out. The borg suck! Knock on wood, this is the first year I haven't had any borg issues, I believe it's because I took the roof off the greenhouse allowing for better airflow, less heat and humidty.

it's just called mineral oil, there is no other info on what exactly it is on the package

the water thing ain't an option for me, would take wayy to long, my girls are very very big, would take me hours to treat all of them and i'd have to repeat too often - maybe someone else who's had the issue will weigh in

 

[Roy Growin]

They're my worst nightmare
You can slow them down by cutting off leaves, spray soap (suffocates them, and they can't feed on soapy leaves) on the undersides and try to keep humidity up, they don't like that - or ladybirds
If they are mainly at the bottom of the plant, wipe honey round the stem above so they can't migrate up the stem into your bud

 

[013]

yes I’m firm believer that anything sprayed, added to the soil, water or air can impact the taste.

Our sponsor SNS makes a product called SNS 217 for spider mites

Another option wettable or micronized sulfur is a plant friendly natural element, its cheap, it’s a miticide, prevents rust and pm. It can be foliar sprayed but IIRC you should not switch from oil to sulfur or vice versa unless you allow 2 week gap to prevent leaf burn - anywho read both labels to check for interactions

if you do sulfur foliar then shake well and shake often,

Mites attach their eggs to leaf undersides so when you spray for pests….. go up her skirt is the best way to remember you should always spray leaf undersides first. then go from top down on outside.

 

[SmokingWings]

i wish the buds in baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and lemon

The Hydrogen Peroxide & water solution helps to kill off and wash out any remaining spores, etc of Powdery MIldew or other molds that might still be on the buds after harvest.

The baking soda and lemon juice mixture is very fascinating in how and why it works to loosen dust and other stuff from the trichomes and flower surfaces. The stuff has been used in clothes washing for generations so finding info on how it works was not very hard.

The acetic acid in the lemon juices helps break free oils from the plant surface. The really tiny particles of baking soda are mildly abrasive and help cut off the loosen particles of oil and dirt. Mixing baking soda and lemon juice in the right proportions causes the fizzy action in the water bucket. That agitation helps to cause more particles of dirt to come free from the plant material.

As for the use of Mineral Oil for controlling Spider Mites that is a new one. I do know that Mineral Oil, Baby Oil and Machine Oil (not Motor Oil) are pretty much the same oil, maybe just different stages of refinement. Many parents have used a few drops of Baby Oil in their child's ear to kill Ear Mites.

Several web pages out there on using vegetable oil mixed with a bit of liquid soap as an inexpensive spray for Spider MItes and other insects. Does your bottle of Mineral Oil say to use it for Spider Mites or just for mites?

 

[Spidermight]

@SmokingWings @013 @Growings

let me explain better what i'm looking for, first of all - forget natural method's, i'm a firm believer that people who recommend natural method's such as h2O2 for spider mites never had a serious issue (seriously, things can get crazy with these fuckers, ), i'm sure it can work indoors.

but i'm outdoors, full off plants and trees covered in pests around me, because the environment is great for pests around here, any plant that isn't covered by pesticides will get attacked.

stuff like h2o2 needs to be applied every day as it only kills mites on contact and eggs will again hatch in 2 day's

it would take me 2 hours every other day to apply it to all of my plants, don't have that time...

i'm looking for a cannabis-safe pesticide that like most pesticides only needs to be applied once a week or less.....

also possibly not overpriced, the mineral oil i use is biologic and only costs 12 euro/500ml ( it's very concentrated only need 10ml/L)


what do weed farmers use on a large scale in the fields?

is there any way i can test if this mineral oil will melt trichomes?


i'm not too worried about taste as i wash my weed very well, all rather smoke oil than spider mites and eggs, eww


besides, don't all of you guy's go to a conventional grocery store like most people? stuff there is littered with pesticides hormones and other stuff, personally, i wouldn't be too worried about a pesticide applied in adequate quantities on my weed

especally after i give the buds a good h2o2 baking soda and lemon wash




honestly the best would be if you guy's could tell me a pesticide compound name that is safe on weed, i'm from south EU and many products don't ship here from overseas or have crazy shipping prices, kinda growing on a budget here guys been using the same shitty 10 euro PH meter for 4 years and still pulling off 400g/plant, MC only no other addatives

i'll never go back to complicated additives and fertilizers, MC only has done me so well and i saved SOOOO much money,simple really is best as some say

 

[Spidermight]

The Hydrogen Peroxide & water solution helps to kill off and wash out any remaining spores, etc of Powdery MIldew or other molds that might still be on the buds after harvest.

The baking soda and lemon juice mixture is very fascinating in how and why it works to loosen dust and other stuff from the trichomes and flower surfaces. The stuff has been used in clothes washing for generations so finding info on how it works was not very hard.

The acetic acid in the lemon juices helps break free oils from the plant surface. The really tiny particles of baking soda are mildly abrasive and help cut off the loosen particles of oil and dirt. Mixing baking soda and lemon juice in the right proportions causes the fizzy action in the water bucket. That agitation helps to cause more particles of dirt to come free from the plant material.

As for the use of Mineral Oil for controlling Spider Mites that is a new one. I do know that Mineral Oil, Baby Oil and Machine Oil (not Motor Oil) are pretty much the same oil, maybe just different stages of refinement. Many parents have used a few drops of Baby Oil in their child's ear to kill Ear Mites.

Several web pages out there on using vegetable oil mixed with a bit of liquid soap as an inexpensive spray for Spider MItes and other insects. Does your bottle of Mineral Oil say to use it for Spider Mites or just for mites?

the bottle say's it controls mites as well as many other pests. interesting the vegetable oil + soap mix

however if the mineral oil is safe on weed i'd rather stick to it since it's been very good.

this is it:

it say's it's mineral oil but not much else, the product is called "

VITHAL BIOLID UP"​

 

[Roy Growin]

Surely mineral oil will stick to the trichomes?
I have used nicotine based insecticide with success but I don't know how that would scale up
The soap mix will at least slow them down, maybe that's all you can do

 

[Spidermight]

Surely mineral oil will stick to the trichomes?
I have used nicotine based insecticide with success but I don't know how that would scale up
The soap mix will at least slow them down, maybe that's all you can do

i'm 2 weeks in flower is rn, imma give em the last mineral oil spray and ig i'll have to try some other method for flowering

nicotine could def work i think. also i don't mind it on my buds, i love my blunts with a nice thick tobacco wrap

 

[SmokingWings]

interesting the vegetable oil + soap mix

I was curious about mineral oil being used in a spray as a way to control the problem. When I did a search on the mineral oil spray the use of vegetable oils mixed with liquid soap and then mixed into water showed up in the search results. I then refined the question to the following question: vegetable oil and soap spray for mites

(right click and translate it's in italian)

Not a problem. What I can't figure out I will have my wife translate for me. It gives her something to help keep up with her Italian and she feels involved in one of my hobbies or activities.

but i'm outdoors, full off plants and trees covered in pests around me, because the environment is great for pests around here, any plant that isn't covered by pesticides will get attacked.

There should be a balance of predator insects that take care of the mites. So far my outdoor plants over the last 4 years have not shown any signs of a mite or any insect problem. I have had some insects show up and eat part of a leaf but they never do more than that. So far there has not been a problem and if an insect problem shows up I will be using every organic or natural pesticide I can before going to the products made with man--made chemicals.

 

[Spidermight]

I was curious about mineral oil being used in a spray as a way to control the problem. When I did a search on the mineral oil spray the use of vegetable oils mixed with liquid soap and then mixed into water showed up in the search results. I then refined the question to the following question: vegetable oil and soap spray for mites


Not a problem. What I can't figure out I will have my wife translate for me. It gives her something to help keep up with her Italian and she feels involved in one of my hobbies or activities.


There should be a balance of predator insects that take care of the mites. So far my outdoor plants over the last 4 years have not shown any signs of a mite or any insect problem. I have had some insects show up and eat part of a leaf but they never do more than that. So far there has not been a problem and if an insect problem shows up I will be using every organic or natural pesticide I can before going to the products made with man--made chemicals.

what kind of liquid soap should i be using? dish soap seems pretty toxic on buds IMO


thing is, i'll always have mites because my entire garden is infected with alll kinds of pests, weather here is perfect for pests. anything that doesn't get sprayed, including bushes, trees etc, gets covered alive

 

[SmokingWings]

Surely mineral oil will stick to the trichomes?
I have used nicotine based insecticide with success but I don't know how that would scale up
The soap mix will at least slow them down, maybe that's all you can do

Based on what I have read on this topic over the last several years the Neem Oil works well for soft body insects, like Mites, because the insect absorbs something in the Neem Oil that destroys their digestive system so they stop feeding and die off. Since the topic of Mineral Oil for Mites came up I found information that says these oils, even if diluted, will put a coating on the insect and basically kill it by smothering it.

Also, the Mineral Oil & Soap mixed with water produce a spray than not only smothers Mites but will start to kill of many of the hard body insects the same way, smothering them.

Surely mineral oil will stick to the trichomes?

I figure the same thing. The product that the Original Poster is using is diluted with iso alcohol (isopropyl or common rubbing alcohol) according to the links provided. Health wise the Mineral Oil is not a problem since it is sometimes used as an over-the-counter medicine internally and on the skin. So it is not necessarily bad for people but it might affect the taste.

 

[SmokingWings]

what kind of liquid soap should i be using? dish soap seems pretty toxic on buds IMO

Look for an organic dish soap, or one that is made from plants. Assuming that you are in Italy a google search for organic soaps or vegetable based soaps "available in Italy" should provide some results. Might be as simple walking to the store without having to order anything on-line. Over here those types of products often cost more.

 

[bobrown14]

i wish the buds in baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and lemon

any source regarding mineral oil trichomes? that's got me worried.



got any tips on how to deal with the mites during flower if i can't use the oil?

Try using horticultural soap. It's not soap just the name.

Wetable sulfur is good but not on plants already treated with oils.

 

[Roy Growin]

Based on what I have read on this topic over the last several years the Neem Oil works well for soft body insects, like Mites, because the insect absorbs something in the Neem Oil that destroys their digestive system so they stop feeding and die off. Since the topic of Mineral Oil for Mites came up I found information that says these oils, even if diluted, will put a coating on the insect and basically kill it by smothering it.

Also, the Mineral Oil & Soap mixed with water produce a spray than not only smothers Mites but will start to kill of many of the hard body insects the same way, smothering them.

I figure the same thing. The product that the Original Poster is using is diluted with iso alcohol (isopropyl or common rubbing alcohol) according to the links provided. Health wise the Mineral Oil is not a problem since it is sometimes used as an over-the-counter medicine internally and on the skin. So it is not necessarily bad for people but it might affect the taste.

A lot of skin stuff contains paraffin but I wouldn't advise smoking it
(I'm not disagreeing with you SW)

 

[Southerncough]

Just be careful, safe to eat doesn't always mean safe to light on fire and inhale! Unless you're making edibles only, then i guess it's still safe to eat.

 

[Roy Growin]

Just be careful, safe to eat doesn't always mean safe to light on fire and inhale! Unless you're making edibles only, then i guess it's still safe to eat.

Ooh, one has to worry about 'guess' lol