hi im just curious what precautionalry methods people use for keeping spider mite out of their grow rooms. I have a small grow room setup in my garage , I use surface spray around doors , cracks etc. I filter all air entering and again use surface spray. I go straight from the house to the shed to work in my grow room and avoid going near the garden. Yet I still get spider mite. I irradicate it from the grow room using flea bombs but would prefer to keep it out. I have thought of flea bombing the entire garage every 3months, possibly using dissposable overalls and shoes for entering the grow room and keep these dosed in surface spray. What do other people do to keep these little bastards out? thanks wilson
Quarantine methods for Spider Mites
- Thread starter wilson2
- Start date
First of all, it happens to everybody.
Second, have a bottle of neem oil handy.
And
The eucalyptus oil is placed in shot glasses around the grow. It is a repeller
Second, have a bottle of neem oil handy.
And
taken from my journal.
The eucalyptus oil is placed in shot glasses around the grow. It is a repeller
Far East Buds
Well-Known Member
I have specific grow room clothes. Not disposable just specific with certain shoes. Nothing enters the rooms without a quarantine or sealed. I don't take plants from others etc. The oil trick sounds really good too but haven't tried it. Seal up everything the best you can and then go back and reseal that. Spider mites are tiny so...
Good Luck
Peace
FE
Good Luck
Peace
FE
- Thread starter
- #5
I saw in one of the professional grow rooms where they sprayed their shoes with bleach.
It works in a small area, but I also noticed that jiffy pots, after the bag has been opened, can't be used. It's like they sprout from there.
You can use foodgraded diatomaceous Earth too.
- Thread starter
- #7
- Thread starter
- #9
Have you thought about using beneficial bugs within the grow room to help keep them at bay?
- Thread starter
- #11
ok there was an improvement in outbreak numbers, I kept a garbage bin near the grow room which kept overalls shoes and fill hose. The bin was sprayed with surface spray and the lid left on. The last 2 infestations started at the back of the room implying they weren't entering via the door or with me. Im now in the process of stripping out the room, replastering any joins or holes and gapfilling around the bottom of the plaster, painting and making the room air tight. This should keep them out and give me the option to run co2. I read somewhere where people increase the co2 levels for short periods to kill spider mite does anyone know more about this process? thanks wilson
- Thread starter
- #12
I found this in the forum
Using CO2 to kill spider mites and any other insects in your grow can be very cheap and effective!
Things to consider first:
Do you have an air-tight room, if not can you seal off all or part of it?
Can the room be vented to the outside?
You will have to have circulating fans because CO2 is heavier than air and will settle to the floor quite rapidly if not circulated.
You will need a PPM counter or use cubic foot math equations to figure out how much to use.
You will most likely have to do it 2-4 times for total kill.
I've heard PPM (parts per million) of 5000-20,000 for 1-4 hours will kill pests, I have no idea what PPM level is required for each type of pest we may encounter in our grows. I like to do things once and make sure things are dead so I go 50,000+ (See below Dangers of CO2)
What I have done:
Plants up to 48" tall, I enclose in large garbage bags squeeze out as much air as possible (without harming the plant inside) slide a 1/4" line from my CO2 regulator into the top and fill the bag like a balloon then tie it off tightly and let it sit for a couple hours. This raises the CO2 PPM level in the bag to 400,000-700,000 PPM (40-70% CO2!) this is unsurvivable and will kill any and I mean ANY insects trapped inside. I do not know or think this will kill unhatched eggs so I repeat every 2 days until I have passed the life cycle (Hatch, Mature, Lay Eggs) of the pests being eradicated.
I have opened four 42 gallon garbage bags full of this mix at one time in a 20x12x8 room and did not have any high level CO2 symptoms, my PPM meter maxes at 5000 PPM and didn't hit 5000 until I opened the 4th bag.
For larger plants or a room use plastic sheeting and a good tape such as Tyvek Tape to seal it off and flood with CO2, have a fan to recirculate confined area for a few hours and then vent out the CO2.
Make sure you are able to vent this to the outside!
CO2 is 100% non harmful to your plants and during light times it is greatly beneficial, although levels above 1500 PPM are not used by the plant.
DANGERS!!
Although CO2 is 100% non toxic it DOES displace oxygen and can SUFFOCATE you!
The MSDS for CO2 states that levels up to 30,000 PPM (3%) can be worked in for 15 minutes at a time
At 40,000 PPM (4%) it is immediately hazardous to you health or life.
If you inhale too much CO2, initial symptoms are- Headache, nausea, dizziness. If you encounter any one of these get to fresh air as soon as possible and the symptoms will dissipate rapidly.
CO2 is heavier than air and will settle in lower areas (especially basements) if they are not properly ventilated.
This should cost you between $20-$100 to accomplish, much cheaper than a bunch of Neem oil applications
.
CO2 can be purchased at just about any welding gas supply shop, you can always tell them it's for a Keg refrigerator in your man cave if you worry about being questioned
Hopefully this helps someone out there, I'm open to any suggestions or other findings as well!
Use caution, have a friend nearby and most of all use common sense and CO2 can be a very safe, non toxic and effective way of killing those nasty mites or any other insects in your grow
Bush Doctor 77
Well-Known Member
A hand lens(jewler's loupe) to find them early, and neem oil w/dish soap to spray plants.
- Thread starter
- #14
- Thread starter
- #15
hi I've been fighting spider mite infestations for yrs. about 6mths ago I read an article on spider mite in the 420mag forum. It involved covering the fan inlet to the room with stainless mesh 120microns, I modified this recommendation to 100microns built a large frame to allow extra surface area so I didn't choke my inlet fan, and 6 grows later next to no spider mite. The mites can still come in on me or back through the extraction fan. However the extraction fan kicks in during the dark cycle so hopefully this is enough to keep them clear. I run co2 so the fans aren't operating during the light cycle. As an added precaution I spray the room with a bug spray which I got from the local hydro supplier in between grows.
- Thread starter
- #16
seaofgreen18
Well-Known Member
Beneficial insects my friend
Sueet
Well-Known Member
It is less about the mesh and more about not providing the conditions they prefer.
