zander19
Well-Known Member
Step 1: Identify how/where you got spider mites
If you already have an infestation, you will immediately wan to start hitting them hard with something that will kill them on contact (several options are listed below). But....
First, what type of spider mite do you have?
Chances are you'll be able to use one of the less harsh home remedies to stop your infestation.
The two-spotted mites often seem to be the worst spider mite in this category!
These specialized spider mites are incredibly developed at living on marijuana plants, and will already be immune to many common spider mite remedies.
If you believe you got your spider mites from another marijuana grower, then don't play games. Get serious and get rid of your mites NOW, before they adapt to your grow room and become unstoppable.
Azamax is a time-tested way to rid your grow room of spider mites - Spray plants 15 minutes before lights out, making sure to drench the foliage under the leaves as well as the top of your soil. Use a fan to blow on your leaves to help things dry. Treat your room more than once, even if you believe the spidermites are gone. You can also add small amounts of Azamax when watering your plants, as it will not hurt your roots but will kill spider mites in the soil.
If you already have an infestation, you will immediately wan to start hitting them hard with something that will kill them on contact (several options are listed below). But....
First, what type of spider mite do you have?
- Tracked in from outside
- Vegetable garden
- Animals/pets
- From a plant besides marijuana
Chances are you'll be able to use one of the less harsh home remedies to stop your infestation.
- From another marijuana grower
- Clones were infested with spider mites
- Tracked spider mites in from another marijuana garden
- Any time the spider mites were living on another marijuana plant before they got to your plants
The two-spotted mites often seem to be the worst spider mite in this category!
These specialized spider mites are incredibly developed at living on marijuana plants, and will already be immune to many common spider mite remedies.
If you believe you got your spider mites from another marijuana grower, then don't play games. Get serious and get rid of your mites NOW, before they adapt to your grow room and become unstoppable.
Azamax is a time-tested way to rid your grow room of spider mites - Spray plants 15 minutes before lights out, making sure to drench the foliage under the leaves as well as the top of your soil. Use a fan to blow on your leaves to help things dry. Treat your room more than once, even if you believe the spidermites are gone. You can also add small amounts of Azamax when watering your plants, as it will not hurt your roots but will kill spider mites in the soil.
- Mighty Wash - use in a similar way to Azamax
- Spinosad Products (safe & organic) - Spinosad products are organic and unlike many othe spider mite pesticides, completely harmless to pets, children, and plants. Unlike many insecticides, you can spray spinosad heavily on leaves and roots with basically no negative effects. Spinosad products can be used directly to kill spider mites on contact, but can also be used when watering plants to systematically kill spider mites via the roots. Spinosad is also effective at fighting caterpillers, thrips, and many other marijuana pests.
Can be used both as a topical spray like Azamax and Mighty Wash, and can also be used directly at the roots. Spinosad is an organic insecticide made from the fermentation of a specific soil bacteria (actinomycete Saccharopolyspora spinosa) and kills spider mites via ingestion or contact by effecting the insect nervous system. Spinosad can be a good choice for organic and outdoor growers, because it is very toxic to spider mites, but is less toxic to many beneficial arthropods.
Note: Most spinosad products are effective for only about 24 hours after being mixed with water, so only mix as much as you will need per application. Anything left over will be waste.
- Doktor Doom Spider Mite Knockout Spray - This spray is hard on spider mites, but the main ingredient Pyrethrum can also be hard on plants (espcially in tight spaces without much ventilation) so use as a last resort if possible. Use with extreme care around humans as the ingredients can be toxic. Never use Pyrethrum-based products on your plants while your grow lights are on as it canburn your plants! Avoid using Pyrethrum products on young or sensitive plants as they can get burned even when the lights are left off. Do cover your grow lights and vents when bombing your plants with Pyrethrum and make sure you give the area at least 24 hours to air out before you try to breathe the air. This spray can works well for a couple of plants, but you'll want a Pyrethrum fogger if you have a lot of plants to treat. Outdoors, Pyrethrum can kill beneficial insects too, so keep that in mind if you're using natural predators to control pests (like ladybugs). All that being said, this spray will work to get rid of most spider mites, and it kills them on contact. Pyrethrum kills spider mites but not their eggs, so this product usually needs to be used 2-4 times (once every 2-3 days) to stop the breeding cycle and get rid of the toughest infestations.
- NoPest Strips - these emit a vapor that kills spider mites, do NOT use if you will be breathing air from your grow room. only get these if there will be no mammals breathing in the grow room while they're being used. These are only suitable if you're growing somewhere that is NOT your living space.
- Floramite - Strong stuff with harsh chemicals, incredibly expensive, but it often does the job when everything else fails. Use as directed and only as a last resort!
- Bleach solution (1 tablespoon of bleach to 1 gallon of 95°F, pH balanced, water in a spray bottle) - make sure to clean all surfaces of your room, and bleach them too if possible.
- Alcohol and Water mixed togther will also kill the bugs on contact and shouldn't hurt the plant as long as the solution contains at least 30% water.
- SM-90 mixed with water (1 part SM-90 to 5 parts water) kills spider mites on contact and is organic (it even smells good!)
