Spider Mites and 1 week from harvest HELP!

I've been battling mites off and on and am about a week from harvest and they are back! I need some input as to what to do so close to harvest.

I don't want to use predators (such as lady bugs) since they wouldn't be here in time and my wife would flip out. I need to know what to do to avoid mold.

If I spray with neem oil or some kind of insecticidal soap, do you think I could get the buds dry enough using multiple fans and/or a hair dryer on cool to get them dried out enough?

I know I could make hash but really want to have a pot harvest.

Has anyone ever tried placing a garbage bag over the plant and flooding it with a pure carbon dioxide atmosphere for a few minutes to suffocate the bastards? Would this damage the plants?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I have herd of useing a garbage bag and a CO2 container like the ones for pellet guns. Some have said to let it sit for 24hours. I think thats a little long and could hurt the plant. Others say up to an hour from what i have read and it helps but i do not believe it gets rid of the larva. the plant uses CO2 anyway so that wouldnt hurt the plant unless you sprayed it directly onto the plant and freezing it. Good Luck and hope your harvest come out awsome

if you only have one week use a bug pyrethium bomb. they sell em at hydro stores. also put up like three no pest strips to prevent them from coming back dont spray anything on your buds it fuks em

ACSCorp said:

I've been battling mites off and on and am about a week from harvest and they are back! I need some input as to what to do so close to harvest.

I don't want to use predators (such as lady bugs) since they wouldn't be here in time and my wife would flip out. I need to know what to do to avoid mold.

If I spray with neem oil or some kind of insecticidal soap, do you think I could get the buds dry enough using multiple fans and/or a hair dryer on cool to get them dried out enough?

I know I could make hash but really want to have a pot harvest.

Has anyone ever tried placing a garbage bag over the plant and flooding it with a pure carbon dioxide atmosphere for a few minutes to suffocate the bastards? Would this damage the plants?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

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I'm right behind you and have been fighting them as well. Tried a baking soda/apple cider vinegar/dish soap/lemon juice combo that worked for about a week...but it did singe some of the pistils and small leaves. I'm on the hunt for some other solution too. Don't have a local store where I am - it's all a trek. I am nervous about pyrethrins on buds because I'd think you could taste them, but I don't know. Heard about Ed Rosenthal's Zero Tolerance, but closest store is 55 miles away and that's a long haul. Basically, any arachnid spray would work, but I want safe for me - and arachnid killing. Not sure what I can do.

Let me know if you hear of anything. I'd be very interested in finding out - will share w/ you too if I find something safe. Or worst case, might be going through the process of making hash with you.

I hate spidermites. I really, really hate spidermites. Even worse than thrips.

as ive said b4 gardensafe fungicide3 will keep them out but i unno about 1 week b4 harvest wud it affect the bud curing/ burning

Yeah joebuck, spider mites suck. I have the two spotted variety. The infestation isn't that bad but they are still there and it grosses me out!

I've done a light spraying with an insecticidal soap and then a through drying using multiple fans. I then gently vacuumed the buds with one of those handheld vacuum cleaners to try to get some of the small webs out that I can only see with my 60X magnifier since I see eggs on the webs. I only have three plants so it is worth the effort.

What does everyone think about dipping the buds in water and stirring them around once I cut them and then pop them in a bud dryer (rubbermaid tub with a fan like Al B Fuct mentions in his DYI). Do you think this will dry them out quick enough to avoid mold if I keep the temperature cool enough (like 65 to 70 degrees)?

I really want to get as many of the mites and the eggs off as possible.

Yeah, I got some of the Fungicide3 but it's just Neem - and Neem smells like ASS so I definitely don't want that on my buds. I did spray the leaves that I could, hoping to at least hold them off.

I was wondering about compressed air. You could spray outside and then store for curing. Don't blow too hard or close (and get that nasty freezy water stuff). I have been keeping a fan on my girls and it seems to help ALOT, like the still air just lets them tiny spiders do as they please. And it's been humid, so that's probably helping me too.

I'm leaning toward compressed air next - blow those little f*ckers right off. Hoping you find something that works - post your results either way here or message me - I'm curious to see how yours turns out.

Tobacco tea is your salvation here, fellas. I would do a "rinse" cycle before harvesting, but other than that, perfectly smokable and I know it kills the hell out of spider mites.

10-15grams loose tobacco
1 Liter HOT water
Steep overnight, strain, add a few drops of non-antibacterial/antimicrobial soap, shake it up (you don't want lather, just barely foamy, the soap's there to kill the ashtray smell and break the water's surface tension), spray in a fine mist. You must be absolutely sure to get all surfaces, as well as the soil surface.

Compared to this Neem sucks ass, insecticidal soaps suck ass, malathion sucks ass, anything that stinks like pesticide sucks ass. The only critter I'm NOT sure was killed using tobacco tea were the leafminers. Oddly enough, once I started using it, I haven't gotten leafminers again.

Either way u are going to have bugs in the buds. Hash is lookin better every minute...

edit:\that tea mentioned above sounds like it is your answer

I bought some Fungicide3 also but think I am going to go with the tobacco steep Seamaiden mentioned. I've been using something like this on my apple tree and it worked rather well.

I think I have some time to go since my trichnones are still either clear or milky, none are amber yet. I may have overreacted with my calculated harvest time. I don't want to harvest too early and it looks like I will need the time. I stopped all nutes about 7 days ago and am thinking about going back to at least a 1/2 nute solution.

I'll keep you apprised of my progress.

Just cut them down, hang them upside down (like there's any other way) and ALL the mite will abandon ship. Check the tops of the stems everyday and you will find mites gathering at the top making webs, burn them. simply as that. Everyday you will find more, the eggs will hatch in 4 days(at 90 degrees), 15 days( at 80 degrees) and migrate to the top as well. By the beginning of week two of drying they will be gone. If you want to knock them off and push harvest back some more hit them hard with a spray bottle filled with 1:1 water alcohol solution just before lights out and turn your fan up (oscillating). This will keep them at bay, then harvest and hang.