SO!! a while back I accepted 3 AK47 clones as a "repayment". That was my first mistake, but it was sure gonna get the ball rollin' with my perpetual grow. The clones didn't look exactly right. they had the tell tell signs of spider mites. they had the lil while dots on the leaves. They were in rockwool. I quarantined them and I never saw a mite one. ANYWHERE!!!!! Until last night that is.
I had moved all 3 "gifts" to the big room and I had taken about 12 cuttings off of 1 of them. Well some how I have been missing these damn lil things. Mites and webs on anything that had anything to do with my 3 new "gifts". I had to ditch all of the cuttings that were in the bubble cloner. I removed the seedlings that were in that veg chamber with them to another spot to, maybe, keep them from also being infected. Keeping my eyes open for sure. :surprise:
All 3 infected clones were in the flower room with 2 ww. The WW don't SEEM to be affected. I removed the WW and left the Ak going. I sprayed to soil and plants with a neem oil based pest spray. I have 3 different store bought sprays plus the ole reliable that's in the faq.
The oldest of the ak's (33 days 12-12) is the worst infested. One has a fewer mites/webs on it (10 days 12-12) and 1 has hardly any on it (23 days 12-12).
It's gonna really screw my timetable up if I have to ditch these plants. I have some seedlings that will be ready in a few weeks, but that's gonna put me way behind. They were gonna go into 12-12 as the "mite plants" came out.
what i am asking is, should I just dump the infetsed plants, clean the room a few times in the down period and start over with the seedlings I have going and count it up as an experience? Or, should I just continue with the infected AK plants, continue with the spraying and harvest the plants as usual, maybe just a lil early? I can postpone putting the seedlings in the flower room until all of the AK's are gone and I have cleaned the room well enough.
I hate to just lose these plants they look healthy otherwise, but I don't want an ifestation from now on.
has anyone taken spider mite infested plants till harvest. what were the results? taste?
I know what I should do, but like I said I hate to kill 3 killer plants.
thanks for the time and sorry for the long ass post
wa
Steve O
well in my opinion,
if you can quarantine them, try to save them. but i would say definately keep them away from the White widows. you said it went undetected for some time, and you may miss it on your widows. double and triple check those babies cuz they might have them.
but otherwise, see what happens with the AK plants, you never know, one could pull a quarter or somethin, never know unless you try;)
wawona
already done!!! i promptly removed and harvested them upon discovery of the problem. was about a week early, but better than a week late. i feel sure there will be mites there too.
wa
Steve O
well if you are expecting, cant you remedy the problem before it becomes a 'full-scale' problem? i'd just hate to see a whole season's work ruined by something dumb.
trillions of atoms
good move wawao.... hope you got a hold of the problem....Fuck SM~!!!!
(Edited by trillions of atoms at 6:50 pm on Dec. 30, 2005)
Herbsparky
Ouch...that sucks bigtime Wa. Never had problem with pests myself, but I know what an infestation of powdery mildew can do to a crop in no time! Sucks when we get a monkey wrench in the machine cogs for sure. However it's a part of the game we all must face sometime...sad but true. Hope ya figure things out and save the lot.
Herbsparky
Almost forgot....
Grower's rule #2 ~ NEVER accept plants from outside the 'sacred space'.
4Q2
wa'...lemme' say, mites are the toughest pest to eliminate IMO, neem tastes worse than the spiders 'n webs. I found this on a university site(Indiana I think) I know that Ive posted this here before, and you'ce ptobably read it, recall it and have applied it to your situation, but.. "These folks say that mites need to transpire almost continually. They suggested using a bit of "wilt proof" on them as it slows the transpiration process down. They also said that they have been successful using a mixture of 1/2 isopropyl alcohol to 1/2 water and spraying it directly on the plants making sure to cover entire surface top and bottom of leaves. let dry and then 15 minutes later hit them again with the same solution.
The site went on to say that they have seen very little harm to the plants treated and have had 100% success in killing the mites on the plants treated with this method."
I'll add this.."CONSISTANT" repeated treatments, every 3-5 days is absolutely crucial. For at least 2 weeks, I recommend 3. You have to kill each generation of bitches, as they hatch, and before they lay eggs.
heres more on their reproductive cycle..
A female lays about 100 eggs during her lifetime. Depending upon climate conditions, the eggs hatch in as little as 2-3 days, and the adult stage is reached in 7-10 days. The females reproduction is greatly affected by climate and humidity with a significant difference in the days till their maturity dependant upon the temperature i.e.) egg to adult. For instance at 60 degrees Fahrenheit, it takes 30 days for the egg to become an adult, at 70 degrees 14.5 days and here is the astounding number - 90 degrees Fahrenheit they reach adulthood in just 3.5 days! So now imagine those populations increases over a month when the offspring start to reproduce less than a week after hatching - at 70 degrees she and her offspring number 13,000; at 80 degrees she and her offspring represent a staggering potential of 13,000,000 individuals over a single month - huge population increases!
Mites evaporate large quantities of water from their bodies, so they must suck juices from the plants. This is easier for them to do in a dry environment. Humid environments (above 60% RH) slow down their metabolism, life span and reproductive rate. Mites may be controlled somewhat by lowering the temperatures (at about 50 degrees Fahrenheit they start to hibernate), thus slowing down their life process considerable. Even if you only decrease the temperature during the indoor dark cycle (when it is easier to lower temperatures), the progression rate of the infestation is slowed considerable
wawona
fellas I apprreciate that greatly. great Info 4Q. very helpful. that neem does smell bad. i have some homemade spary from the faq too
Herb, the sad thing is I know not to take shit in. I KNOW it!! Damn it!!! Any way, kinda like telling the lil kid not to touch the stove because it's hot, but he touches it any way. NOW he REALLY KNOWS it's hot.
I have a question. Do mites travel? do they leave their pot? crawl out of their soil? I figure they move from plant to plant if they are touching, but can they survive outside of the pot/plant?
thanks
wa
Steve O
well i do know if you look at them with a magnifying glass, you can see them move, supposedly... so if they can move, why could they not infect your others? not trying to make you worry, i'm just saying it could happen.
