Advice with Bug Control?

Alright so I have this problem with bugs that continues to occur after each grow and I just cant figure out what to do about it. I get gnats on just about every grow but they don't really do much, I lay sticky traps down for them and use Hot Shot pest strips as well. This usually takes care of the gnats but I still get other insects.
On my last grow I ended up infested with mites to the point where I had to toss a few plants.
On this current grow I ended up with what I believe are thrips or aphids. I didn't get any mites this time (that I can pinpoint) just these long skinny tiny bugs. I have never come across this pest before and I don't want to risk them infesting my next grow. I'm growing urban poison and northern lights next and the last thing I can afford is for pest to infest my grow. I do have some holes in the walls of the room I am growing in but I plan on fixing them before my next grow.
What could for all around pest control/prevention?

I spray every couple weeks with azamax as a preventive.

Ill have to get some azamax ive heard of it but never used it. do you know of anything good that I can put in the soil if I do get bugs? I've never had bugs on the plants themselves, only in the soil attacking the roots.

Mosquito dunks crushed and in the water for gnats.

First and foremost, always use a sterilized soil that had been heated with steam for a duration of 1 hour at at least 170 degrees Fahrenheit. So basically buy sterilized soil or soilless media.

For fungus gnats, the best way I've found to get rid of them is with cedar oil. Brand names are like go-gnats and gnatural (something like that). You put a tablespoon per 10 gallons of water and water every time. Smells good and the little cedar particles cut the larva up in the soil and effectively kill them after a month of straight watering with the oil right in your fertilizer mix. Also, has some success with a predator nematode called, Steinernema feltiae Again, you water into the soil and the nematodes kills the larva. Fungus gnats really only hurt the plants when they are young and eating roots in the soil.

Aphids are large (2-5 mm) and green. They hang out on stems and petioles and pierce the plant. Usually can tell it is them because they cluster and don't really move and you will see sugars coming out of the plant were they pierce the plant. Most remedies like azadirachtin and neem oil, yada, yada work on them.

Thrips, are winged as adults and fast little jumping skittering things that are clearish/ white to slightly clear green. they are like 2 mm long and much smaller than aphids. They pupate in the soil like fungus gnats, so again two insects with one stone if you use cedar oil in your watering routine.

If you get spider mites. Shut down. Harvest. And clean everything. Get plants without them and start again. Only way to truly get rid of them. Place small newly taken clones of the genetics you want to keep in a non ventilated area with Hot-Shot No Pest Strips for like a month. Rotate heavy hitting miticides like Floramite and Avid, etc. Pretty much things that you need a pesticide handlers license to get and pray that they don't ever come back. Never wear clothing you wear outside in your indoor setup.

mm

Organics101 said:

Alright so I have this problem with bugs that continues to occur after each grow and I just cant figure out what to do about it. I get gnats on just about every grow but they don't really do much, I lay sticky traps down for them and use Hot Shot pest strips as well. This usually takes care of the gnats but I still get other insects.
On my last grow I ended up infested with mites to the point where I had to toss a few plants.
On this current grow I ended up with what I believe are thrips or aphids. I didn't get any mites this time (that I can pinpoint) just these long skinny tiny bugs. I have never come across this pest before and I don't want to risk them infesting my next grow. I'm growing urban poison and northern lights next and the last thing I can afford is for pest to infest my grow. I do have some holes in the walls of the room I am growing in but I plan on fixing them before my next grow.
What could for all around pest control/prevention?

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Yellow sticky traps are really for pest control. They were thought up for use in greenhouse to aid with someone Integrated Pest Management Plan. It is easy to see and identify insects on them quickly and effectively when you have 1000s of square feet of pest scouting to do in short amount of time.

mm

I find that the best way to control gnats is to use mother nature shes cheap, shes easy and no chemicals.. I have used it all from Azamax to go gnats, gnatrol , neem oil hot shot pest strips etc.... A grow buddy of mine a few years ago turned me on to predatory nematodes ( a microscopic ring worm that feeds on the gnat larvae ) works great I now add them to my pots in veg and again in flower.. Basically keeps the gnats from landing on the medium to fuck and lay larvae to them its like landing in a pool filled with hungry sharks.. I use sticky pads to catch the adults..

http://www.naturescontrol.com/pests.html

I'm definitely going to jump on the cedar oil. I believe now that I have thrips and gnats. I know for a fact I have gnats though. Ill water with the cedar oil on a regular and lay down some sticky pads and hot shot strips. I haven't heard of cedar oil before but it sounds like something I really need. I've been searching for something I can use use on a regular in the soil, and if it takes out the gnats and the thrips than that's whats up. I'm pretty certain i'm getting all the bugs from the air conditioner in my window. But I need the air conditioner because without it it gets to hot in my room. Seems like an easy access point for them to come rite in though. And the warmer days are here so theirs much more bugs anyways. Ill use all possible preventions that I can use.
thanks for the advice

how much predatory nematodes should I add per plant? I plan on getting them but i'm a bit unclear on the doses ect.

one other thing, I use organic fox farm ocean forest potting soil, should I sterilize every bit of soil in the bag? seems like that might take a good while. I never got into hydro growing but I want to, but for now im stuck with my soil setup until I have money for some sort of hydro system.

Mite kill works for everything? thrips mites aphids gnats and everything in between? If so that's the shit i need.

Also can i use it in combination with a predatory nematode?

Do you think its necessary to sterilize my entire 20 pound bag of Ocean Forest? I could do it but its going to take a bit of time, though i know it would be only benefit it.

Organics101 said:

Mite kill works for everything? thrips mites aphids gnats and everything in between? If so that's the shit i need.

Also can i use it in combination with a predatory nematode?

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Mite kill website doesn't list any active ingredients or anything about how it works or what it is. It is a sham. All it says is that it is exempt from FIFRA, which of course is suspect as well. Organic does not mean safe. It just means untested by the EPA and FDA.

The nematodes usually come in some kind of powder from a reputable beneficial insect place. If you have questions call them and talk to an entomologist about application rates and what not.

mm

medicalmary said:

Mite kill website doesn't list any active ingredients or anything about how it works or what it is. It is a sham. All it says is that it is exempt from FIFRA, which of course is suspect as well. Organic does not mean safe. It just means untested by the EPA and FDA.

The nematodes usually come in some kind of powder from a reputable beneficial insect place. If you have questions call them and talk to an entomologist about application rates and what not.

mm

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Also, if you have spider mites they will try to up sell you products like predator mites. These only work under very specific environmental condition. Make sure that the kind of predator mites you get will actually live in the place that you grow.

mm

Organics101 said:

Do you think its necessary to sterilize my entire 20 pound bag of Ocean Forest? I could do it but its going to take a bit of time, though i know it would be only benefit it.

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I personally do not like the ocean forest. It is overpriced and tends to be very hot. Doesn't have good buffering capacity and isn't innoculated with beneficial bacteria or mycorrhiza. Should be sterilized, but sometimes things get through due to quality control issues as with any soil. Another brand that might be available that is cheap and okay is blackjack. I use it for house plants, but I do not grow in soil. I use pro mix #4 and extra perlite. It is made out of sphagnum peat moss essentially, but not "organic".

mm