I saw ONE spider mite. This is what I did. Will I be okay???

I've got a few plants that are right at a month from seed. I've never had a mite problem before. I don't know how or where I got them. Yesterday I poked my head in and saw ONE spider mite crawling on a leaf. From what I know, mites are like roaches. There's no such thing as one. I keep my whole house spotless and my grow area is completely clean all the time.

Anyway, I inspected all the plants and didn't find any other ones. I got some neem oil and doused all the plants on both the tops and bottom of the leaves. I also went and got a No Pest Strip and put it in there. I jacked up the humidity to about 60 and it's been that way for about 12 hours.

My grow is in a bathroom closet. The closet is ventilated into the bathroom, but the bathroom is sealed up. I know that the No Pest Strip is doing it's thing because the room and closet reeks of it. I'm going to leave the strip in for 3 or 4 days. If I see another mite I'll put it back. If that Pest Strip wasn't so nasty I'd leave it in longer, but that stuff is pretty vile smelling and not too good for you (or the plants) from what I've read.

Sound like a good plan? Think I'll be okay? This sucks big time.

If you saw a mite, it was probably an adult, which means that there are eggs. Neem Oil will kill mites that it touches, but not the eggs. You should spray with the Neem every 3 days until your plants are in their 4th week of flowering, if you want to remain organic. If chemicals are OK then use a miticide, like FloraMite, that is also an ovacide. (kills eggs, too)

Sunshine Closet said:

My grow is in a bathroom closet. The closet is ventilated into the bathroom, but the bathroom is sealed up. I know that the No Pest Strip is doing it's thing because the room and closet reeks of it. I'm going to leave the strip in for 3 or 4 days. If I see another mite I'll put it back. If that Pest Strip wasn't so nasty I'd leave it in longer, but that stuff is pretty vile smelling and not too good for you (or the plants) from what I've read.

Sound like a good plan? Think I'll be okay? This sucks big time.

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Sounds good. The No Pest Strip should take care of the problem in 3 or 4 days. You might want to turn off your ventilation fan, when you can, like when it's lights out.

Once you kill the mites with the No Pest Strip, they should be gone for the grow and you can keep it in a plastic baggie until needed.

Good Luck

Thanks for the replies. One of my plants had very minor bug damage to a couple fan leaves, but after looking again, I don't actually see any mites. I was lucky enough to squash the little bastard I saw, so hopefully this thing is still at a manageable level. On a side note, I found that to quickly mask the smell of your grow (flowers permitting), just give them a neem bath. Until yesterday when I went in there my mouth watered, now I want to vomit from the neem/pest strip smell.

No such one thing as one spider mite. Just my opinion. Sounds like you handled it pretty well though

Help also please!!!! I just started 4th week of flower and have some neem oil/pyrethrin concentrate to use. Should I start using the neem now or should I go with a black pepper spray or just try and ride it out... Im planning on breaking for a a while after this crop.....+rep 4 you!!!

Havent heard anything about this specific product but it looks alright. think I need to use it now.....^^

LOL, yeah, the smell of neem makes me gag too. I agree that the No-Pest Strip should take care of the problem. I wouldn't use it during flowering, but it should be fine during veg. Just leave in in there long enough to kill off any new mites that might hatch in the next few weeks. You really don't want any mites around when flowering, trust me.

beardogg said:

View attachment 1432563Havent heard anything about this specific product but it looks alright. think I need to use it now.....^^

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If that's the Green Light brand. Then that's what I used. I mixed it double strength. I'm not playing around with these bastards. I mean business. Don't know if that's a bad thing, but the plants didn't seem to mind 24 hours later.

One Mite, Means Many. They are Sneaky Shits. Just get a good schedule of Regular Cleaning And Poisoning area. I do it once a Week, Sweep..Spray. and keep sticky traps. IMHO you cannot be 100% pest free, cause honestly some you cannot and will never see. But they will not Effect Flowers.

I have read a bunch of spider mite posts and have not seen answers to a couple questions...

1. What effects do these fuckers have on buds? Low THC? Not so pretty looking? etc. etc.

2. Once I harvest these plants can anyone recommend something to clean the room with before the next batch goes in to flower? (bleach, rubbing alcohol and water mix, bug bombs, combo of all?)

3. I saw one guy post that you can crank the CO2 up to 2,000 ppm for an hour or so and that'll kill em', does this really work? I haven't heard that before but if it does I'll wait an extra day to move my plants from the veg room (no bug there so far) and I'll raise the CO2 ppm to 3,000 (just in case) for 24 hours and really nuke those pricks.

Thanks for the help!

jake43 said:

I have read a bunch of spider mite posts and have not seen answers to a couple questions...

1. What effects do these fuckers have on buds? Low THC? Not so pretty looking? etc. etc.

Not pretty looking, reduced yields.

2. Once I harvest these plants can anyone recommend something to clean the room with before the next batch goes in to flower? (bleach, rubbing alcohol and water mix, bug bombs, combo of all?)

I use Hot-Shot No-Pest Strip in my grow box, between grows and on clones.

3. I saw one guy post that you can crank the CO2 up to 2,000 ppm for an hour or so and that'll kill em', does this really work? I haven't heard that before but if it does I'll wait an extra day to move my plants from the veg room (no bug there so far) and I'll raise the CO2 ppm to 3,000 (just in case) for 24 hours and really nuke those pricks.

It works, you can also cover your plants with large garbage bags and fill with Co2.

Thanks for the help!

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Good Luck

The No Pest Strip was a smart move in my opinion. I use one in my tent and my nursery and I have a keen sense of smell. The only time I can smell them is when I first open the foil packaging. You can leave it in there for 10 days, make sure you break the adult/egg cycle, and then put it in a baggie as suggested or it's original package for later use.

Thanks guys!

Azatrol works, I'm pretty sure it kills eggs too, and its systemic, meaning the plants absorb it and anything that eats the plant will absorb it too, making it last longer, other than that Doktor Doom works great, kills on contact, havent seen a negative effect, I even misted my lil 3" clones and they show no adverse affect, you sound like you handled it well, mites move slow in high humidity so that was a good thing, also just spraying em with plain water works too to slow em down.

I noticed a sack looking thing hanging off the very tip of some leaves. Does anyone know what that is?