Problems one week into flowering, help please?!

luckybleu said:

if thats spider mites you will see them on the undersides of leaves with a jewlers loop,spend some time and really look good if its spider mites you will see those little fuckers move.To me it looks like spider mite bites in your pictures ,what would make me think it might not be is the fact that the "bites" all seem to be running on the plants veins, spider mite bites would look more random. youll know if its spider mites especially with a good loupe.If I notice them in veg I hit them with diazinon(hard to get)and mites are done Would never use anything harsh in flower just knock them back to minimal #s with organic remedys.

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See, all the pictures of spider mites I've seen show clearly visible black mites scurrying on the underside of the leaves. I haven't been able to find one spec that has moved under any influence other than me brushing it off.
I took a picture the closest I could get (really uncomfortable angle in a cabinet), And I don't see anything that resembles spider mites (there is what looks to be small blac specs on the main vein of the leaf, but I think that
s just the stem starting to redden, my lower leaves are all getting red stems...). Any trained eye that can prove me wrong so I can decide what I need to buy?

ogreb said:

Take Saran wrap.
Cover pot ( So dirt doesn't fall out when it's on it's side )
Tape tight around pot.
Put plants in shower.
Turn plant on side.
Use tepid water and blast those buggers off...eggs and all. ( having a shower extension hose with an adjustable head helps )
Rotate plant as needed.
Don't be too gentle...but don't blast the leaf off either.
Allow to dry.
While plants are drying..Bleach or sterilize grow room.
Spray plant final time with Neem...thoroughly. Having a hand pump pressure sprayer helps.
Top and bottom of all leaves, stems, branches.

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I'm growing hydroponic, rockwool and hydroton in net-cups.

ogreb said:

Or you can just toss it and start over

I've fought spider mites and it's really not worth the hassle...even if you get rid of them, your in flower and the damage is done. Can't fix it..leaf surface loss, stress ( not to mention your stress )

I don't get spider mites anymore...it's been years. Don't know if I could deal with it again..

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Yeah, not an option at all. Relying on part of the first two harvests to re-pay the cost of the set-up. Damage control, and what's best for the plants is all I can really do at this point.

Boy can people complicate the heck out of a situation. I've been battling those little f*ckers for years and lately tryed a two prong attack that seems to be working. I do NOT want to use any chemical mitacides on my plants during the flowering cycle, due to possible contamination of my buds. I've tried the homemade concoctions with minimal success. Neem oil works as a deterant, but its not a cure. Plus I would never spray Neem oil on my buds (YUCK).

I use Mighty wash whenever I see evedince of mite activity. You have to be sure to wet the underside of the leaves. Mighty wash works on contact with the mites and the eggs, kills them dead. BUT is has no lasting deterent value. That is it does not prevent reinfestaion. So you have to check your plants daily for reinfestaion and treat again as is needed.

I also use No Pest strips to kill what I may have missed as well. I have an 8 ft by 8 ft flower room and I hang 6 of those as close to the plants as is possible. I then turn off all ventilation fans and exhaust fans. I do this during lights out about once a week. I then bag the No Pest strips in a large freezer bag so I can re-use them again. (If you don't they will loose their potency ). From what I have gleened, No Pest strips do not hurt the buds and I can detect no taste in my finished product.

The only mitacide I do use is Avid, but only just befor I introduce the ladies into the flower room. I imagine floromite would work just as well at this point.

Works for me anyway.

Get some ladybugs,although you have to control them or they will breed

zubey91 said:

Get some ladybugs,although you have to control them or they will breed

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I thought about that a while ago, but I have heard (and the logic seems solid) that they will fly into my HPS lamp and get fried. It's only a 250W, but it isn't a cool-tube or anything like that.