think i have my first mite problem?

[everest]

i used pyranica .... last time i had mites , this stuff is worth tracking down

[Tom]

A bit more information on spider mites here, I have used these predator mites myself and they are very effective.

 

[bongonaussie]

If they are spider mites try maverik. Bunnings sell it for about $12 i think.

It worked for me..:thumbsup

 

Get onto them quick mate

[Gazza2001au]

good and bad i now have two flying ant's and a orange looking spider the good is i layed down some snail and slug pellets yesterday woohoo i got the two little bastard snails who were eating my leaf's another thing after i killed some of the little bugs they dont seem to be breading or coming back? pic's coming soon

[Gazza2001au]

i missed that last link tom, i just checked it out and yes they are spider mites this picture is from the last link u give me they are the same little suckers on my plant argggg! but there bodys are fat with short legs?

 

bongonaussie, how does maverik work is it a spray? and will it effect the smoke in anyway? i just had a hard time picking up the snail pellets so they didnt contaminate the soil

Edited October 26, 2005 by Gazza2001au

[sydneyguy]

Bad luck about the spider mites Gaz. If I have a mite problem I usually use a product called Folimat. It is a foliar spray (350g in weight) that costs about $10 from K-Mart. However, I only use this product if the plants are in the vegetative growth stages as to give the plant enough time to utilise this product without contamination to the final product. However if your plants are flowering than you probably would want to go a more natural method such as a garlic/soapy mixture spray. If you just have one or two plants than its feasible (but quite tedious) to wash down the whole plant- leaf by leaf, by hand and sponge. This method is very time consuming but its a good place to start without using the harsher applications like Folimat or Maveric.

 

However spider mites and nematodes are two of the worst insect pests ANY grower would encouncounter (especially as the weather gets hotter). So therefore they should be treated accordingly and If I encounter mites I usually go for the product and method that will inflict the most damage on the mites in the shortest possible time. Unfortunately the more natural methods of eradication which bases its principle on Intergrated Pest Management (IPM) suggests using predator bugs and other methods. Sure these methods are more sustainable to the environment and your plant but really a garlic/soapy mixture will only really piss the mites off and they will build a tolerance to the mixture as your not actually killing them with 'natural' mixtures. At best your just disrupting there lifecycle with the organic mixtures so therefore thats why I go straight for the 'kill'.

 

Quick eradication is important as the breeding cycle of mites is about 2-3 weeks. Even if you spray with Folimat don't forget to spray again the second time about 7-10 days later to get any newly hatched eggs and mites. To be safe I would apply what ever u choose a 3rd time as well for added protection and eradication.

 

You mentioned that you previously used a Neem based product or a Neem based soil and had no problems with mites before. Yes you certainly were on track then so why don't you resort to the neem product again-especially with the aussie summer starting! I have found from my experience that if you spray your plants on a regular basis with Neem oil then you virtually have no insect problems. Neem oil is cheap (ok its slightly messy to mix)-but prevention is always better than a cure.

 

And if your having trouble still identifying them as mites than take a water sprayer and mist the plants and if they are mites than you should see the water suspending from there webs. However there are various types of mites and not all produce webs. Hope this has helped and all the best with your attempts of termination of mites :thumbsup !

[Gazza2001au]

thanks everyone for your help its much appreciated sydneyguy i havent used neem oil before thought this was an american product? i am about 8 days into 12/12 so if i was to go with something harsh i would only get one treatment in so far i have only had the spider mites since they went indoors 8 days ago i have killed alot of the mites by picking them off i will continue to pick them off there are no webs so far fingers crossed also one of the small flying ant's was eating the spider mite is this common? and can i buy lady bugs here in australia?

[sydneyguy]

Neem oil which is marketed under various product names is available in most hydro stores in NSW and I assume they should be available in your state as well? The product I use is called Nemesis. Regardless of the brand name Neem oil is extracted from the berries and foliage of the Neem Tree which is native to Asia and South America. Once sprayed the oil acts as a contact pesticide and systemic as well (that is the plant also absorbs the oil and any insect that eats the plant will die as well). Although it acts as a pesticide it completely natural and therefore non-toxic to mammals and birds-so to all you outdoor guys especially, this is a product you should be using outdoors as its cheap to buy and mix and safe for our native flora and fauna.

 

Yes you can get live predator bugs such as lady bugs etc but there are certain draw backs to this IPM method. Firstly you usually have to go through a hydro dealer who is than the middle man for the product and he will order them in from the IPM company. This takes time and the store owner will also take his % as well which will jack up the price. Sure lady bugs sound like a sustainable way of eradication but unfortunately they can fly as well and you have no guarantee that they will remain on your plant. Plus as it takes time for deliverly you don't really know the state of the bugs once you receive them. And more importantly the bugs you receive have to survive on there natural food source during shipping so you will actually be releasing more mites on your plants that wern't eaten during transportation by the predator bugs.

 

However if you happen to know a uni student who is studying agriculture,horticulture or something to do with the environment than they will often have pratical classes that involve IPM and will usually work hands on with mite experiments. This way you can get them for FREE and SEPARATE from the mites as well ! I'm at uni and have done IPM stuff with mites and really what uni is going to worry about some missing predator bugs?! But if this is not feasible than I would use the Neem oil 1st and spray with Folimat or whatever you choose a few hours later once the oil has dried. Though Folimat is not natural and is a garden insecticide, with mites you just have to bite the bullet as they breed like rats and rabbits. If left unchecked the mite population will ultimately do more damage to your plants than whatever insecticide you choose to use.

 

Goodluck :thumbsup !!

[Gazza2001au]

heres a picture of the pest anyone know for sure what they are?

[Tom]

Can't make out the bugs well enough as it's too far out of focus for me, but I did notice what seems to be out of focus male flowers.