HELP! Spider mites infestation just before flush

[herbgrower]

Hey all I was starting to flush my plants for harvest. One of them was heat stressed and than yesterday I noticed lots of spider mites. They had webbed one of the cola, Gross!! I can't bear this. What do you guys suggesting I should do? I have Isopropyl alchohol but I don't think it is safe to spray anything and I am really worried my grow.

 

[Rwise]

ISO 50/50 with water, and soak em good! it will only kill the adults so this has to be repeated every 3 days for at least 3 treatments (did not work for me long term). The smell is strong and I would recommend good ventilation until the smell clears. The alcohol is going to evaporate very fast, a fan will help.
Ladybugs would be an option, most dont want them in the house either.
Captain jacks dead bug and Spinosad claim to be safe to harvest, spray every 3 days. (this worked for me, but I was not near the end)
There is a procedure for washing the buds after/at harvest to get the bug crap out.
Good Luck fighting The Borg!
Edit also put food grade DE on and into the top of the soil to help kill larva /Edit

 

[herbgrower]

Rwise Can I spray it directly on buds?

 

[Rwise]

Yes soak em, you have to get the alcohol on the bugs, they will be deep into them. No one likes spraying their buds!

 

[Motoman15]

Alcohol and then spinosad works for me. Vigilance is best way to keep pests down .if you have webs, the mites have been there for a while.

 

[Cali]

Damn at that point spraying anything is a bad idea in my opinion. That’s why I grow my own because I can definitely see a dispensary grower spraying buds with some shit and then selling the buds. I know Jorge cervantes does a bud wash with hydrogen peroxide there are videos on YouTube not sure that would get rid of all the spider mites though being that it’s webbed up they have been there for a while. Are you sure it’s spider mites can you send some pics? Maybe the plant is not heat stressed but dying from pest?

 

[herbgrower]

I am removing the web they create. I know it is hopeless solution but i just can't see it like that. I've started the flush. Harvesting it soon. I don't have spinosad, had ordered but delayed by two months. I used neem oil but not in flowering after sixth week. I have IPA but it is clinical meaning not safe for human. This one plant has bigger infestation. I noticed mites on other plant but no webbings yet. I plan to spray all nevertheless. Still confused. What you guys say?

 

[Cali]

Hmm I don’t see any leaf damage? From what I understand is you need a strong magnifying glass to see those tiny spider mites. Are you sure they are spider mites? Maybe your phone is that good and maybe I need a new phone instead of jewelers loupe. One thing you can do is hold a tray with dish soap water under the canopy then shake the entire plant so that way the mites drip on your water and get stuck there that will help. Also point a fan really strong directly to your plants

 

[herbgrower]

See this tiny eight legged bastard ruining my 4 months of hard work. I am using a 3.25x macro lens. It's not much efficient when not steady. I am sure it is spider mite because it is creating a web around the bud. Will I be need to be worry about them during drying as well or do they get off once plant is cut and being dried? Will the IPA smell overpower or affect the strain smell?

 

[quietlybinary]

That looks like a non-mite spider to me. From my experience with the little creatures, you would need a higher powered microscope just to see their legs and the shape of their torso.

 

[Cali]

quietlybinary tjat why I ask if he is sure. If it was by the point there are webs on buds his leafs should be all beat up as well? I don’t have experience but I have read about them. How are the leafs? Healthy plants?

 

[F10werChyld]

Can you get ahold of this? It will help you out. It kills on contact, so you'll have to turn off any fans & lights when you spray. Your infestation looks about medium-serious. I'd spray once a day for a week, then every other day for about 10 days and they should be gone. Don't know when harvest is, but Zymes works - that I know. Personally, I wouldn't smoke bud that you put spinosad on, but that's just me.

 

[herbgrower]

Cali quietlybinary I don't know if it is non mite spider. This is my first grow. I don't have microscope or even loupe. I can barely see trichomes with this lens but I can see the "shape" in camera but due to air flow and focus issues can't get it right. Not that you can see but can get bit of idea. Because frankly I have no clue. During the whole grow cycle there was no pest issue. Even last week all seemed fine except slow growth in this plant. The leaves are glossy and crispy. They have white marks at the base of some. I firstly mistook it for WPM but than I saw the bugs creating web and shading the tallest and heaviest cola. I also cleaned leaves with baking soda for WPM. So I am no wiser. Your thoughts?
F10werChyld I am totally on another end of the world. Here nothing is coming through because of corona. At least not for a month or so. I have stuff imported from states sitting at airport from a month.

 

[Jordann]

Definitely spider mites to me with these pics I'm convinced by the shape of their bodies. It's a shame at this point in the grow. I've thrown out whole plants before because of these Basta*ds, threw out like 10 ish plants. Right into the back yard fire pit. Was about a month or so earlier in flower than yours are now, was just such a bad infestation I got rid of the effected and saves like 20 plants that they had not got to yet. At this point I'd probably go the ISO water half half mix and keep at it. Gotta be careful with bud rot when soaking the colas.

 

[Jordann]

I feel your pain. 😞

 

[herbgrower]

Jordann I am so angry at these bastards man. I sprayed iso and they just come back. Some lay daying there. I already started the flush. Thinking harvest in couple days. Other plant is very healthy and some pest there so I am gonna just take it out. Bud rot is also a thing I am afraid of.

 

[Jordann]

They're a real pain. They can come in on a shoe or a clone or a new house plant or a pet. Easier to get than it is to get rid of them. I had the stock so I threw away some plants to save the others. It's a hard pest to fight. If 50 50 iso and water don't do it is bump up the iso abit and try again. Keep good air circulation and when they're dry spray em again and repeat for a few days. Whole plant leaves stems buds under leaves the soil everything. It's a shame to get them at the point in the grow you are at. Don't give up yet. Like someone said there is a process to wash the buds once you chop her down I forget what is used aside from a bucket full of water and whatnot with the buds being dunked in and out. Probably find something on YouTube about it.

 

[Cali]

Jorge Cervantes has a video non washing buds on YouTube. He uses hydrogen peroxide in a plastic tub then dips the buds. Scared me when I saw it but I soon realized a lot of people do this when they grow outdoors to clean their buds.

 

[herbgrower]

Thanks everyone for the help. I finally decided to chop it down. Today I noticed two of the infested buds were starting to get brown. I thought I should cut my losses. I stayed up all night and finished harvest and trimming. The plants spent total 69 days in flowering. Catchy number, I know.