HELP! Forest Fires Fooked my grow

[Garbage_bear]

I was evacuated a few weeks ago do to the fires near my home out here in the woods. Luckily I was able to get up there and flood irrigate a couple of times so my plants didn't die. But in the time I was away a pack rat moved in and broke off about a third of one of the plants branches for his nest and chit everywhere in there. But the worst and saddest part is the FOOKIN SPYDER MITES are on everything! EVERYWHERE! I panicked and decided to use my fogger and fog it with Pyrethrin(organic and comes from flowers) but my fogger decided to be broken! So I bought a couple of containers of lady bugs from Wilco but I really doubt they be enough to make a sizable difference. The plants are just now starting to throw pistils so not flowered out yet. What on earth can I do to keep these Spyder mites under control? One of these plants is about 10'x10'! So much bud will be wasted if I can't save them. What can I do? Can I save these huge plants? HELP!!!!

 

[Max 2]

faaaarrk.what a &$@#. Can you hire a fogger GB .i think if you can hit them with a good mite spray you might b okay before there’s buds everywhere.

 

[Garbage_bear]

faaaarrk.what a &$@#. Can you hire a fogger GB .i think if you can hit them with a good mite spray you might b okay before there’s buds everywhere.

well I messed with my Fogger and got it working so I’m going to hit them tonight real good with the pyrethrin. It’s probably impossible to eliminate them at this stage but if I can kill most of them I can make it through flower. Fingers crossed!

 

[Zen_seeker]

well I messed with my Fogger and got it working so I’m going to hit them tonight real good with the pyrethrin. It’s probably impossible to eliminate them at this stage but if I can kill most of them I can make it through flower. Fingers crossed!

I only had one huge 6’x6’ outdoor plant so I got away with Safer’s soap before buds started.

You can knock a lot off with just water from a sprayer.

Did you have a lot of webbing or did you find them early?

Your going to have to hit them a few times to make sure any new ones are dead.

 

[Garbage_bear]

I only had one huge 6’x6’ outdoor plant so I got away with Safer’s soap before buds started.

You can knock a lot off with just water from a sprayer.

Did you have a lot of webbing or did you find them early?

Your going to have to hit them a few times to make sure any new ones are dead.

I haven’t noticed any webs yet. Just spots in leaves and then the mites with a scope. Yeah I’ll start hitting it tonight if my machine works.

 

[SSHZ]

At this point, I would buy Venerate, which is often recommended by many seed breeders. It's organic, clay powder based, but totally safe to spray at any time, even directly on buds. It forms a coating and will kill off eggs and mites in all stages. I believe it inhibits the feeding cycle. It also has some lasting power if it doesn't get wet after it dries. I've used it with great success, and it will not impact taste or quality of buds.

 

[Zen_seeker]

I haven’t noticed any webs yet. Just spots in leaves and then the mites with a scope. Yeah I’ll start hitting it tonight if my machine works.

If you didn’t find a mass of webs I’d say you can win this fight. I have in the past. But you have to spray and get rid of them every few days as any eggs hatch. With the buds not developed yet you should be okay, no mold or rot.

Even a garden hose will knock off a lot of them and buy you some time.

 

[Max 2]

At this point, I would buy Venerate, which is often recommended by many seed breeders. It's organic, clay powder based, but totally safe to spray at any time, even directly on buds. It forms a coating and will kill off eggs and mites in all stages. I believe it inhibits the feeding cycle. It also has some lasting power if it doesn't get wet after it dries. I've used it with great success, and it will not impact taste or quality of buds.

Sounds like a no brainer…Will that sticky stuff you used on the trunks help too sshz along with the venerate.

 

[SSHZ]

Actually, it should be applied throughout the entire plant. A lot of people don't treat the soil though, and they should since many mites starts there and work there way up towards the heat (light). Along with the Venerate, I recommend Grandevo, which is used as a soil flush to kill off anything before it starts climbing. Look for smaller containers of both on ebay or amazon, as the larger one can be expensive. This double punch is extremely effective. read application rates carefully, and a second application may be necessary but I've never had to do 2. Both products are organic or natural, and outside fruit farmers I've worked with use these regularly.......if you want more info, the Irie Seeds owner has a podcast on mites and discusses both these in detail. Try a google search to find them....

The sticky shit Max is talking about is called Tanglefoot, and it's great but messy as hell.......it's placed at the bottom of the main stem and stops just about anything from crawling upwards to the branches and leaves.

 

[Max 2]

Maybe you could use de on the ground too once you treat plants as that shit should cut them up.

 

[frankengoober]

A quick wash will help. Dr. Doom fogger if you're in a pinch. Worm casting tea is effective against many insects.

 

[frankengoober]

Note: Bt is organic, but not specific enough. It kills all butterflies and moths, but not mites or other pests, plus it leaves a nasty coating behind that is hard to remove from flowering stage plants. It also does not actually even prevent looper larva damage because they have to eat it before it infects and eventually kills them. DE is good for many soft bodied insects, but I have not found it effective against mites. It has the added benefit of providing silica to your plants. Tanglefoot will help with aphids by blocking the ants that farm them for their excrement.

 

[Zen_seeker]

Tanglefoot products are no longer available in Canada, or at least any stores I’ve checked including online. The last to go was the tree kits.

This started a few years ago before any tariffs or border issues.

I’ve been saving pine sap for the last year or so to make my own.

 

[Garbage_bear]

Well holy chit the devil wants to destroy my life. So there is no way to get Venerate in time but I do have some concentrated Pyrethrin and some Spinosad(might be too late for that). I was able to fog the greenhouse twice since we last spoke with the Pyrethrin about three days apart. But wouldn't you know it,...I'm in the front yard and see a helicopter start circling above my house..I think chit this isn't good. The next thing I know I see yellow hatted firemen frantically running around my property. About ten guys. Then 20, 50,..They keep coming. Before I know it there are probably 35 diesel trucks parked all over, 5 big green fire trucks, 4 water tanker trucks. People running around doing all sorts of stuff. Fire raging coming toward my house. Now there are helicopters and planes dropping retardant and water. And I'm not kidding 12 different planes making rotations dropping stuff low. It was freaking awesome. The watch duty app showed continual circling with an absurd amount of planes and helicopters most of the day. Sooo....I had limited gardening time haha. I hope the bugs are dying. Everything looks good and I'll keep on top of it. I'm determined to harvest this chit!!!

 

[adge]

Damn that's crazy close, hope everything turns out ok. Stay safe!

 

[steamroller]

WOW~!
I hope they knock that down and out of there. Crazy close for sure.
Stay safe man.

 

[Stoneyluv]

yeah man thoughts and prayers for you guys for sure!!! sure hope those heroes save your place man!!! and we hope the mites gets their ass' toasted!!!!

 

[Chemistry]

I'd have sat it out in your poly tunnel, at least if it went up you would be to stoned to give a fuck, hope it turns out ok, stay safe.

 

[SSHZ]

Are they stealing your water to use on the fire and fill their trucks???

 

[Zen_seeker]

That’s a beautiful location. I hope it recovers quickly and your property was saved. Best wishes bud.

 

[frankengoober]

Too close! I forgot to mention, ladybugs are a waste of money unless you have a completely sealed greenhouse, and they might spread disease or adversely affect your local ones, plus, they are not effective against mites. Organic control methods seek a balance, not total eradication. Pyrethrins kill all non-target insects which can make things worse in the long run, especially if you grow a variety of crops. I have tried predatory mites, lacewings and ladybugs. I never saw any of them except ladybugs, but those were gone in a day or two because my greenhouse, like most, is not sealed.
Powdery mildew shouldn't affect cannabis. It is pretty resistant to most garden pests and problems if well fed.

 

[Garbage_bear]

I'd have sat it out in your poly tunnel, at least if it went up you would be to stoned to give a fuck, hope it turns out ok, stay safe.

I was out there with my hose spraying the top of my greenhouse amidst the chaos getting nowhere cause the hose pressure sucks and I hear “HEY” behind me and a dude with a three inch diameter hose hooked to the fire truck sprayed the whole top in about three seconds. I was grateful the firemen could see how important the weed was to me even though it was a totally “my penis is bigger than yours” situation! In all seriousness they were freaking awesome! I’ve never seen anything like I wish I could donate part of my harvest to the fire department as a thank you.

 

[Garbage_bear]

Are they stealing your water to use on the fire and fill their trucks???

No man they have these water trucks that come up and fill them. They also put out these big swimming pool looking things that hold probably 1000 gallons of water. They have pumps from those and hoses going all up in the mountains. This operation has had to cost millions. They probably spent three hundred thousand just that night for my place! There have been people out here 24/7 since this fire started about a month ago. You wake up to take a leak and look out the window and you’ll see these single file lines of dudes with headlamps hiking doing things. It’s a trip.