ORGANIC SPRAY TREATMENT FOR BROAD MITES IN CANNABIS
If you run into a broad mite infestation during the vegetative growth stage of cannabis, I personally recommend using an organic treatment spray every 4 days to get the best results. My top pick is AzaMax—I use it all the time to control and eradicate broad mites on cannabis during their growth stage. Work with a mix of 1 ounce Azamax per gallon of water and use this minimum ratio all throughout treatment.
After 4 spray treatments with Azamax (every 16 days), I also add on an organic pesticide spray like Pyrethrum. I love pyrethrum because it mixes well with oils but mites are quick to build up a resistance so use no more than once every 4 sprays. Others you may use include Ecovia, Trifecta Crop Control, IC3 and Organocide (all at a .5 ounce per gallon of water ratio). Trifecta seems to be everyone’s favorite but I’ve had just as good results with Organocide at 5% the cost per application.
All these minimum risk pesticides are so effective primarily because they are oil-based. Oil kills all life stages of cannabis bugs and in my experience the bugs don’t adapt so there seems to be no resistance. Even so, I highly suggest you rotate-use these pesticide sprays to prevent resistance buildup.
I also advise against the use of bioinsecticides because some of them like Grandevo, PFR-97 and Met-52 just don’t work. BotaniGard MAXX is one of the very few that’s great for mites so if you opt to use this, just make sure it’s fresh because it has a very short half-life. Also use BotaniGard at low rate after pest population are low.
IMPORTANT TIPS ON SPRAYING
Successful broad mite eradication in cannabis takes more than just having the proper spray treatments. They also need to be administered the right way. One very crucial thing to remember is NEVER SPRAY WITH THE LIGHTS ON. Liquid spray on the plant surface acts like a lens that amplifies heat from your light source and burn the leaves.
Cannabis growers should also be aware that mix rates for organic treatment sprays vary depending on the spray method you use. I don’t recommend traditional sprayers—if you’re growing cannabis, you should invest in an atomizer to begin with. At the very least, get a 2 to 3-gallon 1200-watt atomizer to do an efficient job for you. Opt for the backpack model for easier handling. Also remember to always use personal protective equipment (PPE) when doing organic treatment spraying. A complete PPE getup should include a Tyvek suit with gloves, full-face mask with replaceable filter cartridges, and total ear protection.
You can continue with organic treatment spraying until a little after cannabis plants begin to flower. No spraying should be done after the 3rd week of flowering. Instead, switch to heat treatment to kill any remaining broad mites in your grow. Heat treat your grow room at 120°F for 40 minutes once a week using propane heaters. Heat treatment kills all life stages of mites and your grown cannabis plants are already able to withstand these high temperatures.
