HOW TO GET RID OF SPIDER MITES
Whether you find adult spider mites, larvae or eggs, you must act fast and hit them hard. Spider mites can be very quick to take over your plant, and even quicker to develop a resistance to almost any method you use to get rid of them – except when you choose organic spider mite control.
FACILITY TREATMENT FOR TWO-SPOTTED SPIDER MITES
At Ant & Garden Organic Pest Control, the first thing I do in indoor gardens is use my proprietary organic building spray consisting of a little bit of lemon juice (1-2 tbsp per gallon) and half-ounce of apple cider vinegar. I use this food-grade spray to treat your entire facility and eradicate spider mites and their eggs on the spot, including those hidden in tiny cracks and crevices of your grow space.
I’m also very, very careful not to get this on your plants because this organic building spray is a herbicide that may compromise the growth and yield of your cannabis crop. I use this in empty rooms before you bring in plants, or if you’re transferring them into a new flowering room. I always make sure I spray everything down to kill anything living (eggs, larvae and adult pests). It’s completely organic so you don’t have to worry about it vaporizing off into your plants.
PLANT TREATMENT FOR TWO-SPOTTED SPIDER MITES
I always recommend using a cold-fogging atomizer when treating cannabis and other agricultural crops for spider mites. There are plenty of really good ones on Amazon and they usually come with a standard 20-micron sprayer. If you’re treating a larger area, I suggest replacing this with a 50-micron sprayer which gives you a larger coverage. Lot more fog and gets the job done in half the time.
When doing pest control treatments on plants, it is very important to use the right products for the particular pest problem you have so pests do not build up any resistance. This is usually a common issue when using chemical pesticides, as bugs do have a tendency to build resistance (which is less common when using organic pesticides). So it’s always good to rotate treatments to prevent any possibility of resistance buildup.
Here’s a shortlist of organic pest control products I use when treating spider mites:
SNS 209
This all-natural systemic pest control formulation works best if you don’t have an infestation yet and you want to prevent getting any bugs to begin with. It protects plants against spider mites, fungus gnats, scale, thrips and whiteflies.
AZAMAX
This 3-in-1 botanical insectide, miticide and nematicide contains azadiractin, an extract from neem seeds which makes it totally organic. It works as an anti-feedant and insect growth regulator (IGR) so it gives you more time to catch an infestation because spider mites are not feeding or molting into the next instar.
You’ll starve them out eventually and the oils will suffocate the eggs and kill all life stages if sprayed directly on contact.
TRIFECTA CROP CONTROL
Although quite an expensive product, nothing works better for heavy mite infestations. This super concentrated 3-in-1 solution works against spider mites, aphids, fungus gnats, whiteflies, mold and mildew. Best of all, it’s OLCC-approved and organic. Simply put it in an atomizer and watch those mites disappear right before your eyes!
VERY IMPORTANT TIP ON SPRAYING: Always do foliar spraying with the lights out unless you’re using only fluorescent or T-5 lights hung way high above your cannabis plants. Liquid pesticide sprays can amplify heat coming from your light source and bring about leaf burn, which you wouldn’t want to happen.
Cease all spray treatments as you enter the third week of flowering and switch to heat treatment for indoor grows. You can use propane heaters to heat up your grow space to 120°F for 40 minutes once weekly until cannabis is ready for harvest. Outdoor growers, on the other hand, may opt to introduce Persimilis predator bugs to tackle spider mites. Check out our comprehensive write-up on predatory mites and their targeted pests in cannabis pest control.
Once two-spotted spider mites are gone, you also need to think about prevention. With spider mites, the best offense is a good defense! If you’ve had spider mites attack your grow room in the past, you might be unintentionally doing something to encourage or attract them.
