How to prevent sucking in of pests with the air intake? And how to get rid of them?

Sick Plants & Problems
#1

With my big air intake seem also to come pests in my rooms. (ebb and flood, rockwool cubes with eazy plugs as starters inside)

I already noticed some pests started to eat on some of the leaves (not much yet).

Also I notice sometimes small flies flying around (not much yet).

Do I need to get rid of the pests now? And how? It needs to be some solution that I can apply quickly to a lot of plants. I would prefer not to handwatering or something as it would take me too long.

Do I have to life with the situation that with external air also pests will come, or are there some sort of filters or traps that catch the pests before they can get on my plants?

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#2

I have little bug catcher screens installed in my intake louvers. They come in 4", 5", 6" diameter to fit in standard vents etc.

Mine came with velcro pads, but they left gaps around the edge, so I gaffer taped them in.

Also, you can buy wire mesh in all sorts of dimensions and specs, so find something appropriate for insect blocking and cut it to size.

Tx

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#3

Actually there was already some sort of mesh (which also acts as my bug catcher mesh) installed at the air intake. maybe the holes are a bit to big because something seems to have come inside and bitten into the leaves.

But how to prevent the intake of small flies which would then start laying their eggs?

Are there some sort of traps to put up?

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#4

Pantyhose? Might be a viable option

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#5

Is a pantyhose blocking the airflow much? What is the stuff around the charcoal filters?

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#6

The Mrs old pantyhose over the intake :thumbsup: apparently it works well for bank robbers and muggers too :upside_down:

Get loads of those sticky yellow fly paper traps and have them all around your plants. Insects are bad news!

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#7

I always try to keep a minimum of 1-2 ladybugs per square foot of growroom floorspace.

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#8

Depending on who’s wife you get the pantyhose from it could also have the added benefit of masking the cannabis smell :rofl:

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#9

No. You can get bug screens but id take it one notch up.
Get hepa filters too. This helps prevent dust and fungal spores and bugs to come in through intake and into the grow room.

#10

The air intake pulls a shitload of insects inside my room. On the floor I always find big collections of dead small flies on the soil level it seems ok.

I did put pantyhoses on the air intakes, and put up yellow sticky traps. Also i did spray a pesticide and a fungicide yesterday. Also because I am not sure i there is some leaf septoria lingering around.

#11

I’m shocked those words would come from you! No not really LOL might be more like a fish factory! :laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:

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#12

Yeah I have my moments @Tinytuttle :rofl:

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#13

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I was lucky enough to find some high flow 4" and 6" air filters that fit intake hoses perfectly (the 6" is open only on one end which is perfect…I just covered the other open end on the 4") a knee high stocking goes over the filters and I shake them out weekly as part of my maintenance routine.

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