Pest management routines

method 1 and neem are available on amazon also method 1s website. personally i think method 1 works better as preventative, you probably want a couple treatment options and alternate them with an infestation otherwise they may just build up a resistance. green cleaner is supposed to be very effective against mites as well. spinosad treatment too (monterey garden spray, captain jacks dead bug brew)

https://www.4hydro.com/green-cleaner

https://growthefficiency.com/product/method-1-pps-16oz/

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Has anyone ever tried Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth for plants in veg.?

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is your question about the grade of the Diatomaceous Earth or D.E in veg?

I use the safer brand in veg.

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Yes in Veg as a preventative.

yes, I use it. BE Careful not to over apply on the top of the medium because it will seal off the oxygen to the roots if you apply it to thick. I have also applied it directly to the leaves to help control thrips as well.

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White mess, especially when wet.

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I have a buddy who swears by a product called SPS 203.

It is a mix of clove oil and rosemary. Soil drenches with this product kill the fungus. No fungus gnat food???

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Most of the mentioned treatments are only for adults. Anything that is effective for other stages? Iā€™m hoping to not have to continuously apply especially since Iā€™d rather not use anything in flower.

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The nematodes and bti that are mentioned should last into flower and then some.

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ya those ones are soil drenches i guess i should mention - although i think iā€™ve heard people foliar spraying nematodes as well but i probably wouldnā€™t in flower

Itā€™s been about 72 hours since I added nematodes to my no-till and the population has already diminished. They worked well. Next week they get a second round.

The method-1 mentioned works on all stages. I was reading that some terpene in rosemary will actually cause the eggs to explode. H2O2 and sugar also works on all stages, I would feel comfortable spraying pretty much anything through the stretch. Once buds start to form not so much. The trick is to switch it up and apply frequently.

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How do the essential oils work (do they just repel insects?) and what are they effective on? How about the sugar and Hydrogen peroxide? Iā€™ve seen these recommended before, but never seen an explanation of what they are actually doing.

Anyone know how these responses to other posts got here? Seems like a bunch of stuff got cut and pasted into this thread all of the sudden?

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We already had a thread for basic insect management but i liked your title better so i just merged them. :grin:

Oh, OK. Just seemed weird there were 26 responses all of the sudden.

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I should have told you but forgot, sorry.

i think it works by suffocating the adults, either that or itā€™s corrosive to their weak bodies or something. i believe the sugar h2o2 works in the same way. spinosad works against leafminers by attacking their nervous system i believe. nematodes get eaten by larvae i believe and eat them from the inside or something like that. i believe spinosad and nematodes are more for thrips, gnats etc and not very effective against mites

From Method 1s Website
  1. The weakest recommended dilution of Method 1-pps (2 0z per gallon) is adequate under all conditions. We no longer recommend stronger mixes. Experience has shown us that rather than increasing the strength of the mix it is more effective to increase the frequency of application. Therefore, when the pest activity accelerates during the hot months you would increase the frequency of application, matching pace with the pest. **Living spider mites are killed by the application and their eggs are slowly eroded over several applications. Removing live spider mites before they lay eggs will eadicate the problem pest over time.**This means Method 1-pps is even more cost effective than we thought previously.
  2. To overcome an infestation of mites use the 2oz per gallon mixture every second day. Observe the eggs through a scope to determine when no viable eggs are left and you should then be free of pests. Then use method 1-pps once a week to maintain clean plants.
  3. At the weakest dilution it will not kill Ladybugs so they are a good biological control to use with Method 1-pps especially for indoor or greenhouse growing.
  4. While Method 1-pps is very effective, we do not recommend that you rely on it alone to control pests. Use all of the IPM strategies.
  5. Method 1-pps is effective against all mites including Russet Mites and Broadmites. In the case of these pests, proactive treatment is a huge help since you will never know you have Broadmites until the damage has already started.

For molds I use serenade spray
Serenade Garden is a broad spectrum, preventative biofungicide recommended for the control or suppression of many important plant diseases and may be used on roses, vegetables, fruits, nuts, flowers, houseplants, foliage, trees, shrubs located in residential landscapes, residential greenhouses, commercial landscapes, and commercial interior scapes. Serenade Garden Ready-To-Spray can also be used on lawns, turf, sod, and ornamental turf.
https://www.bayeradvanced.com/find-a-product/rose-flower-care/serenade-garden

Neem oil

and D.E

CIf you can raise your humility, lower your temperature and increase your airflow. This will help as they canā€™t lay eggs if there is to much airflow and they like it dry and warm. As most have said oil base sprays will kill both eggs and live. Also using cold water in your sprays if your making your own sprays. Airflow is big part of fighting or keeping them away from your plants as well as powder mildo airflow and humidity

Well tonight was the big night. I started my spider mite regiment a week ago.

Day 1: used Bug-B-Gon insectisidal soap on all plants top to bottom, separated all plants 1 foot or more apart. Dropped temps from 23 when lights off to 16. Removed all leaves that look affected.

Day 3: Bug-B-Gon and H202, sprinkled a little pepper and coffee grinds around doorway to room. An old farmer told me this once so I thought it was worth a shot.

Day 5: Same as day 3, but painstakingly moved each plant and vacuumed out the room, scrubbed the walls and floors, etc. Bugs came back, a few leaves are the worst Iā€™ve ever seen. Removed alot of foliage before spraying.

Day 7: a few more bugs but seems to have slowed down some. Got some 100% pure peppermint oil and mixed it with a normal dosage of Bug-B-Gon to emulsify it. Sprayed every nook and cranny in the room with the solution. This stuff is strong my eyes are burning and I can still taste it an hour after use. Sprayed all plants top to bottom. Soaked. On my worst plant I worked the soap into a sudsy foam and drenched the plant in it. Sprayed entire basement, all along edges, ventilation ducts etc. I noticed some other bugs flying around now, I donā€™t think they liked the peppermint and I saw spiders running away very displeased.

Hopefully this keeps them from returning, but I am going to continue this regiment until my buds are too big to risk poisoning. I heard cinnamon is also very effective so I picked some up and plan on making some oil to use again in 2 days.

Fingers crossed!

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