Feeding plants bug spray

[IamStoned]

Has anyone tried a weak concentration of bug spray in the food they feed their plants. I am talking about plants growing in soil.

Every week I spray the underside of the leaves, the lower stems, and the surface of the soil. I have been using the Scotts brand of insecticide.

I spray the surface of the soil to get the bugs living in the soil. Why not put a little in with the food? This way every 3 or 4 days they get a little bug spray throughout the soil.

Any thoughts?

[EasyBakeIndica]

yeah- Most soil-borne insects don't live below the first 2-3 inches. (The only exception I can think of is a worm, which is beneficial.)

So you're not going to help anything by giving your roots insecticide.

Try making sure that the upper crust of your soil gets very dry, in between watering. Dessication is the best way to kill insect eggs.

[YukonBikerGuy]

Bug spray in the food.... hmmmm. I have done soil drenches containing neem oil and stuff to get rid of soil mites, fungus, and fungus gnats; but only as a treatment, not on a regular basis.

[IamStoned]

I think I have been dealing with soil mites. They don't appear to eat the stalk or leaves. I think they like the roots. I got one under a microscope and it looked like a spider mite, but they don't act like spider mites.

I have tried Raid, both types of Scotts insecticides, some natural rose/garlic mix, neam oil, Malathon, and something called SM-90. I have tried spraying on top of the leaves, under the leaves, and directly onto the soil.

For these little mites the only thing that did anything was the Malathon and the SM-90. I found spraying the plant had little effect. The Malathon sprayed directly into the soil was keeping them at bay, but didn't get rid of them. The only thing that has been really effective for me is putting SM-90 into the food and over feeding until my soil is fully drenched. I have yet to win the war, but this SM-90 stuff is my A-Bomb.

[IamStoned]

Ok, so if anyone reads this thead and thinks they have the same little white yellow spider mite looking soil bugs. You should try track down something called STb.

I don't really know what is is. It is under the counter stuff from your local hydro shops. I researched it on the net and found it is a spore producing bacteria. You put 1 or 2 drops per liter in with the food. The bacteria produces a spore that kills the bugs.

Works fucking awsome! Be carefule because I tested 6 drops per liter and killed two plants. I have used this stuff on one month old babies. Just remember to wear a good mask because this stuff stinks.

The Malathon and the SM-90 kind of work, but this STb stuff is the bomb!

[Space_Station_Solaris]

Woah, woah. Hold the phone. I had to come out of the darkness for this one. This is my first post on this message board in months.
First off: Why would you think that a topical spray would work on the roots? It will not. You're thinking of a systemic (works on the roots) type of insect killer; not spray.
I'm astounded that nobody pinpointed this.

Second: What you probably have are Springtails (if they...spr-i-i-i-ng [jump very high]), Fungus Gnats (if they're flying), or Thripes (if they reside on the top of leaves and chew off green patches leaving white marks everywhere.
Springtails: Harmless, Annoying.
Fungus Gnats: Practically harmless, Annoying.
Thripes: Harmful (in numbers).
Spidermites: Extremely harmful, and multiply quickly.

And finally, Spidermites are very distinctive from the aforementioned other three. Spidermites are about the size (smaller) than the ball on the end of a ballpoint pen. They leave webbing everywhere, multiply quickly, and stay on the plant, and not on the soil.

[YukonBikerGuy]

Soil mites look like spider mites, but yellow, and they stay in the soil and roots, not on the plant.
Fungus gnats eat fungus and rotting roots, and can pollinate plants with only a few grains of pollen, and tend to be indicitive of a moisture problem in the growing medium.

As he already stated, his critters aren't eating the stalks or leaves, and from the description they really do sound like soil mites (look on Google images to be sure).

In the end you may need to throw away all your medium, sterilize everything, and start fresh with some non-infected medium. And I mean STERILIZE. I contracted my soil mites from improperly stored soil I bought at walmart, now I scrutinize every package before I add it to my working medium.

[Razz]

uh yeah, sorry guys, i don't ever have to deal with insects, or mold or diseases anymore .... but it wasn't always like this!

[DrBudGreengenes]

Guys....
Lets try to achieve a balance in our "Indoor World"


Let me introduce u to a Soil growers Best friend
Met the
Nematode
http://www.ehow.com/how_2262035_use-beneficial-nematodes-garden.html


http://www.bugladyconsulting.com/Beneficial%20Nematodes.htm


Once they R introduced to your soil
Soil born pests R a thing of the past
and these guys will be glad to send them 2 ya
http://hirts-gardens.amazonwebstore.com/7-Million-Live-Beneficial-NematodesKills-over/M/B000MRD5JO.htm?traffic_src=froogle&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=froogle


Just say "NO" to Chemical controls
:smoke1:

[IamStoned]

I have been calling them soil mites. I think YukonBK has nailed it. They are white and have a similar shape to spider mites. They are NOT long like a thrip, they are short and round like a spider mite. I have seen them on the fan leaves, but NO WEBS. I believe they live in the soil and affect the roots.

The only thing I found that worked on them was available under the counter and called STb. It is higly concentrated and comes in a small eye dropper. I did some research. It is a bacteria that you spray on the plants. The little bugs eat it and then the bacteria produces spores in the bugs belly. This kills the bug.

I have had huge success using 2 to 4 drops in 1 liter of water that is sprayed every weak or two. I tried lots of spider mite solutions and none of them were as effective as this STb stuff. I tried it on young cuttings that were just rooted and it didnt have any effect on the plant. The internet says it has zero effect on plants and mamals.

I also tried watering the plants with similar concentrations of STb and had success. In the end think spraying is simple and easy.

I have NEVER had spider mites, but have seen them in other grows so I know what they look like. If I ever had spider mites, I would spray the $hit out of the plants with this STb stuff. I bet it would work!

IamStoned
:smoke1:



Soil mites look like spider mites, but yellow, and they stay in the soil and roots, not on the plant.
Fungus gnats eat fungus and rotting roots, and can pollinate plants with only a few grains of pollen, and tend to be indicitive of a moisture problem in the growing medium.

As he already stated, his critters aren't eating the stalks or leaves, and from the description they really do sound like soil mites (look on Google images to be sure).

In the end you may need to throw away all your medium, sterilize everything, and start fresh with some non-infected medium. And I mean STERILIZE. I contracted my soil mites from improperly stored soil I bought at walmart, now I scrutinize every package before I add it to my working medium.