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MrMaddHatter
Dementia praecox
Registered: 06/07/02
Posts: 1,420
Loc: Everywhere
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Pyretherin and neem pesticide
#4432863 - 07/21/05 10:30 AM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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Seems like every few months I'll get a pretty good mite infestation. So far, the only way I know of to get rid of them is to take all the cased trays out of the fruiting chamber, and dump all the casings. (Alot of the time, I'll have to throw out casings on their 2nd flush.) Then wash all the trays and spray inside of the fruiting chamber with a 0.01% Pyrethrin pesticide spray solution.
What I would like to find (or make) is a pesticide that will kill the usual insects, one that can be applied right to the casing without hurting or killing the myceium. (the point of my post)
Neem oil would possibly work. Only one problem I see -- neem oil is a broad spectrum insecticide/fungicide/miticide . The good thing about it is it controls insects and mites including whitefly, aphid and scale. Also, controls fungal diseases including black spot, rust, mildew and scab. For indoor/outdoor use on ornamental plants, flowers, vegetables, trees, shrubs and fruit & nut crops.
I wonder how it would affect P. Cubensis mycelium. I'll order some 70% neem solution, then add 2 tablespoons of this 70% solution per gallon of water.
Last night I went ahead and sprayed the trays/casings down lightly with a dilute Pyrethrin spray (Garden Safe Fruit and Vegetable Insect Spray).
Anyone have any experience with neem oil or pyretherin?
Pure neem oil. 70% pure neem oil......5th item down. More 70% solution. Some neem information.
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scatmanrav
Brainy Smurf
Registered: 05/08/04
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Re: Pyretherin and neem pesticide [Re: MrMaddHatter]
#4432888 - 07/21/05 10:35 AM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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I have pure neem oil, and its all natural and safe for plants and for ingestion..thats a good start. I've never used it on my casings though so I dont know how it will effect the mycelium...
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Doctor
Strangled
Registered: 03/05/05
Posts: 155
Last seen: 9 years, 8 months
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Re: Pyretherin and neem pesticide [Re: MrMaddHatter]
#4433093 - 07/21/05 11:30 AM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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Mites are Acari and not insects, so most insecticides don't work. There are only a few pesticides tht will work and you would not want them anywhere near your grow as they are quite nasty.
I would leave the mites on your existing grow and concentate on eradicating them on future grows.
The best method of ridding yourself of these little beasts is heat. Mites hate dry air and die very quickly if exposed to it. To eradicate mites use a fan heater set to low to dry out everything in-between your grows.
Mites will die in minutes if exposed to dry air their eggs will take a little longer as they have a waxy coating.
If you don't have a fan heater put your equipment in a sealed box with some desiccant.
GL
Edited by Doctor (07/21/05 11:37 AM)
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backupwards
peon
Registered: 04/02/05
Posts: 3,022
Loc: somewhere else
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Re: Pyretherin and neem pesticide [Re: Doctor]
#4433273 - 07/21/05 12:19 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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this is the best defense against mites i have found: http://www.gardensalive.com/product.asp?pn=8101&bhcd2=1121969933
so you really have mites in your casings, very strange as they usually live on plants. if you are to try sprays do it very litely every few days to see how the myc reacts, probably on just one casing at first. good luck peace
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scatmanrav
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Re: Pyretherin and neem pesticide [Re: backupwards]
#4433326 - 07/21/05 12:33 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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Are you sure they arent fungus gnats? I get them little flying buggers all the time, pain to get rid of..
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Doctor
Strangled
Registered: 03/05/05
Posts: 155
Last seen: 9 years, 8 months
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Re: Pyretherin and neem pesticide [Re: scatmanrav]
#4433486 - 07/21/05 01:02 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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If your set up will allow this, soak some net curtains in a permethrin insecticide, allow to dry and then drape it over your growing area. Do not allow it to directly contact with your casings though. Then every time the gnats land on the nets they are Gonna's.
Permethrin is residual and will work for many weeks. In the UK it is the active ingredient to most crawling insect sprays (not fly sprays).
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MrMaddHatter
Dementia praecox
Registered: 06/07/02
Posts: 1,420
Loc: Everywhere
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Re: Pyretherin and neem pesticide [Re: scatmanrav]
#4434154 - 07/21/05 03:41 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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No I'm not sure they are mites. I have black trays and there are little tiny white specks moving around all on the edges of the trays. When a tray gets old (after 3rd or 4th flush) they start crawling all over the casing.
There are a few gnats flying around, but only a few. There are hundreds and hundreds of these little white things.
You think they might be fungus gnat larva?
I just checked the trays I sprayed with the pyretherin stuff, and they have come back even worse. I sprayed this morning and looked just now and they're everywhere
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backupwards
peon
Registered: 04/02/05
Posts: 3,022
Loc: somewhere else
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Re: Pyretherin and neem pesticide [Re: MrMaddHatter]
#4434453 - 07/21/05 04:38 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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get a magnifying glass and check them out. mites are going to look kind of like little spiders. the larvae of the gnats are just like any other fly, maggots. are they wormy like or do they crawl? peace
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MrMaddHatter
Dementia praecox
Registered: 06/07/02
Posts: 1,420
Loc: Everywhere
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Re: Pyretherin and neem pesticide [Re: backupwards]
#4434923 - 07/21/05 06:15 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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I would have to have a microscope to see these guys. They're that small. But from what I can see, they crawl...........I think. Like I said, I really can't see them. I wouldn't even have noticed them if the trays weren't black.
Also, I sprayed again about an hour ago and there were lots more flies than I had thought.
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MrMaddHatter
Dementia praecox
Registered: 06/07/02
Posts: 1,420
Loc: Everywhere
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Re: Pyretherin and neem pesticide [Re: MrMaddHatter]
#4436931 - 07/22/05 02:57 AM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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Well its mites. I got a scope and checked some of them out. Little bastard mites
What kind of preventive measures I can take to stop this next time? I keep everything clean, temp stays around 74F, RH is 80-86% in grow chamber.
I know when it gets hot (85-90F) they breed like crazy and take over. I've been through that a year or two ago.
The only thing I can think of that's changed in my routine over the past 8 months is that I've been using a lot more manure than I ever did.
So far its been 24 hrs with the pyretherin and the mushrooms are growing fine and the mycelium in the casing looks nice and white. No bruising. Question is....will they be safe to eat?
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Magash
Da Bud Guru
Registered: 07/25/02
Posts: 5,876
Loc: Near Hilo
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Re: Pyretherin and neem pesticide [Re: MrMaddHatter]
#4437051 - 07/22/05 05:27 AM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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So far its been 24 hrs with the pyretherin and the mushrooms are growing fine and the mycelium in the casing looks nice and white. No bruising. Question is....will they be safe to eat? Well they should be safe I've seen pyretherin use on other things and it's suppose to be safe for warm blodded animals. Myself I couldn't be paid to eat em.
-------------------- All creatures tremble when faced with violence. All creatures fear death, all love life. If we can only see ourselves in others, then how could we possibly hurt another creature? Join us at the Growery!
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MrMaddHatter
Dementia praecox
Registered: 06/07/02
Posts: 1,420
Loc: Everywhere
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Re: Pyretherin and neem pesticide [Re: MrMaddHatter]
#4445928 - 07/24/05 03:59 AM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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Well I gave the pyretherin ~4 days and it did nothing to the mites or the few fungus gnats. In the end I dumped all the trays and cleaned everything down with a 15-20% bleach solution. Letting it dry right now.
Moral = Pyretherins sucks at killing medium to heavy infestation of mites. Maybe it needed more time to take effect? But who's got time.
Next infestation, I'll try out some neem oil.
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