Spider mites in my indoor garden, what can I do?

Spider mites are little red arachnids which exist throughout the United States. They are very small – smaller than a poppy seed – andare many times confused with clover mites or chiggers. Plants that have spider mite damage will have the mites themselves, web like material on the bottom sides of plant leaves, bronzing of the plant stem and leaves where activity is highest and in extreme cases, plant death. Unlike other mites, spider mites can reproduce quickly. Several cycles may be complete in one season. If conditions are good, they may go through all cycles in under a month. Their cycle includes egg, nymph, two molts of the nymph and then adult. Since they don’t migrate
quickly, most populations will grow around each other, slowly moving outward as their population increases. How to deal with if it is just one plant infested.
Isolate the infested plant from the rest of your cannabis collection. Spider mites are invasive and will infest other plants.
Spray a strong jet of water over all surfaces of the plant, including stems, foliage and undersides of the leaves. The stream will wash the
insects off. This is the easiest way to control spider mites.
If the water alone doesn’t do the job, spray with a soap/oil mixture. Mix 1/2 tsp. insecticidal soap, 1/4 tsp. horticultural oil, and 1
quart water in a spray bottle. For more stubborn infestations, spray with pyrethrin or neem oil. Water the plant well before spraying. Both of these products are organic but have a good track record for controlling spider mites. Numerous chemical products are also available for the control of
spider mites.
If worst comes to worst you may have to harvest your crop early, or even worst destroy your crop. If this is the case you will want to
completely sanitize your entire growroom. First clean the room with soap and water, next spray the room down with pyrethrin or neem oil.
Leave spray in the room for one week. Next do a repeat of this again after one week; you will want to make sure that if there are any eggs
that hatch after the first spray you kill them as well with the second spray. Wait a few more days and clean the growroom again with soap and
water. Make sure you clean and spray everything in your room.
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