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Spider mites on cannabis – how I got rid of them organically
Had a spider mite outbreak last month and beat them without any synthetic pesticides. Here's what worked:
Week 1: Aggressive response
- Sprayed neem oil solution every 3 days (1 tbsp neem + 1 tsp dish soap per gallon)
- Raised humidity to 60%+ (mites hate humidity)
- Removed the most infested leaves
Week 2: Biological warfare
- Released predatory mites (Phytoseiulus persimilis) — these eat spider mites
- Continued neem every 5 days
- Added sticky traps to monitor population
Week 3: Prevention
- Mite population crashed
- Switched to preventive neem spray weekly
- Maintained higher humidity
Key Lessons:
- Catch them EARLY — check under leaves weekly
- In flower, use Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap spray instead of neem (no residue)
- Predatory mites are the most effective treatment
- Don't let humidity drop below 40% — that's when spider mites thrive
Prevention > cure. Always. 🕷️
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2 Comments
Experienced5mo ago
Predatory mites are the GOAT for spider mite control. I release them preventatively now — once every 4-6 weeks. Haven't had a spider mite problem in 2 years.
Cost is about $25 per release. Way cheaper than losing a crop.
4
Experienced5mo ago
Lost an entire harvest to spider mites my first year. Now I inspect under leaves with a loupe every week during IPM checks. Early detection is everything.
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