Captain Jack’s Dead Bug does NOT kill Spider Mites! What does?

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

SusanneH

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2021
Messages
66
Reaction score
70
Location
Caldwell, TX
I just spent a fortune ($29.99 for 32 oz, 3 bottles now) for Captain Jack’s Deadbug to kill Spider Mites (and other bugs, so it says). After the first time, I scoped the leaves, and found dead mites, so I was happy. But, I harvested today, after spraying two more times, and found LIVE mites. I sprayed Sunday *you can spray up to the day before harvest*, so I expected them to be gone, but NO.

There’s still more out in the garden, and I’d like to get something sprayed to kill the suckers before next Sunday, when I can spray again.

I’m open to suggestion. I checked Amazon, and couldn’t tell what would be better.

thanks! As always, peace! (Please)
 
I honestly don't trust spraying anything on Buds before harvest. Whatever it is will be on the flowers when you smoke them. Just my opinion.
 
I honestly don't trust spraying anything on Buds before harvest. Whatever it is will be on the flowers when you smoke them. Just my opinion.

I know what you mean. Usually, I get rid of tj]hem by now. So far, I only see them on the leaves, but none on the buds.
So, I wen t ahead and harvested them anyway. I may just to that, but I have more and younger plants that will need spraying that I planted two months later (long story- these were ‘supposed’ to die). I need to spray them now before they get close to harvest. So, in your opinion, what would you spray?
 
Once they are cut and hanging the plant starts drying the mites will die. You can always do a water wash. I can guarantee you we have smoke many mites in our time on our weed. I worry more about pesticides and mold.
 
Last edited:
Once they are cut and hanging the plant starts drying the mites will die. You can always do a water wash. I can guarantee you we have smoke many mites in our time on our weed. I worry more about pesticides and mold.

Yeah, no one has ever actually said that, but it’s what I thought. At first, most of what i cut, was for hash, and will go in the freezer anyway, but getting another opinion on the dying of the mites (and smoking them) sounds good to me 😁 . And, I’ve got a compromised immune system & usually stay away from insecticides, but after seeing webs all through my buds one year, I started using them for the mites.

thanks for your input. I thoroughly agree with you , and the extra thoughts on the dying and smoking of the mites is fine with me!

Have a good one, and smoke one for me!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Capt Jacks is good for Thrips but not so good for mites. And I don't use any pesticide once in flower. Mites must be mitigated before going into flower. The goal is to Never have mites or other bugs once in flower.

Big was saying something about using something in flower the other day on another Mite thread. Swears by it in flower. I have never had to use it and hope I never do. Milk, Hydrogen Peroxide are other things I have heard you can use in flower. I have heard the affect the taste of the final product.

If you get mites you have to disrupt the life cycle and kill all eggs or the always come back. Azamaz every 3 days with 3 or 4 applications in veg and no more mites.
 
Capt Jacks is good for Thrips but not so good for mites. And I don't use any pesticide once in flower. Mites must be mitigated before going into flower. The goal is to Never have mites or other bugs once in flower.

Big was saying something about using something in flower the other day on another Mite thread. Swears by it in flower. I have never had to use it and hope I never do. Milk, Hydrogen Peroxide are other things I have heard you can use in flower. I have heard the affect the taste of the final product.

If you get mites you have to disrupt the life cycle and kill all eggs or the always come back. Azamaz every 3 days with 3 or 4 applications in veg and no more mites.

Since my plants started to flower at 8-12”, I didn’t have time to even get spider mites before they flowered this year! Normally, i can get rid of them before flower. As long as they don’t get bad enough to get webs in the buds, I’m okay with this batch, but you say the eggs will be there?…so, next year, they’ll start anyway. Everything is in flower now, even the ‘new’ plants that I planted in May (of course, they are..or, I wouldn’t get anything from them).

So, I’ll look up the Azamaz & start it when they’re young next year. I’ll get it this year & be ready ;) .

thanks.
 
Azamax and pyganic are organic and claim they can be used in budding plants, but would make me nervous.

There is a you tube of a guy with fair sized indoor grow that gets spider mites in late flower. He used one of those and a vacuum cleaner with a cloth over it too remove the critters and webbing. Claims it was a success.

Bubba
 
I'm a cheapskate so try to find low or no cost solutions.
I don't have a lot of trouble with pests possibly cos I only grow a few plants on my balcony which is high up.
But I have a big Datura plant which has attracted spider mites a couple of times.
I just mix dish soap & water in a hand sprayer and that does the trick for me - sometimes needs two or three applications though.
Good luck & happy times.
 
One must weigh between economy and false economy. I love to save money, but try to never break the penny wise and pound foolish rule.
Best example is tools. I needed a basic pipe wrench once, and may never need or rarely need it again. Off to Harbor Freight! On the other hand if I am going to be constantly using, or it will make a financial loss without it, I cry once and buy the best. Glad the soap water is working out. Spider mites can work a mess if they get ahead of you. they usually will and those webs all over everything...and they can come fast. If they do, 25 bucks or so for a small bottle of Pyganic isnt much crying...party on.

Bubba
 
Nuclear Weapons Only
atomic-mushroom-cloud-explosion-2-2.gif
 
One must weigh between economy and false economy. I love to save money, but try to never break the penny wise and pound foolish rule.
Best example is tools. I needed a basic pipe wrench once, and may never need or rarely need it again. Off to Harbor Freight! On the other hand if I am going to be constantly using, or it will make a financial loss without it, I cry once and buy the best. Glad the soap water is working out. Spider mites can work a mess if they get ahead of you. they usually will and those webs all over everything...and they can come fast. If they do, 25 bucks or so for a small bottle of Pyganic isnt much crying...party on.

Bubba

Right now, with the plants getting so close to harvest, I’ve started using the soap & oil. I finally found my Neem oil, and will use it next, I think…. I don’t have them bad enough to have webs since I’ve been working on them.

I’ve had one Heck of a time with hose-end sprayers, though, and that’s really hurt my spray schedules for fertilizers, bug sprays, and especially leaf septoria, which has totally taken over. I’ve had it for years and taken the affected leaves off the site and dropped them far away, but it gets worse every year. If I were to take EVERY affected leaf with Septoria, I wouldn’t have any fan leaves left…..it’s awful. After this crop, I’m going to totally rake the area, then spray it. I’ll probably spray it again before I plant next year. Maybe it’ll help. I’ve searched on several forums and can’t find a lot about it. Most of them are preventatives and it seems the threads I’ve run across say it’s not something that happens a lot??? Could have fooled me. I realize this should be another thread, but i just came back from the garden, and it’s pitiful. One plant is totally consumed by it, and most of the fan leaves turned yellow after I sprayed them Friday. I don’ tthink they’re leaf septoria since they don’t have spots…… it was the ONLY plant from the first planting that grew ‘normally’ and grew 7-8 ft tall, like a regular plant. All the rest, since they flowered so early, only grew a maximum of 5’ or so & have small buds all the way up the stems.….rough year. Not a lot of yield.

sorry for the rant. Just came back from a bad look at the garden this morning.
 
Maybe try some heavy indica strains? I get large fat stalked plants about 3 ft tall, and around 10 colas after cuts. These plants tend to be crystal city, and make great hash. Many are super easy to grow and resist molds and mildews.

They are the bomb for sleep and pain relief
Bubba
 
you may want to research ISO alcohol and water in solution
People swear by this, I don't know the numbers (mixing wise)
but they sprayed it on every so often to kill the mites than the eggs as they hatched
They can only be wiped out in steps, the mites die and new eggs hatch, you need to get the offspring before they have a chance to lay new eggs
 
Maybe try some heavy indica strains? I get large fat stalked plants about 3 ft tall, and around 10 colas after cuts. These plants tend to be crystal city, and make great hash. Many are super easy to grow and resist molds and mildews.

They are the bomb for sleep and pain relief
Bubba

Thanks. I try to stay with hybrids to get the medical relief from the Indicas, but not too couch-locked ;) , as I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and that puts me waaaaay down on the fatigue scale. I have to drink coffee at night to even halfway stay awake. I used to fall asleep with the 6th cup of coffee in my hand…. Thank goodness for a natural supplement (ATP) I found after 30 years of this stuff that actually gave me noticeable energy….not enough to run around the block, but I don’t lie down all day either :), …sit at the computer instead, but at least I don’t feel quite as worthless.

I wasn’t aware they were more resistant to mold & mildews, though. We’re about to get a tropical storm, which frequently happens around harvest (we’re far enough inland to not get damage, but a lot of moisture), and I get mold and bud rot when that happens 🥴 .

thanks again!
 

Latest posts

Back
Top