Fly ribbon, safe?

[Canachris]

I've red the package and the only caution are "keep away from kids an pets" no ingredients listed so it seems nontoxic. I've wrapped it around of the base of the plant in hopes of trapping bugs B4 they get up the stalk. Thought it best to check with F A Q. as always thanks for any opinions or ideas

 

[013]

What’s up Canachris?

Hmm maybe that’s not a bad idea…

I hang 1 fly trap at the grow room door and 1 above canopy to catch big fat common house flies; for fungus gnats I use BTi or mosquito bits and keep a fan pointed at top of soil which seems to be pretty effective. But I also hit the plant and top of soil alternating between BTk and Spinosad couple times in veg and first week of flower. Knock on wood this year has been one of the most pest free grow seasons I’ve experienced in my short grow career…

Soil mites don’t attach the plant but if your are concerned about other climbers might consider spraying main stem periodically with SNS

 

[Sueet]

From personal experience the reason for the warning about keep away from kids and pets, it is because they're stupid and will get it wrapped all up in their hair/fur and it's a blasted nightmare getting the sticky OFF. It isn't toxic, as I've had numerous cats be fed up with my sticky removal attempts who ran off and cleaned it off themselves - never hurt any of them.

Just curious, do you have something in particular living in your soil that you don't want climbing up the stem?

 

[SmokingWings]

I've red the package and the only caution are "keep away from kids an pets" no ingredients listed so it seems nontoxic.

A quick google search and the ingredients are list on-line. Something like 60% glue and 40% paper give or take a tad bit.

There are similar products by several companies that have chemicals mixed in with the glue. The chemicals off-gas over several weeks and will poison insects in the room. Also the chemicals will make people and pets sick if they are in the same area too long.

But, the one you have has no chemicals added to the glue so it should be safe for what you want to do. Hang a couple up right near the plant and check every day or so to see if any Fungus Gnats get trapped.

 

[Canachris]

A quick google search and the ingredients are list on-line. Something like 60% glue and 40% paper give or take a tad bit.

There are similar products by several companies that have chemicals mixed in with the glue. The chemicals off-gas over several weeks and will poison insects in the room. Also the chemicals will make people and pets sick if they are in the same area too long.

But, the one you have has no chemicals added to the glue so it should be safe for what you want to do. Hang a couple up right near the plant and check every day or so to see if any Fungus Gnats get trapped.

Thanks smoke, if I put them in the container I can catch a lot of what I think are Gnatz(lil black fly's) I always have them in summer grows. used think they were fruit fly's,

 

[Canachris]

From personal experience the reason for the warning about keep away from kids and pets, it is because they're stupid and will get it wrapped all up in their hair/fur and it's a blasted nightmare getting the sticky OFF. It isn't toxic, as I've had numerous cats be fed up with my sticky removal attempts who ran off and cleaned it off themselves - never hurt any of them.

Just curious, do you have something in particular living in your soil that you don't want climbing up the stem?

I've been seeing articles about the Gnatz laying their eggs in the soil then the larvae climb up the plant and eat the leaves or suck out the whatever they suck out of it and then start the process all over again. so if I get them B4 they can eat the plant an become flys... I'm not sure it will work

 

[Canachris]

What’s up Canachris?

Hmm maybe that’s not a bad idea…

I hang 1 fly trap at the grow room door and 1 above canopy to catch big fat common house flies; for fungus gnats I use BTi or mosquito bits and keep a fan pointed at top of soil which seems to be pretty effective. But I also hit the plant and top of soil alternating between BTk and Spinosad couple times in veg and first week of flower. Knock on wood this year has been one of the most pest free grow seasons I’ve experienced in my short grow career…

Soil mites don’t attach the plant but if your are concerned about other climbers might consider spraying main stem periodically with SNS

SNS ? sounds too much like the deep state for me

 

[Canachris]

From personal experience the reason for the warning about keep away from kids and pets, it is because they're stupid and will get it wrapped all up in their hair/fur and it's a blasted nightmare getting the sticky OFF. It isn't toxic, as I've had numerous cats be fed up with my sticky removal attempts who ran off and cleaned it off themselves - never hurt any of them.

Just curious, do you have something in particular living in your soil that you don't want climbing up the stem?

That's why I can't hang them in my doorways I'd be stuck to them more than the flys an the sticky shite is not easy to wash off

 

[SmokingWings]

I've been seeing articles about the Gnatz laying their eggs in the soil then the larvae climb up the plant and eat the leaves or suck out the whatever they suck out of it and then start the process all over again. so if I get them B4 they can eat the plant an become flys... I'm not sure it will work

Not sure what articles you are finding. Most likely you are confusing these Gnats with Aphids, Thrips and Mites.

Fungus Gnats fly around and then will lay their eggs in the top layer of moist or wet soil. When the eggs hatch the pupae/larvae will live in the top 2 or 3 inches of soil for awhile eating decomposing plant material and occasionally the very thin roots of plants. When ready the pupae will move to the surface and the next stage is to become an adult gnat which will fly off without crawling up the stem. The adult Gnats do not eat leaves or plant part and exist on water and nectar if available. When flying around the Gnats do look and fly like Fruit Flies. Sticky traps hanging from the ceiling will catch the flying adults. The best way to get rid of Grats is to allow the top inch or so of soil to dry out between watering sessions. Putting Mosquito Bits in and on the soil really helps, especially if some Bits or even a 1/4 of a Dunk in a water bucket. Every watering session take the water from the bucket. Continue to take water from that bucket and once the Dunk is dissolved add another 1/4 piece.

Aphids live and lay their eggs on the stems and underside of leaves. They are often seen when they are clumped up into groups. Then there are Root Aphids which live on and inside unhealthy roots and as far as I can tell they do leave the area of the roots. Not even sure that they have wings. Root aphids are always female--no male root aphids. The root aphids always lay more females. Up to you to look up more info on Root Aphids.

Most likely you are thinking of Thrips. The thrips will spend most of their life cycle living on and eating the plants. Their eggs are laid in small cuts in stems or the leaves. When the weather is turning cold aphid eggs might land on the soil and hatch in the spring and at that time they might crawl up the stem.

Mites will sometimes fall off the plant and crawl around on the soil and even the surface of the pots. Eventually some of them might crawl up the stems to get back to the leaves that they eat. You will never, ever, win the war against Mites by putting sticky traps on the stems. Won't even win the occasional battle against Mites with sticky traps. There just are not enough of them that are clumsy enough to fall off the leaves to make any dent in the reproduction population.

 

[bluter]

the stickies won't hurt anything and will help with gnats. i'd add yellow sticky cards in as well.
it won't do anything for mites since they live their entire lifecycle on the plant itself.

 

[Canachris]

Not sure what articles you are finding. Most likely you are confusing these Gnats with Aphids, Thrips and Mites.

Fungus Gnats fly around and then will lay their eggs in the top layer of moist or wet soil. When the eggs hatch the pupae/larvae will live in the top 2 or 3 inches of soil for awhile eating decomposing plant material and occasionally the very thin roots of plants. When ready the pupae will move to the surface and the next stage is to become an adult gnat which will fly off without crawling up the stem. The adult Gnats do not eat leaves or plant part and exist on water and nectar if available. When flying around the Gnats do look and fly like Fruit Flies. Sticky traps hanging from the ceiling will catch the flying adults. The best way to get rid of Grats is to allow the top inch or so of soil to dry out between watering sessions. Putting Mosquito Bits in and on the soil really helps, especially if some Bits or even a 1/4 of a Dunk in a water bucket. Every watering session take the water from the bucket. Continue to take water from that bucket and once the Dunk is dissolved add another 1/4 piece.

Aphids live and lay their eggs on the stems and underside of leaves. They are often seen when they are clumped up into groups. Then there are Root Aphids which live on and inside unhealthy roots and as far as I can tell they do leave the area of the roots. Not even sure that they have wings. Root aphids are always female--no male root aphids. The root aphids always lay more females. Up to you to look up more info on Root Aphids.

Most likely you are thinking of Thrips. The thrips will spend most of their life cycle living on and eating the plants. Their eggs are laid in small cuts in stems or the leaves. When the weather is turning cold aphid eggs might land on the soil and hatch in the spring and at that time they might crawl up the stem.

Mites will sometimes fall off the plant and crawl around on the soil and even the surface of the pots. Eventually some of them might crawl up the stems to get back to the leaves that they eat. You will never, ever, win the war against Mites by putting sticky traps on the stems. Won't even win the occasional battle against Mites with sticky traps. There just are not enough of them that are clumsy enough to fall off the leaves to make any dent in the reproduction population.

Thanks smoke, I don't retain or fully grasp most of what I read. I got a bad brain, a bad back was much easier to deal with. I did see some leaf damage an a little whitish/yellowish bug on the underside of a few leaves. The pic of the single leaf has a bug on the lowest finger it's hard to see but it's there. The pic with all the leaves, shows the progression up the plant . two thirds of the plant has leaf damage of some sort

 

[bluter]

i can see a mite or it's egg in the very first pic on the back of the leaf. possibly some other signs as well. look for white dots on the leaf tops then get a loupe and check the backsides where they live.

 

[Roy Growin]

Just smearing honey on the base of the stem would do the same job, but very few bugs live in the soil then crawl up the stems - I used to/still do that for ants/earwigs in the garden
In the tent the sticky cards placed near the surface of the soil are easier to use
But that's not relevant here, looks more like a leaf bug such as mites/thrips as @bluter says, so if it's not too bad you could pull off the affected leaves and spray the underside of the remaining leaves with whatever you wanna use [SNS, soaps, home remedies etc]

 

[Sueet]

Those leaves look really dark, I would back off the nitrogen if you can.

 

[Canachris]

Those leaves look really dark, I would back off the nitrogen if you can.

I know, that's what I was thinking. under the LED light they look fine but in natural light they look really dark. I'm pretty sure they haven't gotten any large doses of nitrogen since I started flowering nutes like 2 1/2 weeks ago they got some kelp mix with a NPK of 7 1 1 maybe a month ago. whatever was on the backside of that leaf could fly, only the lower leaves had bug damage. I think I was just freaking out over the Gnatz. I really don't want to spray any of soap or stuff on them , flowering is going to good. Thanks for all the help

 

[bluter]

whatever was on the backside of that leaf could fly, only the lower leaves had bug damage.

this thing isn't flying anywhere.

looks to be a huge common two spotted mite or its egg. get a loupe all over the back sides of those leaves at 40 - 60x.

 

[Canachris]

Never even saw him, it was that bigger spot just above it I saw. welp when ur mostly blind and half deff if it doesn't smell it easy to miss things

 

[Canachris]

or type things

 

[SmokingWings]

Those leaves look really dark, I would back off the nitrogen if you can.

My Blue Dream clones have dark leaves their entire time. They are always a darker blue-green than most of the other strains I might have going at the time. Same goes for my Peanut Butter Cup clones, always a darker shade of green with a hint of purple in the veins. Both of those two strains tend to have those shorter stubby fingers just like the leaves in the picture.

I figured that the camera's flash did not go off. Judging by the shade of white in the paper towels there was just enough light to prevent the flash but not enough to really light up the area of the photo.

 

[Canachris]

yep, no flash on. theres a time delay with the flash on my phone, so I can't get a steady shot. these are second generation mountain top mint, freebie seeds that came along with another cheep seed. so I've no idea what the genetics are plus hermie seeds can revert to anything in their geenpool. so it's some kind of mutant, it gives us something in common. do they grow cannabis on Rapa Nui ? it would explain a lot. some volcanic rock would be nice too