Pests in the grow room: how to spot them and control them effectively
Pests can ruin your harvest if you don't act in time. The most common troublemakers in the grow room are spider mites and fungus gnats. Here you'll learn how to recognise them and how to get rid of them.
Recognising and controlling spider mites
Spider mites are tiny arachnids that live on the undersides of leaves. Tell-tale signs are small pale speckles on the leaves and, in a heavier infestation, fine webbing. They thrive in warm, dry air.
- Prevention: check your plants regularly, especially the undersides of the leaves, and avoid air that is too dry
- Biological control: use beneficial insects such as predatory mites
- Plant protection products: only as a last resort – use approved products, preferably ones suitable for organic growing, and always follow the label
Controlling fungus gnats
Fungus gnats are small, dark flies that breed in damp soil. Their larvae can damage roots, especially in seedlings and young plants.
- Yellow sticky traps: catch adult fungus gnats and show you how bad the infestation is
- Water less often: let the top layer of soil dry out between waterings – drier soil is far less attractive to fungus gnats
- Nematodes: biological control of the larvae in the growing medium
General prevention tips
- Inspect your plants regularly
- Keep your grow room clean
- Make sure there is good air circulation
- Quarantine new plants before they go into your grow room
Conclusion
With the right measures you can keep pests in the grow room firmly under control. At GrowDealz you'll find the products you need for pest control as well as ventilation for good air circulation.
