Stormy - no dead ones. I left them alone (didn't kill any) for about 3 days and they just got more and more and more, none died. I had several dozen at one point. I have been controlling them daily since and still get up to a dozen or so a day. They usually don't bother me but I am worried that they are laying eggs and have larvae that are hurting the plants. Most (90%+) of them hang out in the top 1/4 - 1/3 of the windows that the plants are in. Sometimes they will come down lower and land but usually they are landed on that upper section of the window. I didn't even know I had them for awhile... I saw one, and killed it, then I saw a couple more, killed those. Then a few days went by and I saw another, I tried to kill it but it walked up behind the blinds, so I opened the blinds and there were an amazing number! Opened the other blinds and had quite a few there, as well!
Just took a look at my zucchini plants since the leaves have been looking kind of sickly the past few days - looks like I have more spidermites, too. The leaf edges wilt, then dry up and turn a light brown color. I'm getting to a point where I think maybe just starting 100% over is my best option. This is so frustrating.
Misti - I found some black spots on the under side of the zucchini leaves.
Stormy - I hope you are right. I never had this much trouble with insects when I used to garden outdoors. My biggest problem was ants eating my watermelons and/or cantelopes before they fully ripened which was an easy fix or aphids on my grapevines. Never anything like this.
Name: Stormy Valley Forge Pa I Love MAM ~ So Happy Together
Lori, growing edibles indoors is really a challenge. So many of the bugs that get in your plants won't have the natural predators that eat them outdoors.
People who grow food hydroponically or in greenhouses would be better able to help you with the insect problems than those of us who only grow food outdoors. People with greenhouses do all sorts of cleaning to keep the insect population under control.
If they weren't edible I would probably do the same. I like to try to use organic methods, but nothing seems to rid me of these pests. I'm thinking I might plant the pom tree and blackberry bush out at my parents house and get rid of the others and just start over. How long would it take the insects to die off without a food source?
Name: Stormy Valley Forge Pa I Love MAM ~ So Happy Together
i think 6 to 8 weeks for all unhatched eggs to hatch and mature then die. Don't forget there could be eggs on the undersides of your furniture and other places in the living area.
Misti - I'm sure you are right.
Stormy - Ok. So get rid of anything that's not a tree and replant in 2 months. The trees I can plant out at my folks place and just ask em to give it some water every couple of days until it gets more established. And absolutely NO plants from the nursery. Only from seed, and from people I know have non-infected gardens. LOL Soil wise, not miracle grow... never again. Hydroponically is looking better and better every day.
Hmmm... good point. I had never considered that. Best I can do I think is to make it an environment that insects can't lay eggs in... I think spidermites will be my biggest issue without soil.
Gnats can still be an issue in hydroponics. I will check my book tonight and see what else it say can be an issue and we will see if we can head them off before they get there.
Name: Stormy Valley Forge Pa I Love MAM ~ So Happy Together
I don't know if Bit has a thread her for insects, but maybe if not, this entire conversation can be split off into one. That way this thread can go back to it's original purpose.
