Broad Mites on Cannabis: Early Signs and How to Prevent Them

The best way to prevent broad mites and their microscopic cousins on cannabis is to keep them from getting in: inspect every clone, keep your grow clean, hold humidity and temperature in check and wipe out carrier pests like whiteflies. These tiny tarsonemid mites, like the cyclamen mite (Phytonemus pallidus, also listed as Steneotarsonemus pallidus), measure just 0.2 mm, are translucent with a yellowish tint and are practically invisible to the naked eye. Despite their size, they wreak havoc on plants, especially weed, both indoors and outdoors.

These micro mites hate light and dry air: they're photophobic and need high humidity. That's why they hide in the center of the plant, in new shoots, freshly opened leaves, the top of the plant and the calyxes. They move fast, which makes them extremely hard to spot, even with a pocket microscope.

Adults live a short life, between 5 and 15 days, and in that window each female can lay 30 to 75 eggs. Because they're so tiny, these mites can hitchhike into your grow in all kinds of ways: under your sneakers, on your clothes, in your hair or on your pets. They can even ride on other insects, like whiteflies, which helps them spread even further.

Some plants, like grapevines, are known to be especially vulnerable to mites, so pay extra attention if you grow weed near vineyards. Catching mites early and controlling them properly is essential to protect your grow and keep it healthy and productive.

What are the first signs of broad mites on cannabis plants?

Micro mites are close to invisible, but the damage they do is devastating, making them one of the biggest threats to any cannabis grow. With other pests you can often salvage part of the crop; with micro mites, you can end up with a completely ruined harvest, or no harvest at all. In many cases growers end up tearing out every plant and starting over just to stop the spread.

These mites feed on the plant's leaves, causing stress and damage at the cellular level, though less obviously than other sap-sucking pests like spider mites, aphids, whiteflies and thrips. Their real impact shows when they inject substances into the plant that disrupt growth and flowering, causing deformities and stunting development.

Why preventing micro mites matters so much

Prevention is everything with this pest. Keeping your grow clean, inspecting plants regularly, using preventive products such as Cannacure or Leaf Coat, Trabe's Ekisan or BAC's Plant Vitality Plus, and being extra careful when bringing in clones or compost are all recommended moves.

It's also important to keep your grow free of other pests that can carry micro mites, like whiteflies, aphids and thrips. Together, these steps help prevent and contain micro mites and protect the health and yield of your cannabis grow.

How can you prevent micro mites in your grow?

Keeping micro mites out of your cannabis grow is key to its health and yield. Here are some ways to make your plants a lousy place for them to set up shop:

• Control humidity: Keep relative humidity between 60% and 75% and don't let it climb higher, since micro mites thrive in humid environments.
• Manage temperature: Keep temperatures between 22 °C and 25 °C (72-77 °F) and avoid letting things run hotter, since micro mites do best in warm conditions.
• Watch how they travel: Micro mites can be carried by wind, rodents or even on your tools and clothes. Be careful when you visit other grows, and wash and disinfect your tools regularly.
• Keep the climate dialed in and the space clean: A clean, well-ventilated grow space helps keep micro mites from multiplying. If you've been around an infested grow, change your clothes and wash your tools so you don't bring the pest home.

Micro mites during the vegetative stage

During the vegetative stage of cannabis plants, which can last anywhere from 3 to 16 weeks, micro mites can do serious damage. By piercing and sucking leaf cells, they weaken the plant and pass toxins into its system, leading to visible symptoms like stunted growth, deformed leaves and yellowing.

Micro mites during the flowering stage

During flowering, micro mites can attack developing buds, turning the pistils brown, stopping flower growth and cutting down on trichomes. In severe cases, an infestation can kill the plants outright. That's why it's crucial to keep a close eye on your grow and take preventive steps to keep micro mites out.