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Re: Neighbors mites traveling

Posted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 3:50 am
by Van-isle-bamboo
Clear cutting would be the best option but the only problem is is that all my neighbors have them too and I'm not to sure if they can see that same benifit. Stage two for me is going to be a simple mite solution from the local Nursary that I'm going to apply with a power washer. If that doesn't work then I hear that bamboo garden is using a new pesticide.... I just forget the name.

Merry Christmas everyone :santa:

Re: Neighbors mites traveling

Posted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 7:14 pm
by pokenei
Either I am lucky or my climate is just too harsh for bamboo mites. I have never seen mites on my outdoor bamboos, only when they're brought indoor. This year though, I only brought one inside and it is placed in the garage which is not a pleasant environment for mites either.

I do see mites recently on some elephant ear plants that I brought indoor, both the dark and light colored mites. Not sure if those are bamboo mites or just regular spider mites. The good thing about my elephant ear plant is that they have few large leaves so that makes cleaning easy. I never use any chemical, just wet paper towels to squish them, and give the plants a good rinse. Since these suckers reproduce so quickly, you have to keep an eye on them at least one or twice a week.

Re: Neighbors mites traveling

Posted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 7:37 pm
by johnw
Bamboo mites would not be on elephant ears, they only attack the grass family.

If Bamboo mites can stand the winter in Hokkaido they can withstand it anywhere. What they dislike is a constant humid environment in spring and autumn. Not many, if any, reports of them being a persistent problem in eastern North America.

Re: Neighbors mites traveling

Posted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 7:55 pm
by stevelau1911
Hokkaido is more of a zone 6a-7b depending on where you are on the island so it is not quite a zone 5 yet so zone 6 may be the limit for mites, but we won't know for sure unless someone tests them in a controlled environment.

Mites are just like aphids in their proliferation rate. My guess is they have some way of flying from leaf to leaf too since they can spread so fast.

Here's the coldest major city there.
http://www.accuweather.com/en/jp/kitami ... her/217792

Re: Neighbors mites traveling

Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2013 2:23 am
by Van-isle-bamboo
Applied a mix of 50% dish soap,50% veg oil mix with a power washer yesterday from the detergent compartment in the machine. I'm not to sure on the ratio of water added but I'm sure it was applied thick. I had a look around and it seems that some of the P. Glauca is also starting to have mite damage but only on a few branches. I also sprayed some avid lightly on the infected spots but that was more of just a rash decision of of pure insect anxiety. :shock:

Some people are saying that floramite is a great choice to use but I read that it's not a systemic.... Therefor it could be hard to really contact all infected spots affectively. I was also talking to bamboo garden and they suggested Judo. Has anyone had any success with this insecticide?

Still hard to believe that the mites are feeding right now up here in the PNW because it's winter time here!

Re: Neighbors mites traveling

Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2013 5:05 am
by terrabamboo
if they are similar to aphids -- why can't you just get thousands of ladybugs to clean up the mess?

Re: Neighbors mites traveling

Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2013 6:26 am
by Van-isle-bamboo
I'm not to sure if ladybugs would work. That's a good point and maybe someone here has some experience with that.

Re: Neighbors mites traveling

Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 10:34 pm
by Van-isle-bamboo
Does anyone on here have any success with Judo? Avid should have eradicated my mites and now I need to turn to something else. Oil soap mix almost seems pointless. Soon it's time to get real real serious before the mites work there way over to the Vivax Aureocaulis which is going to get reall tall this year I imagine.

Re: Neighbors mites traveling

Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 11:36 pm
by stevelau1911
I think you will probably have to get in front of your neighbors and educate them about how much of a problem they have, show them the damage, and make it a collaborative effort in your community to do a clear cut, spray down of all the bamboos in the vicinity.

Did the polar vortex reach BC at all? If it was enough to brown your leaves, that's even more of a reason to cut them down eh.

Re: Neighbors mites traveling

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 12:54 am
by Van-isle-bamboo
No polar vortex for BC. We did have a Arctic blast at the start of December but that was it. Seasonal temperatures have been above average daytime highs have been 10 to 11°C. My moso did partially D foliate at my December low of -12.5 Celsius. Chusquea Gigantea as well.

My neighbors are alowing me to deal with THEIR mite problem which is a good thing.... For me really. It's still frustrateing that it's not to important to them yet though. Eh LOL

Re: Neighbors mites traveling

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 1:17 am
by johnw
We missed that polar vortex too, it headed southeast over the Atlantic so we got mildish southwest winds the length of the province.

Re: Neighbors mites traveling

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 1:31 am
by Van-isle-bamboo
I'm really hoping that this mild temp sticks around. The grass is green and I'm sure the boos are just anxious to start shooting. LOL

Re: Neighbors mites traveling

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 4:07 am
by Van-isle-bamboo
Eh ya all :lol: Sun is shinning and the mite damage seems to be stagnant for the time being.

I've purchaced Judo, Talstar, and more abamectin and I'm gonna hit these bad boys hard! Totally going to make this my mission this year in the garden to get rid if them. I think my program will be two applications of one miticide, followed by another and then another. A six week program. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?


A little of topic but

The latest cold bump here was I feb. My coldest recorded temp this winter was -12.6 c or 9f. Some of the boos were hit hard. Moso, total defoliation, chusquea gigantea almos the same. A few broken culms in the wet snow that followed the cold event( vivax Aureocaulis , Boryana ).