Distorted new growth...Diagnosis: Arethroid Mites. Insecticide?

[Roguejim]

If you haven't sprayed the plants with anything yet, you might consider a biological solution instead. Green lacewing larvae eat both mites and aphids, as well as a variety of other insects and their eggs. However, if you've already sprayed, the spray would kill them, too. I get beneficial insects from buglogical.com, but there are other providers out there, too. I found my first hatched green lacewing larvae yesterday - the whiteflies will rue the day they went after my plants!

I don't think I have time to wait. What's the best mode of attack with sprays? Are permethrin, and pyrethrin effective? Should I avoid oil based sprays considering the summer heat? I would be spraying at night, though.

 

[Trippa]

Most effective spray for broad mite specifically that won't build resistance in the mite population is wettable sulphur (on par with miticides). Repeated at 2 week intervals in the cool of the day (night is best as high temps with sulphur = sad plants)
Azamax (Aka branded active ingredient in neem ) is not effective (as effective) against broad mites so don't bother. I will see if I can dig up the study on broad mite control I read a while back.
In the mean time this is a good quick reference : http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5259e/y5259e0b.htm

 

[Roguejim]

 
FIFY
The first few photos look like they could be herbicide damage. the second few show curled down leaves which is a tell tale sign of mites. Look for dying growth tips and if you have a power magnifier, you can try to see for yourself if they are mites.
 
Mites are easy, just spray for them repeatedly. And just when you think you have them taken care of, spray a few more times.
 
Herbicide, they just have to grow out of.

Mites are easy??  Everything I've read about broad mites says they are damn near impossible to eradicate.  Lots of controversy over what works and what doesn't.

 

[Jeff H]

Mites are easy??  Everything I've read about broad mites says they are damn near impossible to eradicate.  Lots of controversy over what works and what doesn't.

 
Notice what I typed right after that statement:

 
just spray for them repeatedly. And just when you think you have them taken care of, spray a few more times.

 
Dude, mites suck. I have them constantly reappearing on my monzanos and rocotos. I just resigned myself to keeping a pump sprayer full of miticide and spraying every few days or no less than once a week.
 
As long as I keep spraying then, yes, mites are easy. Just make sure to really soak the growth tips and the underside of all the leaves, especially the new growth.

 

[Roguejim]

Notice what I typed right after that statement:

 
Dude, mites suck. I have them constantly reappearing on my monzanos and rocotos. I just resigned myself to keeping a pump sprayer full of miticide and spraying every few days or no less than once a week.
 
As long as I keep spraying then, yes, mites are easy. Just make sure to really soak the growth tips and the underside of all the leaves, especially the new growth.

Thanks. At this point, I just want to keep them under relative control. Almost all my plants have pods now, and are still growing well. One problem I will have is that I used the square foot gardening method, so, the plants are pretty much growing into each other. I hadn't considered before that I might have to spray for insects, down the road.

Last night I sprayed with permethrin. Saturday night, I will spray with either wettable sulphur, or neem. I think maybe I should rotate these sprays every so many days.

I have a GardenSafe product that contains 70% neem. Is that a high enough concentration?

 

[queequeg152]

Mites are easy??  Everything I've read about broad mites says they are damn near impossible to eradicate.  Lots of controversy over what works and what doesn't.

 
not impossible, just very difficult to do with organic products, because they have 0 residual effects.
 
try abamectin, 2ml a gallon for big infestations. non ionic surfactant should be added to reduce runoff, and spread the miticide out into a film.
spray 3 times 3 days apart. 1ml/ gallon after the first if i recall correctly.
 
1ml/gallon can also be used as a preventative 
 
unlike most, I DO have experiance with mites, every year we do a little dance..... as soon as i get busy with something else, or otherwise distracted, they move in.
i always win in the end tho.