Spider Mites

[kas]

Hiya, can anyone give me some advice on how to get rid of spidermites on a bunch of indoor year old Jalapenos??? Ive looked it up and all the advice points to prevention rather than cure, but its a bit late for that......they have already moved in, its still early enough that I could cut back the plants to bare minimum, its my first set of Jalapenos and I would hate to loose them!
Thanks....

 

[Straticus]

Well, I have never dealt with spider mites on plants, but I have dealt with spider mites in general. I have a royal python and snakes have been found to be attacked by the same mites that infect plants, and mine was some years ago. I know that depending on the weather outside where you live, you can use that effectively. I had to get them out of the cage, so I went outside on an extremely hot day and covered my cage with a black trash bag, and let the heat the humidity build up all day and it completely nuked all the mites. Im not sure if there are as many effective ways of getting rid of mites on plants without killing the plants. I also know that cold water (ice water) once a few days a week would probably get rid of them, but the effect on the plant wouldnt be good. Probably a good hosing of water every few days would keep them off? Or just try some effective insecticide. You can try pyrethrum sprays that I have often heard that work very well. Insecticidal soap would also work, and now they even have predatory mites. Spidermites have two commomnly used predators; amblyseius californicus and phytoseiulus longipes. When spidermites are first noticed in your garden, these predatory spidermites should be placed out at about 20 per plant(they must be placed on the individual plant because the predators have a hard time moving from plant to plant), or as many as you feel are needed and repeated once every month there after. To give you a rough idea of how many predators you might need, 1(one) predator mite can eat 20 spidermite eggs or 5 adult mites in a day. Just some information that I had found previously to get rid of spidermites, but I'm in no means an expert on getting them off of plants, may have to ask someone with more knowledge of it then me, but in the meantime, good luck!

 

[GrumpyBear]

since it's inside i'm assuming you don't want to introduce predator insects, so i say soap (horticultural or very dilute dish soap). soap only works on contact so you'll likely have to do a few successive sprayings to get all of them and then you'll have a buildup on the plants so you might want to give them a little sponge bath once you think you have all of them. if you prefer chemical death for the little buggers just go to the hardware store and get any insecticide that says both 'miticide' and that it's suitable for vegetables (that last one's kind of important...) make sure to read the labels carefully

 

[rainbowberry]

I've had them. They love hot, dry weather. Try changing the humidity if you can, someone told me to put my plants in the bathroom. I just got a really power bug killer spray on them (OK for veg) and they were gone within a few days. Don't leave them, they spread really quickly. Get any healthy plants right away from any infected ones. Spidermites are horrible little b**tards. What everyone else has said sounds good.

 

[POTAWIE]

They breed like crazy in hot dry environments. I'd use a soap spray followed several days later with a pyrethium based insecticide. Neem is also quite effective. Just remember to get all the undersides of the leaves.

 

[kas]

Ok so soap shower and a stint in the bathroom, I think I can manage that, I dont really understand where they come from though, as its indoors and weather has been pretty baltic here, is there anything I can do to ward off future offenders?

 

[kas]

They breed like crazy in hot dry environments. I'd use a soap spray followed several days later with a pyrethium based insecticide. Neem is also quite effective. Just remember to get all the undersides of the leaves.

Fab photos, you've got a whole farm going on over there!

 

[POTAWIE]

Thanks Kas. I've actually been thinking about getting registered as a farm to save taxes.

 

[GrumpyBear]

Ok so soap shower and a stint in the bathroom, I think I can manage that, I dont really understand where they come from though, as its indoors and weather has been pretty baltic here, is there anything I can do to ward off future offenders?

if they were outside and you took them in there could have been just a couple eggs that didn't hatch until recently and then with no predators there was nothing stopping them from turning into a huge population.

 

[Pam]

Don't forget to treat more than once. Spider mites have a very short life cycle and are very prolific. It's hard to kill them all the first time, and they will bounce back rather quickly.

 

[kas]

if they were outside and you took them in there could have been just a couple eggs that didn't hatch until recently and then with no predators there was nothing stopping them from turning into a huge population.

Thats the thing, they have never been outside, oh well nevermind no more can I do.

 

[rainbowberry]

My plants had never been outside either, they were fruiting too so it's not like they were young plants that had even been re-potted outside.

 

[AlabamaJack]

kas...what's the situation with the spider mintes?

 

[kas]

kas...what's the situation with the spider mintes?

Well no great to be fair, all I can say is thank god they are in a different room to most of my chillies, and seedlings. The little beggars are out of control, I dont know how I missed them before. Its like there was nothing and then wham 100's, Im thinking maybe the days getting longer has something to do with it, cos its certainly not the weather getting warmer....the battle goes on, there are only a few plants but dont want to loose them

 

[rainbowberry]

I never noticed my spider mites either until they were pretty bad and I sat and at the table next to them everyday. At first I thought I'd just been a bit lazy with the dusting. My plants survived after two treatments with a powerful bug spray but the yellow, mottled bigger leaves never recovered.

 

[kas]

I never noticed my spider mites either until they were pretty bad and I sat and at the table next to them everyday. At first I thought I'd just been a bit lazy with the dusting. My plants survived after two treatments with a powerful bug spray but the yellow, mottled bigger leaves never recovered.

Thats totally it, you feel like you must of neglected them and been really unobservant, but in reality its been a stealth attack....!

 

[rainbowberry]

I was lucky that the one that was really affected was a Fresno type chilli sown from a supermarket seed, the dog ate the plant anyway after it was treated. The other one was a Naga Morich that I've still got with very unhappy looking leaves

 

[Nute]

Spider mite cures

This one should be best-
I am thinking of stocking this at hydronutes.com
If anyone orders botanicare online and thinks that sounds good let me know!

No oils to clog stomata, ph balanced and no attars- whats an attar?

This one works great is cheap and easy to get at Walmart:

Not a soap. has pyrethrins and a little canola oil and is pretty easy on leaves. Spray lots all over then wash it off after a few hours.
Good for spots but has more than the last two, stinks.
It has Neem oil which works good.
They sell it also as a rose spray and other labels with the same listed ingredients.

All of these also kill beneficial insects.
I had a geranium that got covered in bugs so it was moved into shrubs only 10 feet away. Whatever bugs are in the shrubs got rid of them.
If you can spray them off that works well but is required often.

 

[POTAWIE]

I've use the Doctor Doom "Spider Mite knock out" first and then the Doctor Doom "total release fogger" for optimal result. They call it the one-two punch, uppercut then overhead bomb.
Predators such as predator mites are also a good option.