Darn spider mites!

[Emoska]

Yup. Many plants in our backyard seem to have an infestation of these little buggers- including all my bonsai.

I've been misting the foliage of each plant affected (after an initial thorough washing), and have even concocted a chilli spray to spray weekly, all to try and deter them. Because my bonsai are predominately Shohin, I've also been plucking apart the webs every day when I check the soil.

I'm aware that they're a difficult pest to get rid of, but I was wondering if anyone knows of any non-chemical (i.e. organic) methods to rid these little buggers?

[Woz]

here is a wonderful list of pest remedies from my Grandma, an avid gardener.
I pull out these whenever i have a pest and they have done me well, I hope one of these may help you....

SCALE
Usually white and spread by ants and virus. Often on Citrus and roses but can affect other shrubs also.
Treatment – first scrub off the white crust using an old toothbrush or small stiff brush, then spray with organic White Oil.

Organic White Oil
2 Cups sunflower/vegetable oil
1/3 cup dishwashing liquid or liquid soap (Lux/Palmolive)
Blend well. Use 1 tblspn per litre of water (stronger will burn leaves)
Do not spray in full sun, towards evening or in shade or cool/cloudy days.

Eco-oil from an organic nursery could do the same.

APHIDS
All colours, sap-suckers. Aphids carry virus to plants. A strong jet of water will remove aphid temporarily otherwise treat with Soap Spray.

Soap Spray
Lather up pure laundry soap, dilute with water.
Spray under and over foliage and buds. Use weekly in the evening.

Garlic Spray
Blend several cloves of garlic and 1 tspn oil with 500mls water. Strain. Add some pure liquid soap, dilute approx. 1:100 parts water.
Spray under and over foliage. Soap makes it stick to plants.

BLACK SPOT

Black Spot Spray (1)
Mix equal parts of milk and water. Add 1-2 tspns bi-carb soda. Mix well.
Spray every 3 days (or often) until black spot disappears. Remove and destroy infected leaves if you can.

Black Spot Spray (2) preventive for fungal disease.
1 part milk to 10 parts water (1:10). Add 1-2 tspns bi-carb soda as above.



FUNGAL LEAF DISEASES & POWDERY MILDEW
These affect zucchini, cucumber, pumpkin, some roses later in summer. Good air circulation helps prevent fungi.
Treat with Milk Spray (as above) or Bi-Carb Spray.

Bi-Carb Spray (Eco-carb or make your own)
1 tspn bi-carb soda per litre of water and a drop of liquid soap.
Spray weekly at sunset in hot or humid weather.

CATERPILLARS & OTHER CHEWERS
Control by spraying plants with molasses spray. Makes plants distasteful to chewers. The only thing that beats grasshoppers is fine net!

Molasses Spray
1 tblspn molasses to 1 litre warm water and a few drops of soft soap.


WHITE FLY
Small white sap-suckers on cucurbits, tomatoes, beans and some flowers. Fly off in clouds when disturbed but settle again quickly. Spread virus between plants. They are attracted to bright yellow so yellow boards hung above/near plants and spread with Vaseline will trap them (if you can stand the sight of the yellow boards!)
Alternatively (and preferably) try rhubarb spray.

Rhubarb Spray (for White fly)
1.5 kg rhubarb leaves boiled for 15 minutes in 1.5 litres water. Cool and strain. Add 25 grams soap flakes and 5 litres water, strain.
Spray or use in watering can.

[Jester]

Thanks for sharing that Woz. Unless I'm mistaken though, was there anything there for spider mite? Cheers

[Chris]

there is another mite that kills the spider mite the only place i have herd of these is in hydroponic shops but i have found this

Two types pf predatory mites are available commercially Phytoseiulus persimilis and Typhlodromus occidentalis. They are best introduced when pest numbers are low. Predatory mites are available from: Beneficial Bug Co, PO Box 436, Richmond NSW 2753 Ph 02 45701331; Bio-Protection, PO Box 384, Kilmore, VIC 3764 Ph 03 57810033; Biological Services, PO Box 501, Loxton, SA 5333 Ph 08 85846977.

Other predators of two-spotted mite include hoverflies, a tiny black ladybird Stethorus spp. also called the 'spider mite destroyer'; green and brown lacewings, damsel bugs, predatory thrips, spiders and tiny parasitic wasps.

http://www.greenharvest.com.au/pestcont ... index.html

hope this helps

[Jester]

Yup. Many plants in our backyard seem to have an infestation of these little buggers- including all my bonsai.

I've been misting the foliage of each plant affected (after an initial thorough washing), and have even concocted a chilli spray to spray weekly, all to try and deter them. Because my bonsai are predominately Shohin, I've also been plucking apart the webs every day when I check the soil.

I'm aware that they're a difficult pest to get rid of, but I was wondering if anyone knows of any non-chemical (i.e. organic) methods to rid these little buggers?

Hi Emoska, look, I know you are against non-organic treatments, but I would have thought a couple of light sprays of Confidor would do the trick. Are you worried this might harm the trees because of their size?
Otherwise it would seem like you are going to a lot more trouble to solve what I thought be be a relatively easy problem to fix. In my experience spider mites have never been a major threat.

[Woz]

Sorry I meant to add this in before i posted but i was feeling click happy...
As they are a sap sucker I would probably give the soap or garlic oil a go. otherwise try the molases?
best of luck

[Dave54]

Hi Mate,
nice thought to use organic but must say even chemicals have trouble killing Red Spider mite.
I use Kelthane which is specifically designed for this pest.
I know you are about to receive a copy of my CD and in that there is a Chapter on the benefits of using "Pest Oil" which is about the closest to non chemical that you will get. It was written using results from a recent horticultural study.
Good luck with the problem
cheers
Dave

[Steven]

G'day Emoska and anyone else interested in Spider Mites,

Spider mites are not actually insects however are pretty closely related to spiders. They have four pairs of legs, no antennae and a single, oval body region.

They are very small even at the adult stage being less than 1mm long.

SpiderMites.jpg

Since spider mites mouths are small they attack individual cells of plants and remove the cell's contents making the leaf take on a yellow or bronze color and usually falls off plant. Like spiders they can produce a silk like web that is used to protect their colony, not catch prey. This web will cover the infected areas of foliage and will take on a dirty look.

Stages of the spider mite are:

Eggs - hatch in 1st week
Larvae - around for a few days
First nymphal stage - lasts a few days
Second nymphal stage - then onto maturity
Adults - of which females are the largest sex

The mites can be detected by shaking plant onto a white sheet of paper and check for mites.

They love dry climates but hate wet things and humidity. Therefore control of spider mites is pretty easy with a full stream of water to wash them off the plants. Other control is with predatory mites, lacewings and ladybugs.

Here is a great article with pictures on Spider mites and pest free eradication of them.

Regards,
Steven

[Mojo Moyogi]

Yates Natrasoap, available from Bunnings, applied weekly as directed. Make up a bucket full and wrap the pots of affected trees in glad wrap. Dip the tree in the bucket to ensure total coverage.



MM (chemical fee since 2001)

[Mojo Moyogi]

Yates NatraSoap is also available from Mitre 10, Home Hardware, Thrifty Link etc. Just in case there's no "the hardware store" near you
.....By the way, i was UNaware that by meNtioning certain companies I was Not followinG the ruleS.

Also thought I was in Australia, not Beijing!

MM

[John Henry]

The only way to get the little buggers is with a mix of Rogorand clensel

[krittas]

here is a wonderful list of pest remedies from my Grandma, an avid gardener.
I pull out these whenever i have a pest and they have done me well, I hope one of these may help you....

SCALE
Usually white and spread by ants and virus. Often on Citrus and roses but can affect other shrubs also.
Treatment – first scrub off the white crust using an old toothbrush or small stiff brush, then spray with organic White Oil.

Organic White Oil
2 Cups sunflower/vegetable oil
1/3 cup dishwashing liquid or liquid soap (Lux/Palmolive)
Blend well. Use 1 tblspn per litre of water (stronger will burn leaves)
Do not spray in full sun, towards evening or in shade or cool/cloudy days.

Eco-oil from an organic nursery could do the same.

APHIDS
All colours, sap-suckers. Aphids carry virus to plants. A strong jet of water will remove aphid temporarily otherwise treat with Soap Spray.

Soap Spray
Lather up pure laundry soap, dilute with water.
Spray under and over foliage and buds. Use weekly in the evening.

Garlic Spray
Blend several cloves of garlic and 1 tspn oil with 500mls water. Strain. Add some pure liquid soap, dilute approx. 1:100 parts water.
Spray under and over foliage. Soap makes it stick to plants.

BLACK SPOT

Black Spot Spray (1)
Mix equal parts of milk and water. Add 1-2 tspns bi-carb soda. Mix well.
Spray every 3 days (or often) until black spot disappears. Remove and destroy infected leaves if you can.

Black Spot Spray (2) preventive for fungal disease.
1 part milk to 10 parts water (1:10). Add 1-2 tspns bi-carb soda as above.



FUNGAL LEAF DISEASES & POWDERY MILDEW
These affect zucchini, cucumber, pumpkin, some roses later in summer. Good air circulation helps prevent fungi.
Treat with Milk Spray (as above) or Bi-Carb Spray.

Bi-Carb Spray (Eco-carb or make your own)
1 tspn bi-carb soda per litre of water and a drop of liquid soap.
Spray weekly at sunset in hot or humid weather.

CATERPILLARS & OTHER CHEWERS
Control by spraying plants with molasses spray. Makes plants distasteful to chewers. The only thing that beats grasshoppers is fine net!

Molasses Spray
1 tblspn molasses to 1 litre warm water and a few drops of soft soap.


WHITE FLY
Small white sap-suckers on cucurbits, tomatoes, beans and some flowers. Fly off in clouds when disturbed but settle again quickly. Spread virus between plants. They are attracted to bright yellow so yellow boards hung above/near plants and spread with Vaseline will trap them (if you can stand the sight of the yellow boards!)
Alternatively (and preferably) try rhubarb spray.

Rhubarb Spray (for White fly)
1.5 kg rhubarb leaves boiled for 15 minutes in 1.5 litres water. Cool and strain. Add 25 grams soap flakes and 5 litres water, strain.
Spray or use in watering can.

Hey woz
do you have anything to treat the white mites you find on junipers ????
does anyone??

[Emoska]

Wow, what a response! Thank you to all who took the time to share their ideas about what might best help, and even some education about these critters

I am worried about using chemical treatments because of the size of some trees, and that most are quite young. I'll certainly try some of the treaments suggested here, and am considering the Ladybugs too... hmmmm...

[Grant Bowie]

I regularly use a combination of Pest Oil(NOT WINTER OIL) and Confidor for almost everything and it keeps most things at bay. I know it is a chemical but it works.

I recently used Naturasoap and it also looks good for a number of problems.