Spider Mites are a small pest that can quickly ruin an indoor plant. So what can you do to avoid these pesky little critters? Read this article for 7 tips that will help you keep your plants healthy and safe!
How to identify spider mites
Spider mites are small, eight-legged creatures that can cause a lot of damage to indoor plants. If you’re ever worried about spider mites on your plants, the first step is to identify them.
Spider mites are usually visible as small, yellow, cream or red spots on the leaves or petals of your plants, they are very hard to spot from the untrained eye.
They can also cause the leaves to turn yellow and drop off the plant. If you’re having trouble identifying spider mites, there are a few things you can do to help. You can try looking at your plant under a bright light or using a magnifying glass. You can also look at the damage of the plant, look for small white dots on the upper surface of the leaf. A medium attack from spider mites will leave the leaves shades of orange. If your plants are under severe attack from spider mites you will notice the plant leaves dying and dropping off completely, this occurs when the spider mites have attacked the chlorophyll of the plant.
Spider mites also set webs also known as webbing this is exactly what you would expect from a traditional spider. When Spider mites start to produce webs you will be able to see them between leaves and in no time you will see the entire plant is completely covered. Webs are a useful vehicle for mites to swarm, mature webs are great at preventing unwanted guests but heavy webbing can restrict airflow and lead to the growth of fungus parasites, which isn’t a good sign for any plant lover.
If you do find spider mites on your plant, there are a few ways to get rid of them. You can use an insecticidal soap or spray to kill the spiders, or you can use a horticultural oil to repel spiders and prevent them from feeding on your plants.
It’s always best to act sooner rather than later as Spider mites reproduce rapidly. Their reproduction speeds go up when the temperatures and humidity is elevated. Females produce up to 150 eggs during their lifetime. These start out transparent and turn white to light yellow in the end.
Female spider mites have a natural defense which causes them to go dormant when it’s time for them to. The trigger effects include changes in temperature, and they hibernate until the conditions return to favorable levels. They can stay in dormancy for upto one year.
The top 7 ways to eliminate them from your indoor plants
Spider mites are tiny creatures that love to feast on plants. If you have indoor plants, be sure to check for spider mites regularly. Here are seven ways to get rid of spider mites from your plants starting from the most effective, to least effective.
1, Biological Control is most effective as a preventative measure to control pest populations, or at first sign of attack. Natural predators that have been introduced are the most successful in these types of applications.
For those looking for pests that specifically target pests, you should buy phytoseiulus persimilis. They work more quickly than preventative Amblyseius californicus and can cover more ground. When in favorable conditions, microparasites will rapidly increase in numbers and outnumber spider mites.These predators, such as the tomato hornworm, are especially effective when the day is longer. You will get better results if you take action during the vegetative cycle–between 18 hours of light.
If you do not notice spider mites until after they have caused significant damage, and are starting to create webs, it is time for spraying which brings us to option two.
2. Use a fungicide to kill the spider mites. This is the most effective way to get rid of spider mites that are well established.
If you are growing in a grow room or green house then professional Lance Sprayers are your best bet for reaching all areas of your plants. To reach all areas, a Professional Lance Sprayer will be the best option. Nebuliser Foliar Foggers can be used in larger grow rooms and are a more efficient spray. The mist covers every nook and cranny, which allows you to use less of the product.
If you are opting for a standard fungicide then always spray upwards. Most spider mites and their eggs will be on the undersides, so they will be eliminated while they can’t do anything to stop you. Ideally, you spray during the lights-off cycle. However, you can use dimmer and higher lights to provide visibility for your task. Use Active Eye headlamps to see the process in action. To avoid rot, be sure there is good air circulation and that the humidity is low during the late-flowering stage.
We advise using Pyrethrum 5 EC which is a natural way to kill spider mites – it evaporates quickly and is nontoxic. It only needs 4ml per liter of the product (2-3ml for small plants). If the spider mites are being shielded by the webbing, use SPBI to remove the webbing, and then address the spider mite problem as usual. You can also use vaporized sulfur. It annihilates unfavorable pests. This sulphur vapor will destroy your spider mites fast. It is safe to use while plants are in the room.
3. Use an organic acid spray to control spider mites. Organic acids are natural chemicals that can kill spider mites.
4. Clean your plants with a mild soap and water solution. Make sure to rinse off all the soap before putting your plants back in their places.
5. Remove infected leaves immediately and dispose of them properly. Do not compost them!
6. Vacuum your plants regularly using a gentle vacuum cleaner attachment with a HEPA filter. Be sure not to introduce any new spiders or insects into your home while cleaning!
7. Use a water-repelling plant treatment. This type of treatment repels water, which will help to keep the spider mites away from your plants.
We hope you found this guide helpful should you have any questions just let us know in the comments section below. We wish you the best of luck and hopefully your plants fully recover from spider mites.