Red Spider Mites

[kjo890]

Help! Red Spider Mites are taking over my patio and starting to get into my vegetable plants. I've used pesticide a couple of times on the ground, but I don't want to spray it on my plants. I've now progressed to dowsing my plants in water to help remove the dry environment that they like...

Has anyone had success in removing these pests? I've done some reading on them on how to control them, but they just keep reproducing too fast for me to get rid of them! :(

[abond0017]

I had a ton of these on the patio area when I first started my container garden. I used a spray recipe I found online on my tomato plants to keep them from getting infected with the mites and to combat a beginning aphid problem. Not sure if the spray worked in the case of the mites as I never actually saw any on the plant and it could be that they just moved on cause I also haven't seen them on the patio recently either.

Anyway...try spraying this recipe below all over your plants (maybe a friend will spare some leaves if you don't have a tomato plant). Beware though I do think this also will get rid of any beneficial pests if you have them...I didn't so I didn't worry about it.

Mix:
1 cup cut up tomato leaves
1 garlic clove minced
1-2 cups water

Let sit overnight...then strain (I used a paper towel) and pour in spray bottle. Also, I remember the site I got it from recommended to not use any bowls or spray bottles that you will later use in cooking, or spray on any of the actual veggies (just leaves and stems) unless it is at least 3 days before picking...since the tomato is a night shade.

I've also heard using soapy water spray or a neem oil spray gets rid of many pests but haven't tried those myself.

You could also look into purchasing the mites' natural predator online. That may be the best way to go about it if you have a bunch of plants...so you don't spend an entire evening spraying leaves.

Good luck!

[kjo890]

thank you! i will have to try that

[jncarriere]

I usediatomaceous earth earth it will kill anything that crawls.It's organic which means that you can put it anywhere that you have a bug problem.Because it's organic it won't hurt you or children or animals.I really love the stuff because where I live the yards are just covered in sand fleas and little tiny black ants.

I put all over my floors in the spring time and then vacum/sweep every day and mop.You won't see the residue that it leaves but it is there and will keep giving protection.As the bugs crawl across it,it cuts them up and then the powder gets inside and dries them up.You can read up about it but it is the safest non toxic pesticide.You can get a bag at lowes and it will last you for years.

[thickbluebug]

I use neem oil and diatomaceous earth earth. The thing is neither are water stable. So you have to keep reapplying.

I put sugar or bacon grease in my diatomaceous earth for ants. It will kill fire ants and sugar ants.

The neem has lots of uses like it kills, aphids, nematodes and japanese beetles too.

Just start a schedule and reapply each week until the things are gone. Dumb me put it out once and thought I was done. Now I am doing it every Sunday.