Spider Mites
 

It seems that what I thought was nutrient shortages is actually spider mites. This is a bad infestation and I have a history of not being able to deal with them. I need help. How do I kill these things without killing my plants?

I've been trying out a spray of 50% rubbing alcohol/ 50% water on some plants with signs of spider mites. Jury's still out on the effectiveness.

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=2]That is really gross! You have what appears to be a lethal infestation- the webs are so heavy I doubt that you could get inside them with a bulldozer! Seriously, if the plant(s) were mine I would dispose of them and start over. I have a huge problem with SMs, and have discovered that Neem oil is the best to get rid of them. My Pole Beans got them as soon as the sprouts appeared, but one spraying 2 weeks ago got them. I spray about every 10 days to prevent more, and so far they are free of the little demons! [/SIZE][/FONT]

delta, doesn't the alcohol dry the leaves out? That seems like a really strong mixture.

Definitely spider mites - I hate those little (insert expletive). I've used Take Down with pretty good success so far. Espoma also has a product that's essentially this same thing, Earth-tone Insect Control. Both are made with canola oil and pyrethrin. Some people have success with neem oil, but it hasn't worked too well for me. Insecticidal soap, pyrethrin, permethrin, and sulfur will give you some control but you'll need to keep hitting them with something. They are persistent.

Some application tips:
1) Whatever you decide to use, apply early in the morning or after sunset. All of those products can cause leaf burn if the sun hits them when they're wet

2) If you decide to use an oil based product, you cannot apply a sulfur-containing product for at least 21 days or you'll burn your plants. Avoid sulfur when temps are >90 degrees

3) DO NOT USE FERTILOME TRIPLE ACTION PLUS!!! I sprayed it on 3 plants and it almost killed them. It says it's a pesticide, but it acts like a herbicide.

[QUOTE=JoParrott;276645]delta, doesn't the alcohol dry the leaves out? That seems like a really strong mixture.[/QUOTE]

It's the regular, lower strength rubbing alcohol commonly available just about everywhere, not one of the more specialized higher strength versions. So far I'm having no trouble with it drying out the leaves. It seems to evaporate quickly, leaving little time for it to damage the leaves. I don't put it on when the sun is on the plants, though. Shady time only.

I askd the same thing early this yr. Raybo recommended "Take Down" with Pyrethrin and canola oil. I ordered some yesterday and got an email this morning saying it was discontinued. I'm getting ready for them here. They will start in a month or so. One person also used insect grow inhibiter with good success. Hope they will respond to this thread when they see it.

[QUOTE=augiedog55;276649]I askd the same thing early this yr. Raybo recommended "Take Down" with Pyrethrin and canola oil. I ordered some yesterday and got an email this morning saying it was discontinued. I'm getting ready for them here. They will start in a month or so. One person also used insect grow inhibiter with good success. Hope they will respond to this thread when they see it.[/QUOTE]

Hmmm...didn't know Take Down was discontinued. I ordered mine from Worm's Way ([URL="http://www.wormsway.com"]www.wormsway.com[/URL]) last year. You might check with them to see if they still have some in stock. They also have the Espoma Earth-tone version listed on their website.

I think it was b54red who uses insect growth regulator on his plants. I think he said the brand was Martin's IGR.

general hydroponics has a great product named azamax that is a highly pure form of neem.... costs a little bit but the stuff works great on spider mites b4 they happen.... seeing u already are infested u should find u some pyrethrins as well.... I'm sure u can find a product with pyrethrins @ lowes or home depot... i think there is a green light brand for fruit trees... anyways if u alternate between these two products every 7 days... ull be golden

I used Takedown once this season and for a few days, it pretty much did what its name says. I ordered it maybe 3 weeks ago and would be surprised if it is discontinued by Monterrey.

Neem and other oil products may reduce but in my experience do not eliminate spider mites.

It all depends on how toxic you want to get. There are other miticides that will do the job, but, you may not want to eat tomatoes that they were sprayed on, at least I don't. Pyrethrins and Permethrins (sp?) are both pretty doggone toxic already, at least to bees, fish, etc. So, if you use them, the most environmentally conscious way to do so, imo, is to spray at night after dusk if possible, then come back out the next morning early and spray them again with something else to wash off the pyrethrins. Overnight should be sufficient to kill spider mites.

Does anyone know if Kaolin clay will effect these little demons? It is supposed to work on leaf footed bugs and I'm wondering if spider mites might be deterred as well?

Good luck.

Dewayne mater

Ladybugs are cheaper(Im sorry "less expensive") than a bottle of chemicals.They will stop the life cycle of the critters.And while they are eating they also polinate at the same time.Two for one.

From this article [URL]http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7405.html[/URL] which has some good recommendations on controls, both biological and chemical:

"Spider mites frequently become a problem after applying insecticides. Such outbreaks are commonly a result of the insecticide killing off the mites’ natural enemies but also occur when certain insecticides stimulate mite reproduction. For example, spider mites exposed to carbaryl (Sevin) in the laboratory have been shown to reproduce faster than untreated populations. Carbaryl, some organophosphates, and some pyrethroids apparently also favor spider mites by increasing the level of nitrogen in leaves. Insecticides applied during hot weather usually appear to have the greatest effect, causing dramatic spider mite outbreaks within a few days."

I have had fair luck with Neem oil, however it is always the spider mites that determine when my tomato season ends. If I wanted a longer season I would try other oils or the IGR's.

Steve

Dogs and dirt. Thanks for the imfo. Just orderd mine

if u use a good neem product correctly u will never have any bug problems whatsoever.... but with any organic pesticide u have to use it from day one.. thats y i said he needed to use the pyrethrins first than continue with a fine neem product, not green light... even billy the exterminator uses pyrethrins..... u may have not had any luck with neem due to incorrect labeling of the product, or inferior product... u also have to be persistent with neem.... bugs do not build up a tolerance to neem therefore its great to use once every 7-10 days.... indoor growers have tons of trouble with mites.... therefore we may have a little more knowledge of how to deter them... not to mention i have never seen powdery mildew, blight, or blossom rot with any plant i have treated with neem religiously.

Pyola Insect Spray Concentrate from GardensAlive! and Espoma Earth-tone Insect Control are the [URL="http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Product.jsp?REG_NR=06770200005&DIST_NR=056872"]same product[/URL] as Monterrey Take Down.

Ladybugs are a good choice early in the game. Once your plants are almost succumbing to the onslaught, they won't get the job done in my experience.

I'm guessing Miami, like Texas, the mite issue is intensified with additional heat and sun. If your plants are stressed by anything, in they move, and too much heat and sun are enough stress, even if you don't have disease. I get the argument that insecticides will wipe out indiscriminately, good and bad bugs, and then the bad ones takes over. However, I've had years where the only insecticide used was neem and b.t. and yet spider mites population goes wild. In harsh conditions, they thrive, and once they thrive, you either bring out the big guns, or you lose, imo.

Dewayne mater

Lady bugs vanished when we hit 105.
We may get some of the desert lady bugs, if I'm lucky. But I'd didnt see those until late August in really wicked, 115 degree heat last year.
And stress, lol. We hit 109 today. It's only May! This is not going to be a good year. Less than 10% humidity, too.

I have some success using an igr. I am using Neemix 4.5, and I am not seeing many white flies at all. i don't think it helped with the bugs that look like micro mini grasshoppers.

[QUOTE=Tracydr;276763]Lady bugs vanished when we hit 105.
We may get some of the desert lady bugs, if I'm lucky. But I'd didnt see those until late August in really wicked, 115 degree heat last year.
And stress, lol. We hit 109 today. It's only May! This is not going to be a good year. Less than 10% humidity, too.[/QUOTE]I think i'll stay in the swamps of Miami.

I'm considering the Neemix. Just looking at other miticide ideas as well, especially since I have ivermectin and will need to order Neemix, or even Neem oil.
I did spray with Adams flea shampoo with IGR and a bit of veggie oil this past weekend. Plants do look better.
They didn't look bad. Just a bit of mite damage.
White flies are isolated to the eggplants, which don't seem bothered.
I did have a baby jalapeño die, looks like mites.

Check to see if you have a crop production services up there, it its easy to open an account, that way you can have access to the products that the "professionals" use. You could also look for a horticulture supply house.

I had spider mites on my JD's Special C-Tex already this year. Out of 48 plants I am not sure why they chose that plant exclusively? I used Captain Jacks Dead Bug brew by Bonide [URL]http://www.bonide.com/products/product.php?category_id=250[/URL] and it cleaned them off of the plant. It has Spinosad in it and it didn't hurt the plant. I was very impressed with the results! Good luck!
Mark

[QUOTE=delltraveller;276643]I've been trying out a spray of 50% rubbing alcohol/ 50% water on some plants with signs of spider mites. Jury's still out on the effectiveness.[/QUOTE]

Let me know how this works. I've heard of using it for houseplants.

[QUOTE=attml;276804]I had spider mites on my JD's Special C-Tex already this year. Out of 48 plants I am not sure why they chose that plant exclusively? I used Captain Jacks Dead Bug brew by Bonide [URL]http://www.bonide.com/products/product.php?category_id=250[/URL] and it cleaned them off of the plant. It has Spinosad in it and it didn't hurt the plant. I was very impressed with the results! Good luck!
Mark[/QUOTE]

My JDs is the hardest hit. I'm about to pull it to get it out of the garden. It's not done well anyway. No fruitset, smallest plant in the garden. KBX has a lot of mite damage on the bottom but still looks healthy and is big, blooming, although no fruit set. O'Sena Green will leave with JDs.
This is all starting on the south and west side of the garden. The heat sink of the west wall and the amount of sun on that side, despit overhead shade, must be stressing the plants.
Last year, my plants on that end succumbed earliest, too, although I had a great tomato year and didn't have anything die until July, when I lost some to a wilt.
I might get another shade up on the south. Not much I can do about the wall on the west side. I wonder if I grew a bunch of heat hardy vines on that wall if it would help?

[QUOTE=desertlzbn;276796]Check to see if you have a crop production services up there, it its easy to open an account, that way you can have access to the products that the "professionals" use. You could also look for a horticulture supply house.[/QUOTE]

Looks like there's one in Chandler. It's quite a hike but in about a week I need to go that direction to pick up chicken feed so I'll check it out. ( I get organic feed with a group order every three months)

[QUOTE=attml;276804]I had spider mites on my JD's Special C-Tex already this year. Out of 48 plants I am not sure why they chose that plant exclusively? I used Captain Jacks Dead Bug brew by Bonide [URL]http://www.bonide.com/products/product.php?category_id=250[/URL] and it cleaned them off of the plant. It has Spinosad in it and it didn't hurt the plant. I was very impressed with the results! Good luck!
Mark[/QUOTE]

I got spinosad yesterday, even though it's not really considered a miticide. Thinking about mixing with some soap, molasses and seaweed/fish emulsion.
Does soap and/or molasses count as a non-ionic adjuvant?

[QUOTE=Tracydr;276832]
Does soap and/or molasses count as a non-ionic adjuvant?[/QUOTE]

I think soap is anionic and wouldn't work the same as a nonionic adjuvant. Unless the label calls for an adjuvant, I wouldn't add one.

Also, I see you are considering ivermectin. I use abemectin [Agrimec, Avid] for mite and leaf miner control on dahlias and it works well. It is very important to rotate it with another miticide so that a resistance doesn't develop. I never use it more than twice in succession. I believe abemectin has been labeled for tomatoes in recent years. I think it is still a "restricted use" pesticide in California. (but not sure)

Spinosad sounds promising, I'm going to try it on tomatoes for mite control this season.

Steve

Also, as you've probably figured, it is important to get a sprayer with a nozzle that 'rotates' so you can turn it upwards to spray under the leaves. With contact miticides it is important to have complete spray coverage.

Last year we had a very prolonged drought with very high temperatures and along with it came a devastating spider mite population. I tried just about everything starting with Neem which worked well when the population was just getting started but it seemed to get less effective with each spraying. I found the same thing happened with the pesticides Pyrethrin and Permethrin. I had better success by rotating every spraying with a different substance for a while but eventually, even getting to the point of spraying every few days, the mites just got worse. I finally tried a mix of Permethrin, soapy water(to penetrate the webs) and an Insect Growth Regulator finally stopped them and reduced my whitefly population greatly. It only took two applications about a week apart thoroughly coating the undersides of the leaves and even the mulch under the plants late in the evening. They haven't made much of an appearance so far this year because of the ladybugs; but the ladybugs are starting to leave so I'm keeping a close eye out for them. This time I will start with the IGR and hope it works as well as last year.

[QUOTE=kurt;276685]Ladybugs are cheaper(Im sorry "less expensive") than a bottle of chemicals.They will stop the life cycle of the critters.And while they are eating they also polinate at the same time.Two for one.[/QUOTE]

Ladybugs, Ladybugs fly away home.