Spider Mites - Public Enemy #1!

Mike723 · June 10, 2015

I have grown to truly hate these little demons! lol

To my great dismay I've had the off luck of having all 30 of my plants infested this year. I'm wondering if they found the hairy vetch to be a comfortable place to overwinter..? I've apprehensively treated all the plants with neem oil, and I'm going to follow up with a mite predator release (Neoseiulus fallacis).

I had the same issue indoors last winter and between the homemade spray (cinnamon, rosemary, thyme and sesame oil), and Fallacis I got them under control right away. Thoughts or opinions appreciated but more so just venting I guess lol . . .

Cole_Robbie · June 10, 2015

I have whiteflies in my high tunnel. I have been having good results with this product:
http://www.met52ec.com/labels/ec
http://www.evergreengrowers.com/met5...w-formula.html

I don't have spider mites to test it on, but so far it kills every bug it hits, even potato bugs.

NarnianGarden · June 10, 2015

Kill 'em all, I say... Off with their heads!

Last year was exceptionally hot for several weeks, and that's when they took over my peppers, eggplant and later occupied my physalis bush. This year, I'll spray at the slightest sight of trouble. Any such creature will be prosecuted and punished to the full extent of the law.

Mike723 · June 10, 2015

Thanks for the advice Cole.. It's usually an end of the season issue, never so early in my experience! I'm with ya Narian! lol I'm just apprehensive about dousing with any thing too crazy as I don't want to throw the natural order of things out of whack.. I'm looking into bringing in more natural predators to help balance out my little hoophouse ecosystem lol.. I will say, the hairy vetch residue has created a veritable paradise for insects of all colors, shapes and sizes! haha

peebee · June 11, 2015

Just remember they start from the bottom up, then quickly travel up the plant. Last year they decimated my entire gardens (home & office) and the more I sprayed, the more they came back to taunt me. I tried 3 sprays including neem oil. It was too little, too late.

This year I focused on the bottom portion of my tomatoes and sure enough, I spied some on one plant. Rather than spraying, which might prove futile in the long run, I started by wiping the main stem and leaves with wet wipes. But when I saw some on the plant next to it, I decided to remove the plant carefully, in increments, cutting it little by little in order not to spread any mites around. I bagged it and did not go back in till the next day, with fresh gloves and different clothes on. To say I am paranoid is an understatement! I pruned off all the lowest leaves of most of my plants also; this gave me a chance to do more inspection close up. I just pray every day that the tomatoes hurry up and ripen so that I can stop worrying about those mites.

Is it just me, or does everyone else think that more and more of us are having this problem now?? I never had 'em till last year. I had flea beetles till the spider mites appeared; now I don't see a single flea beetle and I even MISS them! I was the Flea Beetle Whisperer and destroyed them with my bare hands.

NarnianGarden · June 11, 2015

My new spray is supposed to be effective AND organic, pyrethrine in rapeseed oil. I'd rather allow natyre to take its course, but when so much is at stake, I'd rather be forearmed...
No danger signs yet so far, it has been so cold and wet so hopefully it will stay calm even when the temps get higher.

Mike723 · June 15, 2015

Thanks for the tips guys.. So far so good! The neem seems to have knocked them down, and I'm hoping the predatory mites will finish the job now.. I've been scouting and haven't see any webs or further damage.. Fingers CROSSED!

Kikaida · June 15, 2015

Hang in there, I had an indoor ti plants COVERED in them. Didn't notice until I went to repot it and every leaf was stippled horribly and under every one was swaths of webbing. Long story short, washing off the ★★★★★★★s and SOAKING spray with neem ever 5 days or so and she's doing great. New leaves are perfect. The key is like antibiotics, follow the schedule and don't forget to soak the soil too when you spray. Do this in the evening out of the sun.

June 10, 2015	#1
Mike723 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: CT Posts: 290	Spider Mites - Public Enemy #1! I have grown to truly hate these little demons! lol To my great dismay I've had the off luck of having all 30 of my plants infested this year. I'm wondering if they found the hairy vetch to be a comfortable place to overwinter..? I've apprehensively treated all the plants with neem oil, and I'm going to follow up with a mite predator release (Neoseiulus fallacis). I had the same issue indoors last winter and between the homemade spray (cinnamon, rosemary, thyme and sesame oil), and Fallacis I got them under control right away. Thoughts or opinions appreciated but more so just venting I guess lol . . .

June 10, 2015	#2
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I have whiteflies in my high tunnel. I have been having good results with this product: http://www.met52ec.com/labels/ec http://www.evergreengrowers.com/met5...w-formula.html I don't have spider mites to test it on, but so far it kills every bug it hits, even potato bugs.

June 10, 2015	#3
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	Kill 'em all, I say... Off with their heads! Last year was exceptionally hot for several weeks, and that's when they took over my peppers, eggplant and later occupied my physalis bush. This year, I'll spray at the slightest sight of trouble. Any such creature will be prosecuted and punished to the full extent of the law.

June 11, 2015	#5
peebee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Southern CA Posts: 1,714	Just remember they start from the bottom up, then quickly travel up the plant. Last year they decimated my entire gardens (home & office) and the more I sprayed, the more they came back to taunt me. I tried 3 sprays including neem oil. It was too little, too late. This year I focused on the bottom portion of my tomatoes and sure enough, I spied some on one plant. Rather than spraying, which might prove futile in the long run, I started by wiping the main stem and leaves with wet wipes. But when I saw some on the plant next to it, I decided to remove the plant carefully, in increments, cutting it little by little in order not to spread any mites around. I bagged it and did not go back in till the next day, with fresh gloves and different clothes on. To say I am paranoid is an understatement! I pruned off all the lowest leaves of most of my plants also; this gave me a chance to do more inspection close up. I just pray every day that the tomatoes hurry up and ripen so that I can stop worrying about those mites. Is it just me, or does everyone else think that more and more of us are having this problem now?? I never had 'em till last year. I had flea beetles till the spider mites appeared; now I don't see a single flea beetle and I even MISS them! I was the Flea Beetle Whisperer and destroyed them with my bare hands.

June 15, 2015	#7
Mike723 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: CT Posts: 290	Thanks for the tips guys.. So far so good! The neem seems to have knocked them down, and I'm hoping the predatory mites will finish the job now.. I've been scouting and haven't see any webs or further damage.. Fingers CROSSED!

June 15, 2015	#8
Kikaida Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Valencia, CA Posts: 258	Hang in there, I had an indoor ti plants COVERED in them. Didn't notice until I went to repot it and every leaf was stippled horribly and under every one was swaths of webbing. Long story short, washing off the ★★★★★★★s and SOAKING spray with neem ever 5 days or so and she's doing great. New leaves are perfect. The key is like antibiotics, follow the schedule and don't forget to soak the soil too when you spray. Do this in the evening out of the sun.