Spider mites are a death sentence in most cases. They reproduce super quick and lay lots of eggs. This quick reproductive rate not only allows their populations to grow rapidly but also helps their unhatched offspring survive your pesticide assault. You see, eggs are unaffected by most pesticides that affect adults. This means you can kill the parents but the offspring will hatch a few days later.
Spider mites thrive in warm temperatures, between 70°F-80°F. They are mostly attracted to weak, sick, stressed plants and dry soil conditions. They have a harder time infesting strong vigorous plants. Strong , healthy plants create natural repellents which discourage the spider mites from feeding on the saps.
Your number 1 method for spider mite prevention is a Healthy plant.
Spider mites thrive in warm temperatures, between 70°F-80°F. They are mostly attracted to weak, sick, stressed plants and dry soil conditions. They have a harder time infesting strong vigorous plants. Strong , healthy plants create natural repellents which discourage the spider mites from feeding on the saps.
Your number 1 method for spider mite prevention is a Healthy plant.
But what does it look like?
- The first signs you have spider mites may be multiple tiny spots on your leaves. This is caused by the mites feeding on the leaf sap.
- As the populations increase, you may notice tiny spider webs on your plant. These webs are fine so you may not be able to see them unless you're looking for them.
- The infestation continues and now you notice yellowing leaves and brown spots. You may even notice that leaves begin to die off and drop.
- The plant growth rate will slow dramatically and in some cases just stop.
- Finally, you can visibly see the mites walking around your plants on the webs.
How to avoid them.
Start by maintaining a healthy evenly moist soil. Maintain a healthy plant and avoid as much stress as possible. Avoid carrying them into your garden from outside or other plants. Quarantine new plants.
If you're an indoor grower, keep your grow room behind multiple doors and change your clothes if you have been in a garden or other plants before you enter. Create adequate air movement so that there is no stagnated warm air. make sure you maintain the proper ambient conditions in your room ( temp & humidity).
Start by maintaining a healthy evenly moist soil. Maintain a healthy plant and avoid as much stress as possible. Avoid carrying them into your garden from outside or other plants. Quarantine new plants.
If you're an indoor grower, keep your grow room behind multiple doors and change your clothes if you have been in a garden or other plants before you enter. Create adequate air movement so that there is no stagnated warm air. make sure you maintain the proper ambient conditions in your room ( temp & humidity).
How do you deal with them if you have them?
One of the easiest ways to prevent them is to spray your leaves with water every so often to discourage them from getting a foothold. I add seaweed extract to my water so that there is an added benefit to the foliar spraying. |
It's important that the water not bead or the plant stay constantly wet because this can cause mold. I usually spray mine early in the morning or lights on, then shake off excess.
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You can also use organic insecticides like Neem oil, mineral oils specifically used for horticulture purposes, Botanical insecticides made from rosemary, peppermint oil or clove oil, Insecticidal soaps and even predatory insects .
To be honest with you.. Killing adults is the easy part. The eggs, not so much. In most cases, whatever method you choose to use is only a treatment. The idea is to consistently treat the plant and kill off the adults before they have a chance to lay eggs. Problem is, Spider mites can begin to lay eggs just a few days after they hatch and most insecticides are not recommended to be used more than once a week. For this reason, it’s important to use multiple methods to try and control and eventually eliminate the problem. I personally do not spray anything on my plants once I reach the 3rd week of flowering. This is because moisture inside the flower can cause mold issues. The only option I know of at this stage is predatory insects.