Spider Mites
Spider Mites are killing my tomatoes. I'm planning to get radical to kill them ranging from a methanol spray to Raid house & garden. Something has to work.
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applestar
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- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
I had a terrible time with two-spotted spidermites on one of my Winter Indoor tomatoes. There is a predator for it but I didn't feel justified in buying the smallest number available for just one plant. Luckily it was a determinate and limped along and ripened the dozen or so fruits it had before checking out.
I HATE that they are so tiny/microscopic I can't see them without holding a leaf right in front of my face. I can at least see red spidermites.
The two spotted spidermites migrated to my Hot Lemon and Jalapeño pepper plants that were in the same window though they were slower to succumb. I have them outside now, and I think they are starting to turn around, so hopefully their natural enemy is in my garden patrol and have found them... Or the more humid outside environment is less conducive to their survival.
I HATE that they are so tiny/microscopic I can't see them without holding a leaf right in front of my face. I can at least see red spidermites.
The two spotted spidermites migrated to my Hot Lemon and Jalapeño pepper plants that were in the same window though they were slower to succumb. I have them outside now, and I think they are starting to turn around, so hopefully their natural enemy is in my garden patrol and have found them... Or the more humid outside environment is less conducive to their survival.
I may be out of my league on this one. Or, I'm out of my geography.
The spider mites are always a problem in my dahlia garden. Since it is over 1200sqft, that's lots of room for a mite metropolis.
I start off in the morning with a strong blast of water. I've adapted the watering wand with a sprayer so that it is easier to use under the leaves. I figure the mite dies of starvation before he can make it back to a plant if the water has shot him a few feet out onto bare ground. Honestly, I think the water does as much good as an insecticide and yet, they get hit with something non-organic and systemic, when they aren't in the veggies.
In the vegetable garden, I use insecticidal soap about sundown. It seems to do a pretty good number on the mites.
A couple things: Killing them may also kill their predators. And, mites breed like rabbits . . . or, something. Even a single dahlia plant must look like a planet to be colonized to a mite. Once they begin to really cause problems, it is war. Probably the Yanamamo with poison darts would be the most effective.
Steve
The spider mites are always a problem in my dahlia garden. Since it is over 1200sqft, that's lots of room for a mite metropolis.
I start off in the morning with a strong blast of water. I've adapted the watering wand with a sprayer so that it is easier to use under the leaves. I figure the mite dies of starvation before he can make it back to a plant if the water has shot him a few feet out onto bare ground. Honestly, I think the water does as much good as an insecticide and yet, they get hit with something non-organic and systemic, when they aren't in the veggies.
In the vegetable garden, I use insecticidal soap about sundown. It seems to do a pretty good number on the mites.
A couple things: Killing them may also kill their predators. And, mites breed like rabbits . . . or, something. Even a single dahlia plant must look like a planet to be colonized to a mite. Once they begin to really cause problems, it is war. Probably the Yanamamo with poison darts would be the most effective.
Steve
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applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30541
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
It's a species of spidermite. I described them here
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 36#p283736
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 36#p283736