Spider mites

Pix

Pix

Well-Known Member
293
08/04/14
60
48
Tampa Bay
The weather is hot and dry and they are everywhere! I keep washing my potted plants, but the spider mites keep coming back, and crotons in the ground are already infested. I've just ordered the ladybugs. What else can I do?
 
I was in the middle of writing an article for the Tropiscape Blog about spider mites. Some fellow palm Aussies visited here last month and mentioned a beneficial insect (a predatory mite) that they said has pretty much eradicated these devils in their gardens and greenhouses.

A quick check revealed they were not allowed to be imported into Hawaii, so I have forgotten the name. But I was going to get their name again and mention them in the article. So stay tuned.

Has anyone else heard of this predatory mite for use against spider mites.

EDIT: I'm pretty sure this is it:
http://www.persimilis.com.au/persimilis.php
 
I bought a 3 gallon sprayer and have been spraying the undersides of the leaves with soapy water weekly. So far so good. Now, if I could just get scale under control.
 
Sun Coffee-works well on mites; it's cheap, and if it drips or blows on me, no problem. Add some agricultural oil to it, and you smother the squishy mature green scale.
 
Hey Phil, I get grounds from Starbucks in 5 lb bags (free) I use it for everything. I put a couple of cups in a five gallon bucket full with water. I water pots, pour it on scale, spray it on mites, as it begins to sour it even keeps my wife out of my crotoeminnnyum. (. That is what my family calls my mist house.). Happy News Year everybody.
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Happy belated New Year to everyone! Thank you for your great input. I was away for awhile and I had to act quickly. I searched the forum, and then I sprayed my outdoor plants with Bayer 3 in 1. I am yet to check how they are doing.
Most of my plants are still in the pots because grounds are not ready. Crotons were highly infested with spider mites and some had green scales. I wiped every leaf with alcohol (it took me forever), and locked them in our screened porch with 1500 lady bugs that I bought on Amazon. All are doing well :)

I didn't order other beneficial insects. Although I found a company that sells complete anti-spider mites package of 3 different insects, I am afraid that I will have irresistible desire to kill them all when I see them crawling он my plants. I can tolerate only the lady bugs :)

It is cold now and they are kind of hibernating on the porch. I am making arrangements with DH to move them into the house (where I am also overwintering some plants). After he red this review on Amazon he did not resist :)

You can have a good laugh of it too. This review was left under the 18,000 lady bugs purchase!!! :D

"This changed my life. I used to have an irrational fear of ladybugs, but thanks to this item I have completely overcome my fear. The only complaint I have is that there are ladybugs all over my house now. I open my cabinet and ladybugs fly out. They're all in my toilet and refrigerator. But other than that this product has been a joy in my life. Thank you for selling this."
 
Sure. It was cold last night, and the army is sleeping now, but the lady bugs are alive and well, happily eating and breeding in their houses.
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