Questions about dealing with spider mites
I have a few questions about dealing with spider mites.
So, if you followed me for at least a brief amount of time, I talked about having spider mites on poor Aprodite (I just edited her name to indicate and remind me she is sick).
1. How often should I spray the neem oil? I just checked on them, and there are spider mites webbing on them again. Should I spray now?
2. A new leaf is yellowing! How can I prevent this? It just barely unfurled.
3. As seen in the last pic, the leaves reflect light off weirdly in an almost scaly pattern. Is this normal?
#happyplants #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantaddict #planttherapy #plantcorner #plantlove #iloveplants #newgrowth #planttlc #greggang #adhdplantlovers #pestcontrol #spidermites #neemoil #help
So, if you followed me for at least a brief amount of time, I talked about having spider mites on poor Aprodite (I just edited her name to indicate and remind me she is sick).
1. How often should I spray the neem oil? I just checked on them, and there are spider mites webbing on them again. Should I spray now?
2. A new leaf is yellowing! How can I prevent this? It just barely unfurled.
3. As seen in the last pic, the leaves reflect light off weirdly in an almost scaly pattern. Is this normal?
#happyplants #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantaddict #planttherapy #plantcorner #plantlove #iloveplants #newgrowth #planttlc #greggang #adhdplantlovers #pestcontrol #spidermites #neemoil #help
2ft to light, direct
5” pot with drainage
Last watered 2 weeks ago
15
Hi! Looks like you have quite a tough infestation of those little demons! Can you tell I hate them? Lol. So,
To answer your question: You definitely have to continue treatment—however, if I may make a suggestion, I’ve had much more success eradicating spider mites with insecticidal soap than with neem. And with the soap, you don’t have to worry about leaf damage (neem makes leaves more sensitive to light for a while after use, so if you do continue using it, try to use it at night). To be honest I’ve done battle with spider mites many times and neem has just never worked for me—that said, I know it has many fans! But for me, this has always worked better and faster with no collateral damage to my plants! Here’s a photo of what I use, you can get it on Amazon for less than $10 US. Spray the plant until it’s dripping and don’t forget the underside of leaves and stems where they like to hide! But first, dislodge as many of those suckers as you can by spraying your plant with water from the sink—make sure it’s room temperature so you don’t shock the plant and don’t get water in to soil; just spray the leaves. It will knock most of them off. Let it dry and then follow up with the soap. Follow up and repeat every 3-4 days until they are all gone! And remove damaged leaves so your plant can focus on growing healthy new ones. Let me know if you have any questions, I’m here to help! To answer your second question, unfortunately you can’t prevent that until you get rid of the mites. They love tender new growth and will go after it. And the third question—mites do terrible damage to leaves by puncturing them and sucking out chlorophyll, that is likely the scaly pattern you see. If you choose to keep using neem I believe the wait time between treatments is longer, a week if I’m not mistaken, but I can’t recommend this Natria soap enough. It always gets rid of them in two treatments max. You can also follow up by spraying with isopropyl alcohol and wiping the mites off the leaves with a paper towel. Again, any questions, lmk! Good luck!! 🍀
To answer your question: You definitely have to continue treatment—however, if I may make a suggestion, I’ve had much more success eradicating spider mites with insecticidal soap than with neem. And with the soap, you don’t have to worry about leaf damage (neem makes leaves more sensitive to light for a while after use, so if you do continue using it, try to use it at night). To be honest I’ve done battle with spider mites many times and neem has just never worked for me—that said, I know it has many fans! But for me, this has always worked better and faster with no collateral damage to my plants! Here’s a photo of what I use, you can get it on Amazon for less than $10 US. Spray the plant until it’s dripping and don’t forget the underside of leaves and stems where they like to hide! But first, dislodge as many of those suckers as you can by spraying your plant with water from the sink—make sure it’s room temperature so you don’t shock the plant and don’t get water in to soil; just spray the leaves. It will knock most of them off. Let it dry and then follow up with the soap. Follow up and repeat every 3-4 days until they are all gone! And remove damaged leaves so your plant can focus on growing healthy new ones. Let me know if you have any questions, I’m here to help! To answer your second question, unfortunately you can’t prevent that until you get rid of the mites. They love tender new growth and will go after it. And the third question—mites do terrible damage to leaves by puncturing them and sucking out chlorophyll, that is likely the scaly pattern you see. If you choose to keep using neem I believe the wait time between treatments is longer, a week if I’m not mistaken, but I can’t recommend this Natria soap enough. It always gets rid of them in two treatments max. You can also follow up by spraying with isopropyl alcohol and wiping the mites off the leaves with a paper towel. Again, any questions, lmk! Good luck!! 🍀
@BabeVila I don't have insectidal soap. Plus, I can totally use neem at night. Also, it hasn't even been a week since my last treatment, and they are back, so I kinda want to do it more often (prob every 2-3 days according to a google search). I don't want to spray them off with water because I don't want to get it everywhere and/or let them spread elsewhere.
Try breaking the webs and any nests up with a soft brush. You can spray a mixture is water, dish soap and isopropyl alcohol, use the brush to get in all the nooks and crannies and then gently rince or wipe clean. A soft tooth brush or paint brush works.
It will make your follow up neem treatments more successful. 10 parts water, one part isopropyl alcohol and a good dose of soap, enough to see a slight lather when using the brush.
It will make your follow up neem treatments more successful. 10 parts water, one part isopropyl alcohol and a good dose of soap, enough to see a slight lather when using the brush.
Here are some tips for dealing with spider mites:
* Neem Oil Spraying: Neem oil is a natural insecticide that can help control spider mites. You can spray the plant with neem oil every 7-10 days until the mites are gone. Be sure to spray the undersides of the leaves where the mites like to hide.
* Yellowing Leaf: A new leaf turning yellow can be caused by a number of things, including spider mites, overwatering, underwatering, or nutrient deficiencies. If you've been spraying the plant with neem oil, it's possible that the oil is causing the leaf to yellow. You can try diluting the neem oil or spraying it less frequently.
* Scaly Pattern on Leaves: The scaly pattern on the leaves could be caused by a number of things, including a fungal infection, a viral infection, or a genetic mutation. If the plant is otherwise healthy, you may not need to do anything. However, if the plant is showing other signs of distress, such as yellowing leaves or stunted growth, you should consult with a professional gardener or plant pathologist.
Here are some additional tips for preventing spider mites:
* Keep your plants clean and free of debris.
* Inspect your plants regularly for signs of spider mites.
* Isolate any infested plants from other plants.
* Avoid overwatering your plants.
* Use insecticidal soap or horticultural oil to control spider mites.
I hope this helps!
* Neem Oil Spraying: Neem oil is a natural insecticide that can help control spider mites. You can spray the plant with neem oil every 7-10 days until the mites are gone. Be sure to spray the undersides of the leaves where the mites like to hide.
* Yellowing Leaf: A new leaf turning yellow can be caused by a number of things, including spider mites, overwatering, underwatering, or nutrient deficiencies. If you've been spraying the plant with neem oil, it's possible that the oil is causing the leaf to yellow. You can try diluting the neem oil or spraying it less frequently.
* Scaly Pattern on Leaves: The scaly pattern on the leaves could be caused by a number of things, including a fungal infection, a viral infection, or a genetic mutation. If the plant is otherwise healthy, you may not need to do anything. However, if the plant is showing other signs of distress, such as yellowing leaves or stunted growth, you should consult with a professional gardener or plant pathologist.
Here are some additional tips for preventing spider mites:
* Keep your plants clean and free of debris.
* Inspect your plants regularly for signs of spider mites.
* Isolate any infested plants from other plants.
* Avoid overwatering your plants.
* Use insecticidal soap or horticultural oil to control spider mites.
I hope this helps!
@Catplantaddict this video is really helpful and it tells you exactly what to do, along with the recipe in the screenshot: https://youtu.be/ej-NJjEJJ6U?si=31ODgtw3amTDjis3
It’s a waste of time money and energy to keep spraying neem oil they will come back I know from doing it myself they will get in the soil they will survive and become stronger. I would dunk the plant leaves and stems and soil and all in a bucket of dawn soapy water. Do it a couple times and then rinse the leaves front and back and wipe the leaves down with neem oil. Or chop up the plant and dunk it in the soapy water and try to grow water roots in a vase of water. Definitely quarantine it from your other plants so they don’t get it though and maybe just throw it out and replace it if it’s not sentimental
@Catplantaddict I thought you were asking for advice and I told you what works for me. Obviously I don’t spray water “everywhere” but do you ♥️
@USAGardenHub I'm spraying it more often because it's severe (I'm going for every 2-3 days, guided by a Google search). The yellowing leaves are most likely from the spider mites ^^
Also, for the scaly pattern, I only sprayed it twice so far.
@Megongreg I sprayed the soil a tiny bit with neem oil, I'll try to see if I can do any of these things (and I know I have Dawn dish soap). I def know I won't throw it out because it was $50 or something o-o
@BabeVila I meant the spider mites everywhere (I practically am afraid of them because they are so weird how they mysteriously come back)
Also, for the scaly pattern, I only sprayed it twice so far.
@Megongreg I sprayed the soil a tiny bit with neem oil, I'll try to see if I can do any of these things (and I know I have Dawn dish soap). I def know I won't throw it out because it was $50 or something o-o
@BabeVila I meant the spider mites everywhere (I practically am afraid of them because they are so weird how they mysteriously come back)
Yes, mites can be a bother. But you have already gotten very good advice, and a broad range of it. Nobody is telling you to throw out the neem, but there will be other infestations on other plants in the future maybe on plants that react more positively to it. I would always test any treatment on a small part of a plant first.
There are plants that are more and some that are less sensitive to some treatments. The issue with neem (and all oil and soap) treatments is that it can clog the stomatas of the leaves so that they can not breathe anymore. So yes, the yellowing could definitely stem from the treatment, as had already been suggested by people with that experience like @BabeVila . Even more so, if there is already some damage the oil can enter the leaves that way. Also, neem oil tends to be a very thick solution, with rather big droplets, meaning you will likely miss some critters, unless you completely douse it, meaning again more damage if your plant is one, that is susceptible to it. As an orchid and recent hoya person, I, for one, would stay away from neem. Even some soap treatments have proven too harsh for some of my plants.
I do not know ti plants, but if they aren't generally prone to rot, for "normal" spider mites (and the webbing sounds like those are what you have) I would just place them in the bathroom for a while, cover the soil with e.g. ceran wrap and shower it thoroughly every day for a while.
That can work wonders. The mites can not go everywhere as you suggest, and you will get the problem under control.
For nastier mites like flat or broad, I've become a big advocate for beneficial mites. I'm also not a big fan of inviting critters into my home, but you can easily distinguish those from the harmful mites, they kill every mite in sight, and they keep your plants alive, if everything else fails. There are also some that work against normal spider mites, so you could try those.
There are plants that are more and some that are less sensitive to some treatments. The issue with neem (and all oil and soap) treatments is that it can clog the stomatas of the leaves so that they can not breathe anymore. So yes, the yellowing could definitely stem from the treatment, as had already been suggested by people with that experience like @BabeVila . Even more so, if there is already some damage the oil can enter the leaves that way. Also, neem oil tends to be a very thick solution, with rather big droplets, meaning you will likely miss some critters, unless you completely douse it, meaning again more damage if your plant is one, that is susceptible to it. As an orchid and recent hoya person, I, for one, would stay away from neem. Even some soap treatments have proven too harsh for some of my plants.
I do not know ti plants, but if they aren't generally prone to rot, for "normal" spider mites (and the webbing sounds like those are what you have) I would just place them in the bathroom for a while, cover the soil with e.g. ceran wrap and shower it thoroughly every day for a while.
That can work wonders. The mites can not go everywhere as you suggest, and you will get the problem under control.
For nastier mites like flat or broad, I've become a big advocate for beneficial mites. I'm also not a big fan of inviting critters into my home, but you can easily distinguish those from the harmful mites, they kill every mite in sight, and they keep your plants alive, if everything else fails. There are also some that work against normal spider mites, so you could try those.
@MusicalRedmint I keep forgetting to clarify! I meant throwing out the plant.
Edit: it's not in a bathroom, but it's in a colder spot of the house. I might look for the beneficial mites.
Edit: it's not in a bathroom, but it's in a colder spot of the house. I might look for the beneficial mites.
@MusicalRedmint it's high humidity where I live.
@BabeVila bought some of that insecticidal soap of that brand
Also sprayed it as well as the neem
Fingers crossed!🤞
@BabeVila bought some of that insecticidal soap of that brand
Also sprayed it as well as the neem
Fingers crossed!🤞
@Catplantaddict It helps too if you use a damp paper towel to wipe the leaves and stems, you can wipe a lot of the mites right off. But I’m glad to hear there is progress!