Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Spider mites won’t die!!

mattuthompsonmattuthompson Posts: 10
in Problem solving
Hi all,

My balcony has been overrun with spider mites. They’ve killed at least one plant so far and are slowly working on the others. I have dosed the plants several times with bug clear, and also once with soap, and another time with neem oil. 

They just won’t go away. And when I think I’ve cleared them they just come back. What on Earth do I do??

Any advice much appreciated. 

M

Posts

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I had them in my porch. You need to wash down the surfaces on your balcony too. They can lurk in crevices. But a frost should kill most of them too.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Spider mites thrive in dry atmospheres so try, if you can to hose down all the plants and surfaces.  If not, use a watering can with its spray hose attached to pour water over everything.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • AsarumAsarum Posts: 661
    Mist them twice a day with water in a hand held spray bottle.  Keeps the air moist. It's worked for me in the past in a greenhouse.
    East Anglia
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    I've used something called 'SB plant invigorator' in a spray to control a heavy infestation and it worked well, with plants then regularly misted with water as mentioned in the replies above.  The SB stuff isn't a pesticide, it just sort of glues them in place so they can't feed and soon die.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Cottage CompostCottage Compost Posts: 496
    I had this last year, thought i'd got rid of it then all of a suden from nowhere many months later (September) it was back.   I've been using BugClear.  I spray the plants, compost and the pot and window cills every 10 days until the bottle is empty. Usually lasts about 3 months.   I'll try moving them to a cooler place and misting daily when i run out of BugClear.   Seem to remember reading somewhere that they have a two week lifecycle, egg to adult mite.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I’ve also used the SB plant invigorator , as Bob says, and it’s a natural product doesn’t harm pollinating insects.   
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Insecticides such as bug clear etc will have no effect on spider mites as they are closely related to arachnids, so the usual bug sprays have no effect.
    SB invigorator has no active ingredients and as Bob says above it works by sticking the mites in place so they are unable to move. It also contains good nutrients that will strengthen the plant and help deter the mites


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Sign In or Register to comment.