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Spider Mites
YessicaHaircut
Posts: 164
After reading someone else's question about possible spider mites, I've realised what I thought were harmless soil mites in my MPC are actually spider mites. 
The situation is right now I have 3 bags of MPC in my garage that are infested, and the mites are crawling around over the garage - urghhh! I've used the compost for some honesty seedlings - some of which have visible mite damage (now that I know what it looks like!). I've also used it for foxglove seedlings that all look healthy. Both sets of seedlings have been outside for a few days now, but were sown inside and I have had some compost in the conservatory in trays waiting for seeds for a couple of days, and now I've just found a bit of webbing on one of our houseplants that lives permanently in the conservatory (Monstera deliciosa if that's relevant). I sowed viola seeds about an hour ago.
So how would you recommend I tackle the situation, please?
* Ditch the compost in the garage? How should I dispose?
* Will the mites left in the garage die off naturally or will I need to do something to tackle them?
* Ditch the seedlings with obvious mite damage? What about the healthy looking ones?
* Ditch the newly sown compost?
* What should I do about the Monstera?
Please tell me I can get on top of this! I feel a bit sick about the whole thing. It doesn't help that we had a bird mite infestation in the house last summer from a pigeons nest in the roof, so it's stirring up last year's mite trauma too.
The situation is right now I have 3 bags of MPC in my garage that are infested, and the mites are crawling around over the garage - urghhh! I've used the compost for some honesty seedlings - some of which have visible mite damage (now that I know what it looks like!). I've also used it for foxglove seedlings that all look healthy. Both sets of seedlings have been outside for a few days now, but were sown inside and I have had some compost in the conservatory in trays waiting for seeds for a couple of days, and now I've just found a bit of webbing on one of our houseplants that lives permanently in the conservatory (Monstera deliciosa if that's relevant). I sowed viola seeds about an hour ago.So how would you recommend I tackle the situation, please?
* Ditch the compost in the garage? How should I dispose?
* Will the mites left in the garage die off naturally or will I need to do something to tackle them?
* Ditch the seedlings with obvious mite damage? What about the healthy looking ones?
* Ditch the newly sown compost?
* What should I do about the Monstera?
Please tell me I can get on top of this! I feel a bit sick about the whole thing. It doesn't help that we had a bird mite infestation in the house last summer from a pigeons nest in the roof, so it's stirring up last year's mite trauma too.
Sussex coast
0
Posts
I should also say that the garage is at the end of the garden, not attached to the house, in case that's relevant.
Now that I think further and look at the date of delivery of the compost...the honesty wasn't originally grown in that compost.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I've had infestations of 2-spot mite in the past which do make webs and damage plants, but the mites are not visible without magnification.
I do see red spider mites in the summer that look like a red dot with legs hurrying along - I don't know if they're friend or foe.
I often find spiders and webs in a bag of long-opened compost, but they're not plant eaters.
Maybe your plants do have spider mites, but if so, they didn't come from the compost.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
https://www.google.com/search?q=spider+mites&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwiMzrKGve_yAhUT_xoKHXfQDKwQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=spider+mites&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzIICAAQgAQQsQMyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQ6BAgAEEM6CAgAELEDEIMBOgcIIxDvAxAnOgUIABCxAzoLCAAQgAQQsQMQgwFQh8LsA1iDzuwDYJLP7ANoAHAAeACAAdsBiAG0CZIBBTkuMi4xmAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWfAAQE&sclient=img&ei=yLk4YYzKApP-a_egs-AK&bih=1057&biw=1920
I haven't looked properly yet, but I think my cucumber has spider mites, but it's probably exhausted anyway this time of year.
Spider mites need a very warm and dry environment to thrive
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Did these bugs (above) come from the plant or the compost?
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.