I've got about 50 to 60 plants in my house, and unfortunately, many of them are dealing with spider mites. I've been using a mix of dish soap and diluted rubbing alcohol, which helps a bit, but the mites just seem to pop up elsewhere. I'm looking for a way to treat all my plants at once and possibly quarantine them, but I need advice on whether I should get something stronger. I also have a lot of pets, so I'm hoping for something that's not too toxic or fuming. I know this issue comes from my past mistakes with not quarantining new plants, but I'm planning to be better about that moving forward once I get this sorted out!
2 Answers
You might want to consider using predatory mites. You can order them online, I've bought some from a place called NaturesGoodGuys, but there are other options too. They’ll help keep spider mites in check without harsh chemicals!
Spider mites can be really annoying to deal with, so it’s definitely worth using something stronger than just home remedies. I’d recommend starting with insecticidal soap, neem oil, or horticultural oil. Make sure to spray both the tops and bottoms of the leaves and remember to re-treat them at regular intervals to disrupt their life cycle. If those don’t work, look for a targeted pesticide for spider mites. Just be careful not to overuse it, or they might develop resistance!
Thanks! Can those mites even become resistant to neem oil? I think I’m just going to bite the bullet and order some online because it’s so hard to find in stores. I just lost my prayer plant to them; it was so covered it looked sparkly in the sunlight! I learned my lesson about rescuing plants the hard way!
Thank you! Which type did you get that have worked well for spider mites? Do they actually climb onto the leaves to hunt, or do they just hang out in the soil? We got a species that just seems to stay in the soil, but the leaves are still covered with pests.