Spidermites!

[toehead]

I've been battling spidermites for a month or so on my kumquat, and I think I need a change in strategy.


I've been using this product, which is labelled for controlling mites. It doesn't seem to kill them. i've been spraying weekly, with little reduction in number. Yesterday I bagged the tree, completely soaked it  sealed the bag for 24 hours, followed by a high pressure washing of all the leaves.





I still found some live mites under the microscope.






Do you all have any recommendations for products  or techniques that work?

[brian]

Four years ago I found this: https://www.organicbti.com/product-page/forbid-avid-and-floramite-spider-mite-treatment-program-inc-top-3-miticides

It is a small amount of all the top rated miticides for spider mites, so you can rotate their use to avoid resistance buildup.  I have been using it regularly for years and I still have more than half of each of the original bottles left.  Works great.  I have yet to eradicate spider mites and maybe never will, but these sprays keep them down for a couple months

I paid $80 in 2021, not cheap, but at least the price hasn't gone up since then.

However, if you only have a few small trees I suggest trying dormant oil or soap spray first, as they are cheaper.  I am spraying a garage-sized greenhouse full of large trees.

[LBurford]

Spider mites gave me hell in the greenhouse winter before last. This winter I sprayed water with Dawn soap in it on my Citrus and Plumerias and kept the spider mites under control pretty good. I am sure there are things that work much better, but this was no cost, and it helped in my opinion. I am going to try it on my Thomasville trees in the yard this summer. 

[1rainman]

The main thing is letting them get rained on, spraying with a hose, or shower. You wont have a problem with regular showers but indoors it may be hard. Neem oil is good though you want to still give the plant an occassional hose down or the oil itself will stay on the leaves and be a problem.

[Mabus]

I got something easy you could try. Coffeeine as well as nicotine is an insecticide.

Place a few cigarette stumps in a strong coffee and spray it a day later. Worst case, you wasted a coffee.

[Millet]

I have always just used the hose with my thumb over the end to make a strong spray, and wash the entire tree.  For me this process has never failed me.  Some times it takes a second spray to get the few left.

[1rainman]

I tried hot peppers and a black and mild insecticide. It didnt work for me. I used coffee grounds as fertilizer worked well and seems to reduce insects a bit but not totally. I grew a tobbacco plant as well as an insect deterent. Seems difficult to get something strong enough trying to use a ciggarette but maybe someone could do it better than me.

[eggeto]

@1rainman,

your brew is toxic for people (nicotine poisoning) 
and i know my grandad used it for weed control.
but how react citrus plants on it? (in the long run)

[BloomAndSprout]

Has anyone used predator mites to any success?

[Tropicaltoba]

Used them before in my greenhouse worked well, just gets pricey. Biggest thing for gh is proper humidity and temp, that has worked the best.

[LoPresti]

For indoors, I’ve seen them use everything here in California. Burning sulphur is pretty common to set them back. No matter what you’ll never get rid of them. In fact I’ve seen enough people die trying. Many decades ago I have just stopped growing and moved because I wouldn’t use the hardcore poisons. If you have to try not to give them a hospitable environment or try beneficials. Good luck

[LBurford]

How often do you need to spray outside trees to keep them gone?

[Till]

I had very great problems with spidermites years ago. I could kill them with a soap solution but as they were in my two greenhouses that was too much work and never complete. I bought predator mites (native in Califormia) but they were to temperature sensitive. I live in zone 7 and my greenhouses are quite cool during winter.

I finially bought native predator mites called "Tyron" mites. They are used in wineyards and fruit plantages in zentral Europe. These mites killed all the spidermites. I got rid of all from January till summer and they never came again as these Tyron mites overwinter in the cold. I bought them in 2021 and have never again had problem with spider mites. From time to time I see a Tyron mite on a leaf. So they are still there. I cannot recommened Tyron enough. It is, however, not so easy to buy them. They sell only big packages for about 70 Euro and deliver only in January. But it is really worth buying them when you have a greenhouse. They tolerate cold, even strong frost. They tolerate dry air and moist air. And they are very effective. And I think the prize is ok when I recall what I had spend for soap solution over the years and for predator mites that are not climate resistant.

[brian]

70euro for seemingly permanent spider mite control is a fantastic deal, I'm glad it works for you.  I doubt I can get them in the US, but I am now going to look...

[LBurford]

Let me know if you find out if we can get them in the US

[Till]

I had them from Austria. From here: https://insanehabitats.at/product/tyron-raubmilbe-gegen-milben-auf-weinreben-obstgehoelzen-1-pack-10-streifen-a-30-50-stk/
They cost only 18 Euro now but are still sold only in winter. There are other firms that sell them in Europe but they are by far not as common as other predator mites. Some firms only sell to institutions or other firms. I had to google a while and found about five sellers in Europe. Not many.
I could imagine that you can order them from Europe when you live in the US, except the genius at the head of the goverment happen to be inclined to prefer hidden greatnesses of the American fauna for selling.

When nothing help we could try an experiment the next winter. They sell the mites in a dormant state hidden in pieces of felt. The mites naturally hide in bark or such things during winter. I could hang some extra pieces of cloth in my greenhoues before winter and send you some. It is only an experiment. I suppose that I do not have many mites as I do not see their prey. (There will be little rests of spider mites but unvisible. Last autumn I saw some on one plant but they are gone again.)

Or I could oder for you and send the mites to the US. They should survive that when they are dormant.

[BorisR]

I finially bought native predator mites called "Tyron" mites.

From here: https://insanehabitats.at/product/tyron-raubmilbe-gegen-milben-auf-weinreben-obstgehoelzen-1-pack-10-streifen-a-30-50-stk/

Is "Tyron" a marketing name? I tried to understand their Latin name, but I couldn't Google anything except "Aculops lycopersici (Tyron)", which parasitizes tomatoes, and apparently it's something else. Till, can you describe what your mites look like?

[Till]

Boris,
they give the Latin name here: https://insanehabitats.at/product/tyron-raubmilbe-gegen-milben-auf-weinreben-obstgehoelzen-1-pack-10-streifen-a-30-50-stk/ It is Typhlodromus pyri. You find a lot of pictures with google which are better than any description. Yes, I think "Typon" is some kind of marketing name or popular name.

[Millet]

I am confused why so many people have such a difficult time controlling spider mites.   For me,  a strong water spray once or twice gives excellent control.

[LoPresti]

I am confused why so many people have such a difficult time controlling spider mites.   For me,  a strong water spray once or twice gives excellent control.

indoors here in California I’ve seen many multimillion dollar grows some of the largest in the state not be able to deal with them. No matter how much money they thrown at them they become super bugs and build up tolerances to it all. And they can’t spray water on flowering plants. Although I’ve never heard of that being effective for mites. Maybe you have a different type than we do here there are many. I believe there may be ways to make the climate intolerable but in the past growing indoors personally I would just move and get rid of all equipment and start over.

Outdoors here they’re super easy I don’t worry about them because I don’t spray poison so everything is self regulated by nature.

[BorisR]

Till, thanks! I didn't notice the "Zusätzliche Information" section.