Spider Mites

Spider Mite Webs

"Spider Mite" Image from CSIRO [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)]





One way or another, every houseplant owner is going to run into spider mites. What seems to be a small problem at first can easily take over your entire collection.Spider mites are hard to see with the naked eye. The first sign of spider mites will be tiny little webs all over your plants. Once you have a spider mite problem, you need to take action immediately.Spider mites spread very easily so it is important to isolate any infected plants from the rest of your collection.I have found that commercial miticides and insecticides to little to help cure my spider mite problems. Here are some ways that I have found to be effective in getting rid of spider mites.1. Wash your plants. Either hose them down in the shower or wipe them with a wet wash cloth. Make sure when you are rinsing them that you put something over the soil like plastic wrap so the mites do not just fall into the soil.2. Use a mixture of 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 cup of water, and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Apply this to the entire plant, including the bottom of the leaves. Leave for 2-3 hours and then rinse off. Do not have your plants in direct sunlight when you do this, otherwise, you may burn your leaves.3. Apply neem oil to your plants. I do a mixture of 2 teaspoons of neem oil to 1 gallon of warm water. Adding a bit of soap will help mix the neem oil and the water. Use a pure cold-pressed neem oil. DO NOT use a concentrate or extract because they are not as effective. I order my neem oil from Amazon. Neem oil has a strong smell to it, but do not wash it off. The neem oil will not kill the spider mites on contact, but rather when they eat the plant that has neem oil on it. Once the spider mites eat the neem oil, it will stop their life cycle.4. Continue doing this process once a week until you are clear of spider mites. After you are clear of them, it is a good idea to wash your plants and apply neem oil once a month to prevent another outbreak.5. Make sure that you separate any plants with spider mites from your healthy ones to prevent spread.To help identify spider mites go to my post on Identifying Spider Mites Make sure to wash your hands and any tools after dealing with an infected plant. Spider mites can latch onto you or your tools, and you won't be able to see them.If you chose to use a commercial horticultural oil, read the label carefully. Some can be toxic to you or your pets so make sure to read the ingredients and the safety precautions.Neem oil is a great non-toxic alternative to commercial products. If the smell bothers you too much, try spraying your plants outside or in the garage and then let them dry before bringing them in. The neem oil smell goes down a lot after it dries.Do not get discouraged if it seems like your spider mites keep coming back. As long as you keep at it, they will eventually go away!Good Luck!Lily's Indoor Jungle