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Minor Spider Mite Attack

This is a very limited attack because I have been expecting it. I had a Chamedorea elegans or Parlor Palm in the same room that became infested so I took it outside and burned it and with millions of spiders on board I was sure that some had wandered into the Nepenthes bags. Today I used the same insecticide (BONIDE SYSTEMIC) that was used to wipe out a thripe problem last November but it only mentions controlling spider mites and I want something that will exterminate them. I see an aerosol on eBay called Doktor Doom, Item number: 281035442445, with pyrethrin that claims to kill them. Anyone see a problem with it or would you just use the Bonide religiously according to instructions first. Like I said, it's not an infestation and I can only find them on a couple of plants but until the ones the palm tree left behind die of old age I will need to be proactive. Should I first just follow up the Bonide I just sprayed with elevated humidity for a couple of weeks.
 
Pyrethrin (actually Permethrin) is the recommended chemical control agent for spider mites. Bonide systemic has Imidacloprid as the active ingredient. This can actually stimulate egg production in some mites. Pyrethrin will do if you can't find Permethrin. They are similar except Permethrin persists longer which makes it more effective in controlling mites.
 
Sulfur might also work for mites but it is a bit smelly and might burn plants if weather is hot
 
I tend to be the lazy type when it comes to pests and will only spray chemicals if they are systemic. I can't stand the idea of reapplying or removing the plants to get the undersides of the leaves and the surface of the soil.

Because of this, I won't spray for mites unless there is a real infestation, which I have yet to experience with my plants. The predatory mites that I see occasionally are likely keeping things in check. However, if I were to experience an infestation, I wouldn't hesitate to purchase a miticide with acequinocyl as the active ingredient. It's an extremely effective systemic miticide that doesn't seem deleterious to bees or most other arthropods. The only problem is the price, which you will see is a bit high. You can find concentrated bottles of it for around $140, with the product name Shuttle-O.
 
Thanks for the responses!
I think I will go with increased humidity and spraying with water over and under every other day for a while to see what happens. I set up a 2.5 gallon aquarium with wet NZS in the bottom and tight fitting lid for any infected plant I find so I can increase the humidity level above 90%. Starting with the original infected plant in there I will see how elevated humidity effects the invaders. I may spray the room itself with Permethrin a few times to knock off lingering individuals.............and never ever place anything but CP's in the room again. I have a couple of uninfected Jap Maples in there waiting for warm weather to be planted so they will be leaving in a few days.
 
Have you tried Floramite ?

Kills them immediately and lasts for a month if I remember correctly. I haven't had a problem with mites since I started using it, they are (finally) easy now. They used to be my nightmare every summer...
 
I would suggest trying Neem oil. Make a neem oil suspension by mixing some with distilled water. Just shake it well and spray on the plant. I used it for treating cephs with mites and it worked pretty well. But you literally have to do regular applications as the spray is washed off and not systemic.
 
Someone here mentioned on one of my posts that it is probably the norm for there to be a few insect invaders and I think they are correct. I have spent a lot of time over the years in the Northern Ozarks exploring the thick forests including a good deal of time on my hands and knees inspecting interesting plants. Rarely have I seen a plant that didn't have at least one insect on board so I don't panic like I might have otherwise. I will admit that spider mites are the worst problem insects I have ever encountered. In the 1980's I had a large palm tree collection and wound up tossing a couple varieties onto the bonfire after failed attempts to get rid of them. I was visiting a local mall and saw they had one of those palm varieties and after walking up close saw that all of the fronds were webbed over with those nasty critters. While searching the Ozarks for interesting things I was mainly looking for Pygmy Rattlesnakes that used to be listed in the Missouri book for that region, I found a lot of nice Red Milk Snakes but so far no Pygmies. Durring the spring things there look perfect for CP's but in the dead of summer things just dry out too much. There are a couple of areas that sit on a large limestone basin but even they dry out after a couple of weeks with no rain.
 
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What you need to know about mites is,
just one mite can lay over 200 eggs a day,
which hatch out after just 3 days, and they are able to reproduce in 10 days.
So quick action is everything to disrupt their reproductive cycle in order to control them.
Any pesticide you decide to use should be applied every 3 - 7 days in order to kill the hatchlings before,
they get old enough to reproduce at 10 days old.
Start with a good flushing of water over the entire plant top to bottom, and under too..
Neem is an effective oil based pesticide,
that can also cause sun scald if applied to your plants while the sun is shining on your plant.
So it should only be applied after sundown, and after bees have gone home for the day.
Neem oil is considered an organic systemic pesticide.
And does have a mild systemic quality to it, which can be absorbed by the plant through it's leaves and roots.
It may not kill the pest immediately upon contact, but it does stop their ability to reproduce,
and causes loss of appetite in the bugs. So they starve to death within a few days.
Neem works best when mixed with slightly warm distilled water, with a few drops of dish soap added and well agitated before spraying top and under sides of leaves, stems, trunks, and soil surface. Or soil drenching (for nematodes)
every 3-7 days, up to a month to be sure all the eggs have hatched.
Works for mealy bugs, thrips, scale, etc.
 
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