spider mites

[october]

I have neem and cooking oil but the problem is Cedar Elm (the infected tree) is supposed to hate oil spray. I will try my other home remedy...detergent, water, and milk. I will report back if it worked.

Spray a little bit of the hoemade stuff on the back of a small section on your tree. If is doesn't affect it, use it. Use ivory dishwashing liquid, wesson pure vegetable oil and the alcohol. Personally, I would not use what you are thinkign of using. The milk is going to smell, might cause some other issues and the detergent is harsh.

Rob

 

[Poink88]

I mean dishwashing liquid. I've used this mix before and worked very well ...smelled realy good too. It dries out before it has time to rot basically.

 

[HumbleTrees]

I feel like I sometimes am repeating myself, but try the homeade stuff. The dishwashing liquid, cooking oil and alcohol. I have not used it for mites, but I don't think I have ever had a might problem. Maybe that says something right there. I have never heard of the soap solution failing anyone that has used it. Also, if something is non toxic, can be sprayed any time and any place, you do not need PPE and it works and is cheaper than everything, why not use it. After all these years, I am still trying to figure out why a person would not at least try it. If it works, you have a cheap, homemade, completely non toxic spray that you can spray any time that is very gentle on trees.

Rob

It works best if you do this in 3-4 applications spaced 4-7 days apart. Doing it once kills the crawlers, but not the eggs. If you don't do multiple applications they will be back. This best insures that you kill the crawlers after they have hatched and before they have a chance to lay more eggs.

In addition to smelling good your plants will look better too. Cleans them pretty well.

 

[jkd2572]

I have a horrible spider mite infestation on my whole yard. Bonsai and roses. They are immune to the bayer disease and mite control. I ended up trying neem oil and that seemed to slow them down a bit, but I still have not got rid of them. I'm searching for a different insecticide to use. I need something nuclear. If anybody has a suggestion I'm all ears. I can't believe something designed to kill mites does not work on these guys.

 

[Beng]

Safari 20sg or Bifen XTS will nuke any bug alive. Those are my big guns. I don't mess around with pests on my bonsai anymore. When you take the casual route they somehow seem to survive and come back. Neem oil is good to use once a month whether or not you're having bug problems, it helps control fungus as well.

 

[Poink88]

Beng, I might have to bite the bullet and buy the Safari 20SG ...very expensive but if it works well, then probably worth it.

 

[Beng]

Definitely works well, this spring I stopped using "merit" and bayer prododucts and replaced them with it. Although I like both I've heard merit can have a I'll effect on beneficial bacteria and fungus in the root system. Imidacloprid is its key ingredient. As Safari is a strong systemic that you can apply as a spray rather then a soil drench it is absorbed by the tree, it should have very little effect on bacteria and mycrohizia surrounding the roots. I know a few others out here that have switched to it as well.

 

[evmibo]

I've used dish soap solution mixed with water, had mediocre results. Looking back on it, I wasn't applying it as often as I should. You really need to apply it 3-4 times within 7 days until nothing is left. This spring I found a couple on some of my elms and decided to try something more serious. Bonide's Pyrethrin has worked flawlessly for me so far.

 

[jkd2572]

Im willing to pay that much if it works, but I can't find anywhere that's says safari will kill spider mites. Pretty big investment if it does not work. I wish I could find some sort of super bad mitacide, but I can't seem to find anything.

 

[Beng]

While I haven't specifically used it for spider mites here's a link I found that might help. Summarized clipping from their page as well. Dinotefuran is the main ingredient in safari.

http://www.savegeorgiashemlocks.org/Chemical_Controls.htm

Choosing between Imidacloprid and Dinotefuran

Here is advice from Mark Dalusky, UGA Forest Entomologist, on how to decide between Imidacloprid and Dinotefuran. Click here for additional information and updates on choosing and using these products.

■ Cost -- Imidacloprid costs less than Dinotefuran.

■ Location -- If the tree is immediately adjacent to free water (streams, spring seeps, wet meadows), use Imidacloprid unless tree health is severely compromised; Dinotefuran can also be used for infested trees near water, but direct contact with water is prohibited.

■ Tree Health --

• Use Imidacloprid on trees that are in reasonably good health (i.e., new growth and no significant needle loss). Use Dinotefuran on hemlocks where rapid control is required, i.e., trees with no new growth, badly thinning foliage, and dead or dying (usually lower) branches and especially on large diameter trees (> 20 inches DBH) with these symptoms. Imidacloprid may still work but very slowly.

• Remember that tree health determines how quickly and efficiently the hemlocks will mobilize the active ingredient to the sites of HWA feeding.

• Imidacloprid can be effective on trees in advanced stages of decline, BUT you can expect tree health to deteriorate further before improvement is seen. This may include loss of lower limbs. Do not expect to see new growth for about 2 years. Survival of hemlocks is uncertain following Imidacloprid application if trees are in advanced stages of decline (gray foliage, >50% needle loss, dead lower limbs).

■ Presence of other pests -- Use Dinotefuran if scale or spider mites are a problem as treatment with Imidacloprid may intensify these conditions. This decision is based on tolerance to their feeding symptoms. These scale and mite infestations often self-resolve, especially in a forested setting, though not always.

■ Timing -- In the southern Appalachians, Imidacloprid can be used any time of year when minimum soil moisture conditions exist. Use Dinotefuran if you need to treat later in the season (late spring/summer) when conditions have become relatively dry. Treatment during official drought conditions is not recommended; soil applications should not be done when the ground is saturated or frozen.​

Avid is supposed to be excellent for spider mite problems, i've never personally used it but a friend who grows vegetables swears by it. Permethrin as someone else mentioned would do the trick as well. I prefer systemics when dealing with bugs as I don't like to repeat spraying my trees often.

 

[Waldo Street Pottery]

I feel like I sometimes am repeating myself, but try the homeade stuff. The dishwashing liquid, cooking oil and alcohol. I have not used it for mites, but I don't think I have ever had a might problem. Maybe that says something right there. I have never heard of the soap solution failing anyone that has used it. Also, if something is non toxic, can be sprayed any time and any place, you do not need PPE and it works and is cheaper than everything, why not use it. After all these years, I am still trying to figure out why a person would not at least try it. If it works, you have a cheap, homemade, completely non toxic spray that you can spray any time that is very gentle on trees.

Rob

Do you have a ratio of these ingredients that you use? How do you apply? Do you mix with water at all? Thanks for the info...

 

[october]

Do you have a ratio of these ingredients that you use? How do you apply? Do you mix with water at all? Thanks for the info...

Here you go

1-2 table spoons of dishwashing liquid. Ivory is probably the best.
1 table spoon of pure vegetable oil. I use Wesson pure vegetable oil.

Mix this solution in 1 gallon of water. Then add to a spray bottle. Now, add 1 capful of rubbing alcohol to the spray bottle (the cap from the alcohol bottle). Shake well.

Spray all leaf/foliage surfaces, including the undersides and the trunk. Put something over the soil to prevent the solution from going into the soil. Rinse the tree off after 24 hours. I would cover the soil again on the rinse off. Wait a couple weeks and spray again.

Keep the tree out of full sun until the solution is rinsed off.

If scale is the problem. This treatment is even more effective if you pick off all the scale you see first, you don't have to though. A rounded edge tooth pick works well to remove them. After the scale are dead, they will probably remain on the tree. Dead scale flake off easily, live scale usually smear or bleed and are tougher to remove.

Rob

 

[Waldo Street Pottery]

Thanks Rob!

 

[Beng]

Neem oils a pretty light oil, not like vegetable oil. My elm doesn't mind it. But mine is not a water elm it's small leafed elm maybe seiju, not sure the variety.

Ben

 

[Poink88]

Just to note that even light oil can cause burn when the plant is exposed to intense sunlight. Protect treated plants with oil from direct sunlight by putting them under shade for at least a week.

 

[Beng]

Anyone tried azamax before, was just reading about it? Looks interesting it's a insect growth regulator like distance but way cheaper.

 

[coh]

Home-made soap spray with Murphy's Oil Soap?

I was searching through some local stores and had a hard time finding "soap" (as opposed to detergent). This prompted some some reading on the internet, where I found many suggestions to use Murphy's oil soap as the "soap" component of the spray mixture. So this got me wondering if anyone has tried this? It is a soap (as opposed to a detergent) so theoretically it should work. Supposedly the stuff is quite pure (small amount of fragrance and other "stuff") and we already have it in the house.

Chris

 

[october]

I was searching through some local stores and had a hard time finding "soap" (as opposed to detergent). This prompted some some reading on the internet, where I found many suggestions to use Murphy's oil soap as the "soap" component of the spray mixture. So this got me wondering if anyone has tried this? It is a soap (as opposed to a detergent) so theoretically it should work. Supposedly the stuff is quite pure (small amount of fragrance and other "stuff") and we already have it in the house.

Chris

Ivory dish washing liquid is sold in most stores.

Rob

 

[Poink88]

I have neem and cooking oil but the problem is Cedar Elm (the infected tree) is supposed to hate oil spray. I will try my other home remedy...dish washing liquid, water, and milk. I will report back if it worked.

It worked!!! Applied it twice and no more spider mite as far as I can tell.

I use Dawn dish washing liquid on mine.

 

[augustine]

Guys,

The Nat'l Arboretum uses a miticide that contains Ivermectin. (Ivermectin is the stuff you put between a dog or cat's shoulders to guard against tick and fleas.) This information comes from a fellow club member who works as a volunteer at the Arboretum in D.C.

I don't have any other info and have not researched if this chemical is available for the general public (or if it is very toxic)

Personally, I use neem oil and soap for mites BUT I have not had any severe infestations.

Best,

Augustine
central MD 7a