Best systemic for mites, aphids, etc

August44

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Does anyone have a suggestion for something that actually works? Thanks for help!
 

weetree3

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My go to is FORBID 4F for spider mites. Don't forget to rotate miticides.
 

bwaynef

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I bought Avid, Floramite, and Forbid in small quantities a few years ago. I can speak highly of Forbid and Floramite. I haven't used Avid yet. Make sure to read the labels of whatever you choose, ...and make sure you have the appropriate PPE.
 

Forsoothe!

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Mites is spiders. Anything that will kill spiders and ants will kill people, so we have to be careful not to kill ourselves or our children, pets, et al. All kinds of spiders travel on single strands of silk that they let out and when it gets hung up on something downwind they repel to the new location. If a plant gets overpopulated, they bail out and go to new homes. In a pinch they can just spin a thread and when it can carry their weight, ride the winds until they land on something. All this is important because mites come from someplace else and find their way our plants even after we clean them up with nice poisons. It is important to look around your own area, especially upwind, for a source of new contamination. One of the most notorious mite hotels are large Alberta Spruce, but any dense shrubs that stay dry on the interior can be a source that can constantly re-supply our plants. Look around. If you have a constant problem, there's probably a source nearby, and it probably looks sick. If it belongs to a neighbor, you may have to re-think your practices.
 

Wires_Guy_wires

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The key is knowing your pest and knowing what kills it. A mite mite survive things that kills aphids, and the other way around.
Ever tried killing woodlice? They're not insects! So insecticides don't hurt them a single bit.
I see it as a fun exercise to identify my pests, scout along wikipedia and some literature to find something that works, and then see if I can get that stuff and use it.

The thing is.. What works for others might have caused a resistance near your home. Take spider mites for example, we take them home from garden store visits where they're blaster with insane amounts of pesticides. Once they're in my home, I need something that they haven't been exposed to for the past couple generations. So having a couple guns in your armory will be beneficial.
Do check the safety sheets though!
 

BonjourBonsai

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I had aphids on fava beans in my garden. I mixed up a squirt of dish soap and water in a spray bottle. I sprayed each plant and used the force of the spray on a focused stream to blow the bugs off. I don't think this is a systemic treatment, but it worked well for the favas.
 

August44

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Update! I have been checking all my roses, Dahlias, and bonsai for spider mites this summer hoping to catch those bast...s before they blow into a big population. I have a 30 power, hand held magnifier that I use and it works pretty well. I usually have the two spotted spider mites, but have noticed something else this year...it looks miteish (not a real word) but is more clear/cream like in color, smaller than the two spotted mites, and moves around much faster than a mite does. I did not spray anymore after seeing this as I was thinking it might be a predator mite. There are a lot of them around. Advice/Help appreciated.
 

Mike Corazzi

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:eek:🥴
 

penumbra

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Minx 2 is the safest systemic I know for mites. It is very effective.
 
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