Question about Spider Mites

[cheap_walmart_art]

Hope everyone is doing pretty well this summer with all of the craziness in the world. Unfortunately, the summer of 2020 has presented me with the largest spider mite infestation I've dealt with thus far. I believe the first juniper they took to is a goner - it was a bad combination of a very early infestation that I didn't notice along with weakening the tree by taking a tray of cuttings from it. Regardless, by the time I caught up to them they were on all of my junipers.

I have taken the following steps:

-Thoroughly sprayed out the foliage of all the trees a couple times a day the past week.
- Did a round one treatment with Sultan miticide
- Thoroughly sprayed out the foliage the next two days after drying.
- Applied Sultan round two roughly 48-72 hours later
- Thoroughly sprayed out foliage a day after that.

Round two was applied on 7/21/2020 - I went out and did the paper test and I am STILL seeing mites. Thing is, they aren't moving around the page like they were when I first discovered them, leading me to think they are dead.

My question is - when you guys have treated for spider mites in the past, did you notice they were still marking up the paper test even after treatment? Do you notice that they tend to scurry around the paper? I'll keep my eye on these trees and keep them quarantined for now. If I need to do another spray I will rotate to a bayer miticide and see if I get good results. I hate all this spraying, but I really don't want them to wreck my trees anymore than they already have.

Thanks for reading!

 

[sorce]

I'm rather convinced sprays won't get to everywhere they can hide. Due to surface tension, the spray just can't reach the crizotches.

I underwater em for a day or 2.

Sorce

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

I underwater em for a day or 2.

Not really an option according to my weather report haha. So howabout when you do the paper test. Do you see all the little specs running about? I usually do before I smear them - but the specks today weren't running about....so, maybe success? Regardless, I'll just keep monitoring and do what I can to mitigate. I really hope I didn't lose that big juniper...not great material but I was using it as a mother plant for cuttings.

 

[bunjin]

Try alternating with an oil spray.

 

[sorce]

I never used the paper trick.

I haven't had mites in a while. Can't say it is solely due to chem free life....but...it ain't hurt!

Actually....

Ever since I realized the red mites are predator mites and stopped smashing them, everything been good.

Don't smash the big red ones!

Sorce

 

[KillerButts]

Hope everyone is doing pretty well this summer with all of the craziness in the world. Unfortunately, the summer of 2020 has presented me with the largest spider mite infestation I've dealt with thus far. I believe the first juniper they took to is a goner - it was a bad combination of a very early infestation that I didn't notice along with weakening the tree by taking a tray of cuttings from it. Regardless, by the time I caught up to them they were on all of my junipers.

I have taken the following steps:

-Thoroughly sprayed out the foliage of all the trees a couple times a day the past week.
- Did a round one treatment with Sultan miticide
- Thoroughly sprayed out the foliage the next two days after drying.
- Applied Sultan round two roughly 48-72 hours later
- Thoroughly sprayed out foliage a day after that.

Round two was applied on 7/21/2020 - I went out and did the paper test and I am STILL seeing mites. Thing is, they aren't moving around the page like they were when I first discovered them, leading me to think they are dead.

My question is - when you guys have treated for spider mites in the past, did you notice they were still marking up the paper test even after treatment? Do you notice that they tend to scurry around the paper? I'll keep my eye on these trees and keep them quarantined for now. If I need to do another spray I will rotate to a bayer miticide and see if I get good results. I hate all this spraying, but I really don't want them to wreck my trees anymore than they already have.

Thanks for reading!

I know them well. You’re instincts on spraying are correct. Get a proper stand for your pot that has feet large enough you can apply a small ring of Tanglefoot. Next place rocks or fairy garden items in front of the area that received the application, so it cannot be seen. Water in a way that you do not get the feet of the pot stand wet.

That’s the quick fix provided you have washed any that remain off, next year the real fight begins. Come spring you need to have prepared a few hundred dollars to throw at this and then you are looking at roughly $70 a year per acre in maintenance.

When spring time lows don’t fall below 60 degrees order 50,000 green lacewings per acre. They are fairly cheep for the bang and are sustainable unlike Ladybugs. You can get them directly or on Amazon.

You will also want to purchase an appropriate amount of Nematodes to cover your grass, all brick walkways and any area that might lead to water like the base of your gutters. This is the expensive part. Application is easy enough like spreading the old miracle grow hose attachment. You will find the spreader on Amazon recommended with the Nematodes and amounts required. I recommend buying the triple threat packs they sell so you can target every possible pest. If you apply them correctly (During a few days of good rain) you won’t need them for another 4 years I’d wager.

Every spring order the Lacewings and if you do this you will find next summer a dramatic lack of pests in your area.

 

[Dav4]

Are you sure you followed the proper dilution directions when mixing the spray? In my experience, the Sultan works quickly, is very effective and long lasting, and usually one or two applications per season are all that's needed. I suppose it's possible your landscape planting are so heavily infested that your bonsai trees are continuously being exposed, but the mites shouldn't be able to survive on them if they've been properly treated. With that being said, unfortunately, significant spider mite damage can take years to recover from, and it's still possible to lose affected branches or the tree over the next 6-12 months or so after a particularly heavy infestation.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

Are you sure you followed the proper dilution directions when mixing the spray?

Yup, looks like it's about a quarter tablespoon per gallon which is how I mixed it. I'll start checking landscape plants when it stops raining and see what they look like.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Bayer 3-in-1 does the trick. No more pretending to spray every square inch. Many plants are too big to dunk in a bath smaller than a breadbox. It is expensive, but what's it worth to kill a bunch of bugs, but only those eating a given tree, and not spraying yourself when the wind shifts? I know what floats my boat...

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

So good news, checked today and found very little evidence of mites left. Sprayed out the foliage and will continue to monitor over the next several days. Only one juniper is visibly suffering at the moment and I also lost a tray of cuttings, but could be worse. The next week will consist of cooler and wetter weather, so maybe they'll stay cleared out.

 

[Shaolo]

What do you mean when you say sprayed out the foliage?

 

[PA_Penjing]

Never found a way to keep mites under control. A large population will eventually draw lady bugs and green lace wings into your garden IF you haven't used poisons on the trees. That being said, predator bugs never gave me the results I needed. So now I don't grow the species that had given me issues.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

What do you mean when you say sprayed out the foliage?

Spider mites will fall out of the foliage with a good spray of the hose. It can take care of small infestations if done regularly. In my case, I'm doing it to take care of stragglers or to prep the tree for a miticide treatment.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Spider mites will fall out of the foliage with a good spray of the hose. It can take care of small infestations if done regularly. In my case, I'm doing it to take care of stragglers or to prep the tree for a miticide treatment.

Or, you can always wet the foliage with a hard spray every time you water, daily. Unless you live in some place where the humidity is God-awful year-around like the SE USA or PNW where they have evil fungi that take over and drive people crazy. (I give you Portland) If you lived in a nice place like Michigan, "Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice", we don't even allow mites to cross the border.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

like the SE USA

Tennessee humidity represent.

 

[Colorado]

Or, you can always wet the foliage with a hard spray every time you water, daily. Unless you live in some place where the humidity is God-awful year-around like the SE USA or PNW where they have evil fungi that take over and drive people crazy. (I give you Portland) If you lived in a nice place like Michigan, "Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice", we don't even allow mites to cross the border.

Humidity? What’s that?

 

[fredman]

When a pesticide is used, it kills not only the pest, but all the beneficial insects along with it. That might leave a plant in stress, and the first that'll pounce on it, is another pest....so the cycle begins.
Better to take the natural route and help nature do the work for you..
Soooo many pests can be managed by simple means...neem oil...soapy water with a dash of cooking oil added.
https://www.planetnatural.com/pest-problem-solver/houseplant-pests/spider-mite-control/

 

[Forsoothe!]

When a pesticide is used, it kills not only the pest, but all the beneficial insects along with it. That might leave a plant in stress, and the first that'll pounce on it, is another pest....so the cycle begins.
Better to take the natural route and help nature do the work for you..
Soooo many pests can be managed by simple means...neem oil...soapy water with a dash of cooking oil added.
https://www.planetnatural.com/pest-problem-solver/houseplant-pests/spider-mite-control/

That's all bullshit, but I'm glad to see that some people are willing to do what's necessary to save the world with virtue signaling. Thank God for virtue signaling.

 

[Dav4]

I wouldn't be able to keep junipers... or pines, apparently... without chemical miticides. There's nothing more frustrating and heartbreaking then watching a tree you've nurtured and developed for years and years... decades, even... weaken, be disfigured, or even succumb to a mite infestation. I tried the daily blast of water... never worked for me here in GA. The worst infestation I've ever found on a juniper came after a period of rain where we averaged about an inch per day over a 10 day period in early summer. Honestly, I'd probably give the hobby up without chemical pesticides... I want to keep GREAT trees, not twigs in pots... and not taking care of them they way they should be taken care of would be laughable and foolish.

 

[fredman]

I wouldn't be able to keep junipers... or pines, apparently... without chemical miticides. There's nothing more frustrating and heartbreaking then watching a tree you've nurtured and developed for years and years... decades, even... weaken, be disfigured, or even succumb to a mite infestation. I tried the daily blast of water... never worked for me here in GA. The worst infestation I've ever found on a juniper came after a period of rain where we averaged about an inch per day over a 10 day period in early summer. Honestly, I'd probably give the hobby up without chemical pesticides... I want to keep GREAT trees, not twigs in pots... and not taking care of them they way they should be taken care of would be laughable and foolish.

Ah chemical pesticide definitely has it's place. All i'm advocating is sensible use of it. Start soft and target only what needs to be targeted.