How and how to get rid of spider mites. How to get rid of spider mites. What garden plants are affected by spider mites

Firstly, it spoils the appearance of flowers, and secondly, it leads to their death. But if you know how dangerous the spider mite is and how to deal with it, you can completely protect your garden from this.

Spider mite: pest description

The spider mite is a representative of the arachnid class. It is resistant to insecticides, chemicals from common mites hardly have an effect on spider mites. The pest is red, yellow or orange. The cobweb is one of the most common pests orchard and orchard.

The cobweb is a very small tick, a small insect that has an oval shape and reaches a size of 0.4-1.0 mm. Some individuals with a good appetite can reach 2 mm. The body of the pest is covered with small bristles, placed very rarely.

Pests settle on the underside of the leaf. You can identify insect infestation by looking at the light dots on the surface of the leaf. After some time, they move to the upper side of the sheet.
Reproduction of pests occurs when the daylight hours are more than 14 hours and the air temperature is from 12 to 40 degrees. In difficult conditions, females hide in shelters and fall into diapause, during which life processes in the body slow down, which allows insects to exist for a long time without food.

The female pest comes to life immediately after the conditions become favorable, and begins to absorb a large amount of food and multiply. These insects do not tolerate moisture, so dry air is a favorable environment in the premises.

The cobweb lives in gardens and vegetable gardens, but can easily get into the room - it can fly in with a gust of wind through an open window. The spider mite in this case is placed on indoor flowers and feeds on them.
Also, a flower mite can appear in a house on a bouquet of flowers or with land for planting, and the question arises: how to get rid of it. If a spider mite has appeared on houseplants, you need to know how to deal with it properly.

What harm can a spider mite cause to plants, signs of a pest

The most common types are common and red spider mite. The usual one is harmful, and vegetable crops. Cell sap is the insect's favorite food. They pierce the surface of the leaves and infect the representatives of the flora, sucking out the juice and violating the structural integrity - the leaves dry out and crumble.
Since the insect is very small, it is difficult to detect it. A sign that the plant is sick is web. If insects accumulate in large numbers on the leaves, light spots are found, which form large white areas and increase in size.

On an infected flower, leaves and buds fall off, flowering stops. Most often, you can find a spider mite on a rose or chrysanthemum.

In the affected leaf, the intensity of photosynthesis slows down, which makes the flower sickly and susceptible to infectious diseases. The pest itself is a distributor of infections: gray rot, viral diseases.

How to deal with spider mites

Let's look at how to deal with spider mites.

After the spider mite has appeared on the plants, it is necessary to immediately begin to fight it.

First, treat the plant with a solution of detergent or laundry soap. Use the solution warm. If you use this method, you will not get rid of the pest completely, but you can destroy a significant part.
If the cobweb appeared on single flowers, they must be removed. The fight against spider mites is, first of all, proper watering, after which the plants should be covered with plastic bags for three days.

Did you know? Many insects live without food for several years. For example, a scorpion can live without food for two years, and a tick for ten years.

Chemical methods of struggle, how to get rid of spider mites with the help of drugs

To get rid of the pest completely, make a small droplet spraying of the leaves. To do this, use phosphorus or sulfur preparations. Sulfur and phosphorus preparations for spider mites should be alternated.

The following substances are also effective in controlling insects:

• "Vermitek";

These high-quality preparations are able to effectively destroy the pest. It is required to spray plantings several times with a break of a couple of weeks, since insecticides cannot kill insect eggs, it is necessary to wait until new pests are born.

Means "Fitoverm" can destroy pests even indoors, since the drug has a low toxicity. Protective equipment should also be remembered: wash your hands thoroughly after handling, change clothes.

The drug "Aktellik" is an even more effective remedy for pests. It is much more toxic and kills insects almost immediately. "Aktellik" is recommended when other means no longer help, with massive damage to plants. Treatment with this drug is carried out only in open space, all precautions are observed and kept away from home.

"Neoron" destroys both adults and their eggs after two treatments.

Important! The insect does not tolerate ultraviolet rays, for this reason it hides under the leaves. It will not be possible to completely get rid of it with the help of ultraviolet light, but it is possible to reduce the population size.

Folk methods of dealing with spider mites

If it is not possible to purchase a chemical pesticide, folk home remedies for tick control are used. A fairly effective method of dealing with cobwebs is dousing with cold water. Douche is carried out only if the plant is able to withstand it. The fight against spider mites with folk remedies is also possible when the plant cannot be sprayed - you need to place a jar of turpentine or finely chopped garlic near it. The bush with the indicated agent is covered with oilcloth and left for several hours.

Garlic can also be used to make a preparation that is sprayed on an infected plant. Take about 200 grams of finely chopped garlic and pour a liter of water. Close the container with the mixture tightly and infuse for a day. To spray affected flowers, use only 6 grams of solution per liter of water.

In a similar way, onion solution can be made, which does not need to be diluted.

Medicinal dandelion is very effective in insect control. In finished form, this remedy is sold in any pharmacy. Grind 30 grams of dandelion roots and pour a liter of water. Let the solution stand for several hours. Strain and use as a spray.
Another folk remedy is

Fans of indoor plants and summer residents often face an unpleasant situation when very small pests - spider mites - settle on their flowers or garden trees. These arthropod insects are only about one millimeter in size. Their favorite places are the underside of young leaves. Ticks feed on their sap.

There are many different chemical means of protecting plants from this pest. These include various acaricides and contact or systemic insecticides. However, if there are few pests, you can do without harmful chemicals and use proven folk methods to combat these harmful arachnids. Let's get acquainted with some effective means.

food alcohol

With this tool, you can wipe the leaves infected with the pest. It is more expedient to use on plants with a thick leathery layer (ficus, zamiokulkas, citrus, dracaena). You can also spray the leaves with alcohol from a spray bottle. After a couple of weeks, the treatment must be repeated. The tick will disappear, and the plant will not suffer.

If a spider mite damages an indoor flower, you can spray it with a solution of colloidal sulfur. She is absolutely safe. 50 g of paste is dissolved in 10-15 liters of warm water. After two days, white plaque from the leaves is washed off with water. For greater effect, sulfur can be mixed with soapy water.

Kerosene and soap

Dissolve 25 grams of laundry or liquid soap in a liter of warm water. The leaves are carefully wiped with this solution, and left without washing off for 12-14 days. After that, rinse with running water.

Dense, leathery leaves can be rubbed with a soapy sponge. The foam should be left for 5 hours. Soap solution must be thoroughly processed and the tray with the pot.

Dracaena, lemon and ficus are treated with this composition. Laundry soap is crushed and poured with warm water. When the soap dissolves, a little kerosene and warm water are poured into the solution. Leaves are wiped with this composition. After two weeks, the procedure is repeated.

Hot water and sun

Violet is often affected by a transparent spider mite. You can fight it if you periodically pour hot water over the bushes (38-40 ° C).

The arachnid pest does not tolerate sunlight. Pots with flowers should be exposed to the sun more often or placed for 2 minutes under a lamp with a special ultraviolet spectrum for indoor flowers.

Phytopreparations

1. Onion peel. A glass of onion peel is poured with 4 liters of boiling water. Boil on fire. They insist and persevere. This decoction is sprayed with indoor flowers.
2. Tobacco. For 50 grams of dry raw materials take 1 liter of boiling water. Infuse the remedy for three days. Strain and spray the leaves.
3. Yarrow. With a small number of pests, spraying with a decoction of yarrow can be used. To do this, take 1 kg of chopped grass with inflorescences and pour all 10 liters of boiling water. Boil the remedy for half an hour at a low boil. Next - filter. Spray generously on the leaf.
4. Clematis. Prepare an infusion of herbs. Two tablespoons of crushed flowers and stems are thrown into 0.5 liters of boiling water. They insist. This tool is sprayed with garden and indoor crops.
5. The cyanosis is blue. Regularly spray the indoor flower with a decoction of cyanosis roots. For 400 milliliters of boiling water throw 2 tablespoons of fresh raw materials. The composition is boiled for 15 minutes and allowed to brew for another half hour. Spraying sessions are carried out every other day.
6. Oriental goat's rue. Its insecticidal properties against pests have been known for a long time. An infusion is prepared from dry powdered leaves: 150 grams of raw materials are thrown into 1 liter of boiling water. Insist 8 hours. Spray the affected indoor or garden crop.

If a spider mite has appeared on a plant, it will take a lot of effort to get rid of it. "One shot" to defeat this pest will not work! Regular processing will be required until there is not a single harmful insect left.

Numerous plant pests do not cease to keep gardeners in constant tension, forcing them to look for new ways to fight for the harvest in the garden or in their summer cottage. They are no exception, and, with particular activity, striking cucumber plantings.

If for some reason the spider mites are not destroyed, with full confidence we can expect them for the next season: they overwinter in the same place, in the greenhouse, in the upper layers of the soil, in the corners, in manure, under unharvested foliage of plants.

Signs of infection and damage

The spider mite is a small insect 0.2 - 0.5 cm long, without antennae and wings, has 4 pairs of legs. Color - pale green or greenish with a yellow tint. Males are slightly smaller than females and have a more elongated body shape.

On spoiled cucumber plantings, as a result of the vital activity of a tick, the following signs appear:

• light, almost white dots (with a large lesion - extensive spots) on the reverse side of the leaves;
• the plant looks sick, entangled in a web, along which ticks move;
• slow growth;
• leaves gradually turn yellow.

The spider mite is also capable of provoking the development of gray rot, which affects the entire aerial part of the plant and inevitably leads to its death.

If the pest is not stopped, harvesting is out of the question. There will simply be nothing to collect.

How to fight

Folk methods

The old, well-known methods for the destruction of plant pests for the most part involve the use of improvised means that are always safe for humans and will not damage seedlings due to the absence of chemical components. Here you can use ordinary products that are always available at home, or simple pharmacy preparations.

1. Hydrogen peroxide. You will need 3% peroxide (2 tablespoons) and 1 liter of water. Spraying is carried out 3-4 times with a break of 1 week at 20-degree temperature or 3 days at 30C. Such treatment can destroy the entire family of spider mites.
2. Vinegar. For 8 liters of water, 2 tbsp. l. essences, everything is mixed. Spray the seedlings of cucumbers generously with this tool. It also helps well against cruciferous fleas, aphids, codling moths.
3. Sulfur-tar soap. Dissolve 100 g of soap in a 10-liter bucket, spray the flowers of plants 2-3 times a week. You can also prepare such a solution: 40 g of soap per liter of water.
4. Ammonia. Spray the plants in the same way as the hydrogen peroxide recipe. To do this, prepare the following mixture: 1 tablespoon of ammonia per 10 liters of water. It is useful to process the leaves on both sides, not only to remove mites, but also to saturate the plant with nitrogen.
5. Dry (powdered) mustard. In 1 liter of water, brew 60 g of powder, let it brew for 3 days in a tightly sealed container. Dilute the resulting tincture with 3 liters of water and spray cucumbers with it. The spider mite is very afraid of the smell of mustard.
6. Iodine. It helps to fight, including for plants that have already undergone a disease. Treatment is carried out by spraying cucumber lashes on both sides with a solution of 10 parts of water, 1 part of milk and 7-10 drops of iodine.
7. Laundry soap will also help against these insects. Wash the plants with warm soapy water. The remaining foam can not be removed. You can also spray cucumbers with a soap solution. The method helps only with a small number of ticks.

Very effective in the fight against spider mites is the drug Fitoverm, which is no longer quite a popular method, but also not a chemical one. This is a kind of biological insecticide, created on the basis of the vital activity of soil microorganisms. The tool does not contain chemicals, and therefore is absolutely harmless to humans. Fruits can be safely eaten after 2-3 days after processing. Fitoverm perfectly helps to get rid of both spider mites and many other garden pests, without causing them to become addictive. Does not cause burns in plants after application.

Fitoverm action time:

The solution must be prepared in accordance with the instructions on the package, it must be used immediately (do not store). Usually, just 2 treatments (1 per week) are enough to get the result. If it is not possible to get the drug, it can be replaced with 80 g of sulfur or 100 g of bitoxibacillin.

Chemical methods

The last treatment with chemicals is prohibited less than 2-3 weeks before fruiting. A more precise interval between spraying and collection is indicated on the packaging of each particular insecticide, as well as its dosage and frequency of application.

Prevention

Preventing a problem is always much easier than getting rid of it, so simple preventive rules will always help to avoid painful pest control or crop loss:

• carry out timely weeding (mites can also live on weeds in a greenhouse);
• plant among cucumbers, especially in the corners of the greenhouse, “unloved” tick plants (dill, etc.);
• immediately remove and burn the affected parts of plants;
• alternate planting cucumbers and tomatoes in the same greenhouse annually;
• follow all the rules of care (watering, weeding, loosening the soil, top dressing, removing leaves, preventive treatments with folk remedies, etc.);
• after harvesting, completely remove the remains of plants and destroy them;
• inspect plants in a timely manner during their growth and development;
• maintain humidity in greenhouses;
• dig up the ground after harvesting;
• observe the distance between the beds or plant cucumbers alternately with other plants (ticks do not like to move far).

It should be noted that these measures will help to get rid of ticks not only on cucumbers, but also on such plants, in many respects similar, as tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, etc.

The spider mite belongs to the class of arachnids. This must be taken into account when choosing a pest control agent; preparations for the destruction of insects do not work on it.

He lives for about a month, the female can lay unfertilized eggs, from which new female ticks are hatched in 3-5 days, capable of laying eggs on their own in a week (up to hundreds of pieces). In a short time, the population can increase hundreds of times. The spider mite hibernates in the ground or in the crevices of hotbeds and greenhouses; eggs, in anticipation of favorable conditions, do not lose their viability for several years.

Only when born, the larva of the spider mite digs into the leaf of a suitable plant from the underside, and begins to suck out the juice. The "menu" of the spider mite includes about 200 varieties of plants. The appearance of a pest can be detected by noticing yellow drying points and spots on the surface of the leaves. Looking at the underside of the leaf, you can see a thin web and small greenish or red creatures - this is the spider mite. With a large number of pests, plant leaves quickly dry out, growth slows down and is inhibited. In addition, spider mites can carry infections that are dangerous for plants (gray rot, viruses). If urgent action is not taken, you can lose the entire plantation, the tick spreads very quickly.

Ticks are especially rampant in protected ground. In a greenhouse, with its elevated air temperature and many places where you can comfortably overwinter, the tick feels great. Therefore, in addition to the usual means for the destruction of the pest, autumn washing and disinfection of the greenhouse is required.

Preparations for the fight against spider mites

Cucumbers, eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, beans are especially often affected by spider mites. It causes considerable damage to flowers, especially asters and roses. Apple trees, cherries, pears, mulberries, currants, strawberries and gooseberries also suffer from the pest.

When choosing a drug to fight a tick, you need to remember that it does not belong to insects, and it makes no sense to use insecticides.

Acaricides are used against spider mites: Omite, Flumite, Demitan, Apollo, Bitoxibacillin (10 g per 1 liter of water), Borneo. Insectoacaricides will also be effective: Fufanon, Oberon, Aktofit, Kleschevit, Fitoverm (1 ml per 1 liter of water), Karate, Agravertin, Akarin (2 ml per 1 liter of water), Vertimek.

The preparations are diluted in strict accordance with the attached instructions.

Important! The treatment with chemicals is carried out, observing all precautions: when spraying on the foliage, it is necessary to wear a respirator, goggles and gloves. After finishing work, send the work clothes to the laundry, wash your face and hands with soap and water. Smoking or eating while working is prohibited!

Due to the short development cycle of the mite and the ineffectiveness of the drug on pest eggs, several treatments are carried out on plants. Usually, 3 - 5 sprays are enough, with an interval of 4 - 7 days. The higher the air temperature, the shorter the interval between sprayings.

The tick has the ability to get used to and adapt to toxic substances, so the drugs need to be changed regularly. You need to focus on the change of the active substance, carefully reading the composition of the drug on the package.

The disadvantage of the use of chemicals can be considered their toxicity to pets and people.

Some substances (based on phosphorus) are not allowed to be used indoors. Many products cannot be sprayed on fruit-bearing plants. The use of such strong agents is justified in case of severe damage to plants and a large area of ​​plantings.

Folk ways of fighting

The spider mite does not tolerate high humidity. With a small number of pests and to prevent its occurrence, it is useful to wash the plants with a stream of cool water. Barrels and buckets of water are placed in greenhouses to increase air humidity (at 80% - 85% humidity, the tick dies). These measures are quite effective, provided that high humidity is not harmful to plants. This method works well for cucumbers. To increase the humidity of the air in the open ground, in addition to the shower, the bushes can be wrapped with pieces of film or placed under them with wide containers of water.

The timely (preferably daily) collection of the affected foliage and its burning prevents the spread of the pest.

In the greenhouse, you can arrange open jars with turpentine or ammonia. Vapors of these substances will poison the tick. Less caustic, but also a good remedy - chopped garlic and onions into gruel.

Sowing marigold among vegetables will help scare the pest from the beds.

It is possible to apply an effective biological method of dealing with spider mites in a greenhouse - to launch a colony of predators that feed on them. These are predatory mites Ambliseius and Fitoseylus. They are not dangerous to plants and will die when they deal with the pest. You can buy them in large garden nurseries.

Washing the foliage with soapy water will help get rid of the pest. To prepare it, they take simple household or tar soap, you can buy special green soap at the garden store. Soap is dissolved in a bucket of water, and the affected plant is washed abundantly.

Important! The soapy solution, drying up, forms a film on the leaves, which prevents the plant from breathing. Therefore, a couple of days after the treatment with soap, the bush should be washed with plain water.

It is easy to prepare an infusion of onions and garlic for spraying the affected plants. 200 g of garlic or onion are crushed and infused in a liter of water.

A few hours is enough for an onion. Garlic is insisted for a day, then the solution is diluted with water 3-4 times. The resulting mixture copes well with the spider mite, with its small number.

Herbal infusions for spraying plants against ticks:

• dandelion infusion - 0.5 kg of greens insist for several hours in a bucket of water;
• calendula - 100 g of chopped herbs per 1 liter of water, infused for 4 - 5 days;
• celandine - a teaspoon of grass, pour a glass of boiling water and cool;
• yarrow - brew 100 g of dry raw materials with a liter of boiling water, dilute with 5 liters of water.

Preventive measures

1. It is necessary to regularly inspect the plants in order to notice the pest as early as possible and take action.
2. In the fall, digging the soil and filling the soil with phosphate fertilizers will help to destroy the pest hiding in the ground.
3. Greenhouses and hotbeds are washed in autumn, the top layer of soil is changed, fumigated with a sulfur checker, and the frame is whitewashed with lime.

Spider mites (class Arachnids) are tiny pests that suck sap from plants. They attack the undersides of the leaves and suck the sap from the plants; a large infestation of these mites can even kill the plant. As soon as you find an infestation with these pests, get rid of them immediately! This can be done with both chemicals and natural remedies.

Steps

Spider mite detection

Look at the surface of the leaves. If the plant is indeed infested with spider mites, the leaves will be spotted with yellow. When the light falls on the leaves, you will see a silvery color or even streaks of bronze or silver.

• Although mites usually live on the underside of leaves, they sometimes become greedy and also eat the top side of leaves and flowers. Over time, they will make through holes in the leaves, presenting the clearest evidence of infection.
• Even if you can't find holes in the leaves, the plant may still be infested with spider mites, so watch for other signs of infestation.
• Other signs of mite damage include irregular shape, warping, wilting, mottling, streaks, or discolouration of the leaf surface. If a spider mite is particularly harmful, the leaves may begin to fall off.

1. Check the plant for white webs. This is a hallmark of some spider mites. The web usually accumulates around food sites. Please note that not all types of spider mites will spin webs.

   Confirm the presence of spider mites. Spider mites are so small that they are very difficult to see. However, one method can be used to confirm their presence. Take a sheet of white paper, place it under the plant if you suspect it is infested, and lightly shake the stem of one of the leaves.

   • Several spider mites will fall onto the paper. You can see them with a magnifying glass.
   • Spider mites come in a variety of colors, including red, green, yellow, and brown. They have eight legs and tend to move rather slowly.
   • Pay particular attention to ticks with spots on their backs. This is a two-spotted spider mite that is especially difficult to get rid of.

2. Be especially vigilant with certain types of plants. There are certain plants that spider mites favor more than others.

   • In particular, look for possible infestations of miniature roses, fruit trees, bananas, potted begonias, beans, mint, broadleaf shrubs, strawberries, jasmine, and houseplants.
   • Keep in mind that the two-spotted spider mite infects over 100 different plant species.

3. Be especially careful in dry and dusty weather. Under these conditions, spider mites can cause the most damage, as they are thirsty and look for moisture in plant leaves. This also means that they are very attracted to everything grown behind glass, including plants that are inside on windowsills.

   natural remedies

   1. Remove heavily infested parts of the plant immediately. Remove fallen leaves and remove severely damaged leaves from the plant itself. This will prevent the mites from attacking other plants nearby. Put the leaves in a plastic bag, seal tightly, and throw it in the trash or burn it.

      • If the entire plant is infected, consider throwing it away. This will give other plants a better chance of survival.
      • Water infected plants only from above and remove affected areas as soon as you notice them.

   2. Wash and wipe houseplants regularly. This won't be too much of a hassle, but it can be the most effective and non-toxic way to rid your plants of spider mites.

      • Use plain water or a solution of tepid (cool) water and very mild dishwashing detergent or soap. You can use any type of soap, but Castile soap is especially effective. You can also take a special insecticidal soap.
      • Use a sponge dipped in water to scrub individual leaves of the plant, or pour water into a spray bottle and spray on the underside of the leaves.
      • After six days, if the infestation continues, apply the soap solution again. Be careful, as some plant species are especially sensitive to soap, so test the soap solution on a small part of the plant before spraying everything.

   3. Use vegetable acaricides. There are many commercially available acaricides (anti-mites) that use natural ingredients that kill the spider mite but leave the plant and other insects unharmed. Here are the most popular ones:

      Wash outdoor plants with a hose. Attach a spray nozzle to a hose and use it to water infested outdoor plants. Spray the water under high pressure and try to target the underside of the leaves. This will help flush out the spider mites.

   4. Use homemade herbal tea. If you want to make your own acaricide at home, you can make an herbal tea by mixing a tablespoon of ground cinnamon, a tablespoon of ground cloves, and two tablespoons of Italian seasoning (consisting of a mixture of ground basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and possibly other herbs) on liter of water.

      • Bring water to a boil, then remove from heat. Once it has cooled slightly, add 2 tablespoons of minced fresh garlic. Leave to infuse until the water has cooled completely, then strain through a cloth or coffee filter.
      • Add some liquid dish soap to the tea, then pour into a spray bottle. Spray the undersides of infected leaves with this tea every three days for two weeks. This should effectively kill the mites.

   5. Use organic salts. Fatty acids or potassium salts can be abrasive against tick organisms. For maximum effect on mites, apply in the evening to keep plants hydrated for as long as possible.

      • Spray the plants with water in the evenings to keep the environment cooler and wetter. This works well against the two-spotted spider mite, which prefers a warm, dry environment.

   6. Control weeds around plants. Don't give the mites extra hiding places and launching pads to attack the plants you're growing.

      • Be especially careful to remove all broadleaf weeds.
      • Remove any debris left after harvest. This includes cleaning up plant debris, leaf litter and other plant matter.

   7. Increase the number of ladybugs and other insects that prey on spider mites. Predatory insects such as lacewing larvae, predatory thrips and ladybugs can decimate a spider mite population if present in the garden. However, one of the main reasons for the increase in the spider mite population is the use of pesticides that kill their natural enemies. Thus, you should avoid using pesticides such as carbaryl, malathion, and imidacloprid.

      • These insects can be purchased online, at garden centers, or through ads in horticultural magazines. In addition, herbs such as amaranth and borage can naturally attract ladybugs to the garden.
      • Ask the seller for details on how to get the most benefit from predatory insects, noting that you will have less success if you use them in mixed crop areas.
      • Predatory mites can also be used against spider mites. Look for Phytoseiulus persimilis or other predatory mites at the garden center, then follow the directions for use.
      • Under favorable conditions, predatory mites can destroy the spider mite population. Interestingly, ladybugs do not touch predatory mites, focusing only on the spider mite!
   • Some spider mites can be seen with the naked eye. Others are microscopic in size, so they cannot be seen alone, although the cluster can be seen. Use a magnifying glass if you want to get a better look at the ticks!
   • Spider mites can be not only red. Gardeners often group them all together, regardless of color, by the amount of damage done.
   • There are different families of spider mites. Relatives of the eight-legged arachnids may weave silk thread around the location of food, both for ease of movement and for protection. The family Tetranychidae is probably the most dangerous for plants. They pierce individual plant cells and extract the liquid contents from the cells, leaving the plant cells to fill with air. The two-spotted mite is the most common spider mite attacking gardens, greenhouses and homes.

   Warnings

   • Getting rid of spider mites can be a challenge. Be persistent and try not to accidentally create conditions that mites like (warmth, plus shelter, plus some moisture for most; excessive dryness for some other species).
   • Keep in mind that the use of pesticides also affects predatory insects, which may also be able to control infestations and bring everything back into natural balance. Use them with care and take precautions.
   • It is better to control mites naturally than with pesticides. Ticks tend to develop resistance to pesticides very quickly.
   • Some viruses are transmitted to plants by ticks. This is another good reason to try and get rid of them.