Many indoor and garden plant lovers have witnessed this at least once: white spots suddenly appear on leaves for no apparent reason, gradually growing larger until they merge into yellow or whitish spots. Under the leaves, you discover a fine web. This means the plant is infected, and the enemy is a dangerous one: spider mites. Getting rid of them is not easy, and most often, you have to resort to treating the plants with various products.
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Spider mites are subtle and ubiquitous.
Spider mites are small creatures (up to 2 mm) with a rounded body covered in very fine setae. Mites belong to the genus of spiders and have four pairs of legs. There are several varieties of mites. They also differ in color: some are yellowish, brownish, greenish, red, orange, gray, or colorless (transparent), with darker spots appearing on their bodies. The strength of these tiny pests lies in the fact that they live in colonies (a hundred or more individuals) and always carefully conceal themselves: on the underside of plant leaves, under fallen leaves, or simply under clumps of soil, etc.
Spider mites come in a variety of colors.
Spider mites pierce leaves and suck out the sap, as a result of which the plant becomes weakened and can be susceptible to various infections. Small white dots or light spots on the leaves and thin white webbing at the base of the leaf and where it attaches to the stem may indicate that your plant is infested with spider mites. If you missed the onset of the disease and suddenly see the entire flower entangled in webbing and a writhing mass of pests on the leaves, serious efforts will be needed to save the plant.
If the plant is seriously damaged by pests, special preparations should be used.
In addition to houseplants, spider mites can also infest garden trees and shrubs. Signs of infestation are the same: yellow and white spots on the foliage.
Of all garden crops, spider mites most often attack cucumbers.
Preparations for the control of spider mites
Spider mites are a serious pest, so there are various products available to combat them, each with a different form and strength of action.
Video: How to spray plants against spider mites
Aktara
This product has long been a proven and reliable choice among gardeners and horticulturists. It is primarily intended for insect control, but reviews suggest it is also successfully used against spider mites. If a plant is treated with this insecticide, the pests are certain to die; their bodies are affected within 15 minutes. The product is available in two forms: a suspension or odorless, fast-dissolving granules. The active ingredient is thiamethoxam, which has moderate toxicity.
Aktara is successfully used by gardeners and horticulturists against pests
There are several ways to treat with Aktara:
- Spraying. It is recommended to treat the plant before flowering. To prepare a solution, dilute 4 g of the product in 5 liters of water. Choose a dry day and spray the plant in the evening. 5 liters of solution should be enough for a 100-square-meter plot.
- Seed treatment. To do this, dilute 4 g of the solution in 1 liter of water. This amount of solution can soak up to 200 seeds. They can be planted after 2 hours.
Aktara can be used:
- For currant treatment (dissolve 2 g of the preparation in 1 liter of water). The first treatment is appropriate when the leaves appear, the second after the berries are picked.
- To protect cucumbers - 3 g of the product per liter of water.
- For treating roses, violets and other flowers - 4 g per liter of water.
- For spraying apple, pear, and other fruit trees, apply 4 g per liter of water. Apply the first time before flowering, and the second time after harvest.
Aktara does not pose a serious risk to human health, but precautions must be taken when working with this product:
- When handling, wear special clothing and gloves;
- protect your respiratory system if possible;
- To prevent the product from getting inside, which can cause acute poisoning, do not eat, drink, or smoke while using the drug;
- If you still feel signs of poisoning, you must stop working and move away from the treatment area, into fresh air, and, if necessary, drink activated charcoal;
- After completing work, wash your hands and face thoroughly with soap;
- If the drug gets on your skin, gently wipe the area with a piece of cloth or soft paper, then wash with soap;
- If the product gets into your eyes, rinse them thoroughly with clean water.
The drug Aktara is highly toxic to bees, slightly toxic to birds and fish.
Anti-tick
An acaricide containing malathion as its active ingredient. It acts effectively and quickly, and is classified as a Class III, or moderate, toxicity agent. It is an emulsion that must be diluted with water for use.
Antikleshch emulsion works quickly and effectively
Processing tips:
- Spraying is best done in the morning or evening;
- Hot weather will not be an obstacle for processing;
- it can be used both in open ground and in greenhouses, but it is not suitable for indoor plants;
- the product is safe for plants, however, it is better to carry out the treatment wearing work clothes and gloves;
- The prepared solution must be used completely or the remains must be poured out; it cannot be stored.
To treat plants, prepare a solution at a rate of 10 ml per 10 liters of water. Different crops require different treatment methods:
- Treat protected-ground cucumbers and tomatoes during the growing season. Apply 1–3 liters per 10 square meters.
- Raspberry. Apply the solution before flowering and after harvest. Two liters of solution should be enough for 10 raspberry bushes.
- Treat apple trees during the growing season. Apply 2 to 5 liters per tree.
When working with the Antikleshch product, you must take the same precautions as with the Aktara product.
Spark Double Effect
This product is an effective dual-action insecticide that can be used to control over 60 types of pests on flowers, berries, and vegetables, including spider mites. Safe for humans and animals. Iskra's active ingredients are cypermethrin and permethrin. Importantly, it also contains potassium fertilizer for damaged plant parts. It comes in 10g tablets. To prepare the solution, dissolve each tablet in 10 liters of water.
Spark Double Effect destroys up to 60 different pests
Suitable for various garden crops:
- To treat apple, pear, and cherry trees, you need to calculate that one tree requires from 2 to 10 liters.
- To treat berries, you will need 1.5 liters of solution for every 10 square meters of plantings.
- It is necessary to spray cucumbers and tomatoes against pests at the rate of 2 liters per 10 square meters.
Fitoverm
Fitoverm is an organic insecticide and acaricide classified as toxicity class 4. Its active ingredient, avermectin C, has specialized anti-mite properties. It has been tested and is highly effective against spider mites, but it does not kill them at all stages of development, requiring repeated treatments. This concentrated product is available in ampoules and vials of various sizes.
Fitoverm is one of the frequently used remedies for tick control.
Fitoverm is recommended for treating the following crops:
- Indoor plants are sprayed with a solution of 2 ml per 1 liter of water. To get rid of pests on indoor plants, perform 3-4 treatments every 5-7 days. The substance is slightly toxic, and flowers can be treated without being placed outdoors.
- To treat currants, dilute 2 ml of the product in 1 liter of water (1 liter is enough for one bush). Apply during the growing season.
- For apple trees, dilute 1.5 ml of the product in 1 liter of water (depending on the tree size, 2–5 liters of solution will be needed). It is recommended to spray during the growing season.
- Cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers are sprayed during the growing season with a solution of 2 ml of the product per 1 liter of water at 20-day intervals. The consumption rate is 1 liter per 10 square meters.
- Treat roses and other outdoor flowers if you notice mites, repeating the procedure every 7-10 days. The solution is 2 ml per 1 liter of water. You will need 0.1 liter of solution per 1 square meter.
Plant-Pin
This is a popular insecticide and acaricide against insects and ticks. It comes in stick form, each containing the active ingredient butoxycarboxylate. It is safe for humans and animals.
Plant-Pin sticks are easy to use
Features of use of the drug:
- The product is convenient because it does not require spraying and is used mainly for indoor flowers.
- The number of sticks used depends on the pot diameter: 1 for a 9 cm pot, 2 for a 12 cm pot, and 4–5 for a 20 cm pot. The sticks should be inserted into the soil 2 cm from the plant stem. When you water the plant, the substance will dissolve and penetrate the roots. The effect of the product will be noticeable within 3–7 days and lasts up to 8 weeks.
- The preparation can also be used to treat cucumbers in a greenhouse, but only in the early stages.
Actellic
Actellic is a potent, highly toxic pest control agent and insectoacaricide.
When treating plants with a highly toxic product, take precautions.
Description of the drug:
- The active ingredient is pirimiphos-methyl. It is available as a concentrated emulsion in 3-5 liter canisters and 2-5 ml ampoules. It kills insects even on the undersides of leaves and in hard-to-reach areas.
- After treatment, the product remains effective on garden and ornamental crops for 1–2 weeks. Pests die within 5 minutes to several hours.
- The drug is toxic to birds, beneficial pollinating insects and honey harvesters.
- Treatment is carried out in compliance with all safety precautions, only in calm weather, in the morning or evening hours.
- A 2 ml ampoule is sufficient to prepare 2 liters of aqueous solution.
Actellic is used for processing:
- tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, ornamental and flower crops;
- The consumption rate of the working solution in a greenhouse is 1 liter, in open ground - 2 liters per 10 sq. m.
Actellic, as a highly toxic drug, should be used in accordance with the precautions specified for the above-described tick repellents.
Video: Controlling spider mites on cucumbers
Reviews of spider mite control products
I can recommend a less traditional method, but it's a biological product, so it's completely harmless to plants—Fitoverm. Spider mites will die within 3-5 days of treatment. To consolidate the effect, repeat treatments are done every week. I used it once six months ago, and there are no more mites on my windowsills.
A good and proven remedy for spider mites is the biological fungicide Fitoverm. It has no shelf life, and cucumbers are ready to eat within a couple of days.
Try Iskra-Zolotaya (Sparkling Gold) for watering and spraying. Two or three treatments every 7-10 days will likely be sufficient. You should dilute one ampoule per 2 liters or 10 grams of powder per 2 liters. All plants in the apartment should be treated. This product has a systemic effect through the roots and is used in imported long-lasting pest control sticks and "stones." It's also affordable and easy to use.
Try using Fitoverm. The pests die completely within 3-5 days. I think two treatments will be enough to get rid of them. This product is good because it's effective in hot weather.
Spider mites are dangerous pests that can cause significant damage to your plants. Therefore, always be vigilant, take preventative measures, and if a mite has already made an appearance, there's no choice but to resort to effective protection. Most importantly, follow a comprehensive series of measures to completely eliminate the pest from your garden and houseplants.
