Plants are susceptible to attack by various pests, which can not only worsen their condition, but also completely destroy them. It is important to know how to get rid of spider mites as they are dangerous and can cause serious harm. There are a few effective methods fight it.
What does a spider mite look like?
A polyphagous pest that can inhabit a large number of crops is the description of the spider mite. The main characteristics include the following information:
Why does spider mite appear?
There are several reasons that can trigger the appearance of a pest:
For more than a dozen years, in order to get rid of various pests, various folk methods have been used, which in most cases are absolutely safe for humans. Let's look at several ways how to easily get rid of a spider mite:
When figuring out how to get rid of a spider mite, it is worth noting that you need to take 200 g of soap per 10 liters of water. Up to three sprays are carried out, between which a week must pass. In case of severe spraying lesions, the effect of previously applied insecticides can be consolidated. can be used both to get rid of the problem and as a prophylaxis.
Onion infusion for spider mites
V folk methods to get rid of pests, onion peels are often taken, which contains useful vitamins and macronutrients, as well as it contains a substance that effectively copes with pathogenic microbes, both on the plant and in the soil. Onion husks from spider mites are used in a tincture, for the preparation of which it is necessary to pour 100 g of husk with 5 liters of water. The duration of infusion is five days, and then, it is filtered and used for spraying.
Spider mite alcohol
Alcohol treatment is popular among folk remedies. To get rid of arthropods, they take undiluted medical alcohol, which is a pest killer, but it has no effect on eggs, so this method must be combined with other options. To remove spider mites, a measure of control with alcohol involves wiping the leaves with a dampened cotton swab. Since alcohol evaporates quickly, it does not have time to harm the plant, but it is not recommended to use this method on thin leaves.
"Dichlorvos" from a spider mite
The most common remedy in the 90s, but due to unpleasant odor many refuse to use it. To get rid of the problem, "Dichlorvos" can be sprayed if the ovary is just beginning to form. First, you need to put a garbage bag on each bush, and then spray the spider mite remedy inside. Be sure to tie the ends to prevent the "Dichlorvos" from coming out. Leave everything for three hours, and after that it is recommended to wash off the residues with plain water.
Spider mite drugs
"Karbofos" from a spider mite
This agent belongs to organophosphorus compounds, which dissolves easily in water, forming a stable emulsion. When figuring out how to remove a spider mite using "Karbofos", it is worth indicating the following important information:
It is a very popular remedy with the following properties:
- Has a high rate of drug distribution. Within the first hour after application, it already penetrates into tissues by 16%.
- from spider mites can be introduced into the soil and plant. Duration of action - up to 28 days. Let's note the resistance to heat and drought.
- The product dissolves well in water, but at the same time has high level resistance to washing off.
- If you are interested in how to get rid of a spider mite, it is important to know that you need to take warm water for spraying, given that 4 g should fall on 5 liters. Only a freshly prepared solution can be used. To add "Aktara" to the soil, you need to use 1 g of the preparation for 10 liters of water. In case of severe infection, both treatment options are combined.
"Spark" from a spider mite
The presented drug helps to get rid of more than 60 types of pests. "Iskra Double Effect" can be used for processing flowers, berries, vegetables and fruit crops... Note that not all spider mite remedies include a special potassium supplement, which helps the plant to quickly restore damaged parts, and this drug has it. To prepare the solution, dissolve 1 tablet in 10 liters of water.
"Anti-mite" from a spider mite
This drug can be used both in open ground and in greenhouse conditions, but it is not suitable for home conditions. The duration of the protective action is 15 days. If a spider mite is present, the plant can be treated with Anti-mite, which acts quickly and can be used in hot weather. To understand how to quickly get rid of a spider mite, it is important to consider the rules:
- To dilute the product, take 10 ml per 10 liters of water. Be sure to mix everything thoroughly.
- Spraying is necessary only with a freshly prepared solution early in the morning or in the evening, when there is no strong wind.
Spider mite prevention
- The purchased plant should not be immediately placed next to others and must be quarantined. It should last 3-4 weeks. For more confidence, it will be useful to treat the leaves and stem with acaricide several times during quarantine.
- Soil mixtures purchased or made by hand must be processed. For example, you can bake them in the oven, pour over them with boiling water, or steam them in a water bath. It all depends on the chosen soil.
- It is necessary to ventilate the room as often as possible, and during the heat to carry out frequent watering and spraying.
- To prevent spider mites from appearing in the garden, it is recommended to regularly remove weeds, which are an excellent springboard for pest breeding. It is also important to remove plant debris, such as old dried shrubs.
Unfortunately, no such method has yet been invented by which it is possible to destroy everyone who has settled on indoor plants with one shot. As a rule, more than one treatment is needed, and not even two, before the last mite is defeated. And in this struggle, the choice of a remedy for a spider mite will play an important role.
Calm and only calm! If the number of spider-like monsters on your plant is small, then it is quite possible to do with folk means of destruction.
1. Medical alcohol
A fairly effective remedy for spider mites is medical alcohol (96%). Moisten a cotton swab with it and wipe the leaves of the plant - the mite will be destroyed (recall that you cannot take eggs this way!). Alcohol has the ability to evaporate quickly, so the leaves of the plant should theoretically not be damaged. However, it is still better not to experiment in this way with thin fuchsia or petunia leaves. But ficus, hibiscus, date palm, Dieffenbachia and other "thick-skinned" will not even feel the touch of alcohol.
2. Soap (laundry soap is better, but any other will do as well)
If you have a spider mite, you can treat the plant with regular soap. To do this, we bring our plant into the bathroom and wipe all the leaves and branches with a soapy sponge. The more foam the better. We soap the pot and the pallet just as well. We also spray the ground with soapy water, but just a little, so as not to get on the roots and damage the plant. Unfortunately, some growers act radically and shed the entire earthy clod, and then they are surprised that the plant has dried up in a week. Do not repeat other people's mistakes, there should be a measure in everything!
So, after you soap the plant, do not rush to rinse off the foam. Wait 3-4 hours - this will be enough. The soap forms a film on the leaves, through which gas exchange does not occur, that is, the plant “does not breathe”. Therefore, leaving it in such lathery conditions overnight is risky. After the soap is washed off, cover the plant with a bag for a day, without waiting for the water droplets to dry. This will be a "double blow" for those ticks that survived the soap. High humidity under the package will become intolerable for them and they will die.
Soap is an effective remedy for spider mites You can often find a recommendation to spray plants with soapy water instead of wiping them with a sponge. In some cases, this is the only correct solution, for example, when many plants with small leaves are infected. Wipe each leaf - you will be tortured, and you can spray it in a matter of minutes.
By the way, as an alternative to soap, you can use any dishwashing detergent, for example, the same "Fairy".
3. Infusion of garlic
We take two heads of garlic and chop them finely. We put the resulting raw material in a jar and fill it with 1 liter of water, close with a lid. We put the jar in a dark cabinet and leave for 5 days. After this period, we spray the plant with the resulting infusion, diluted with water in a 1: 1 ratio.
The tick drinks the "blood" of plants and therefore, like any vampire, is very afraid of garlic 4. Infusion of onion peel
Pour 100 g of onion husks with 5 liters of water and leave for 4-5 days. After the infusion, filter and spray the affected plants.
Chemical control of spider mites - drugs of mass destruction
The Putin tick is an arachnid "animal", therefore it is pointless to use insecticides (means against insect pests) to destroy it. Other drugs are effective against ticks - acaricides and insectoacaricides.
1. Actellik - a toxic agent of "armor-piercing" action
This spider mite remedy belongs to the series of insectoacaricides, that is, it destroys both arachnids and insects. It kills ticks on the spot, therefore it is most often recommended in case of massive damage to plants, when other drugs may not be as effective.
When spraying plants with Aktellik, it should be remembered that this agent is very toxic. Carry out processing either on outdoors or with good ventilation.
Actellic is a remedy for spider mites of the 2nd hazard class, therefore it is toxic to humans and pets 2. Fitoverm - biological insectoacaricide
Another insectoacaricide that does a great job of killing ticks and unwanted insects on your plants. Its advantage is much less toxicity, therefore, spraying can be carried out in closed rooms, for example, in a bathroom. Naturally, you should not lose your vigilance - carry out the treatment at an accelerated pace, and at the end - wash your face, hands, rinse your mouth, wash your clothes. In general, comply with all safety requirements that must be observed when working with hazardous substances.
For the complete destruction of ticks, spraying plants with phytoverm must be carried out 3-4 times with an interval of 7-10 days. 3. Neoron - acaricide with ovicidal action
Rare preparations for spider mites damage not only adults, but also their eggs. One of these universal remedies is Neoron. This is not to say that the eggs are completely destroyed and one etching procedure can be dispensed with, but the fact that a significant part of them are damaged is a fact. As a rule, 2 treatments with Neoron are enough to destroy the entire population of ticks.
4. Other drugs - we will try to grasp the immensity
In addition to the above drugs, you can use: Sunmight (as well as Neoron destroys tick eggs), Aktofit, Akarin, Apollo, Vermitek, Fufanon (analog of karbofos), etc.
In many sources, there is an opinion that the traditional insecticide Aktaru can be used as an acaricidal agent. So does Aktara work from a spider mite? In fact, many experienced florists mark the destruction of the tick just after the passage of Aktara soil in a pot with plants. So, even if this phenomenon is not supported by the inscription on the label, this does not mean that it does not exist. Try it!
Biological measures against spider mites
There is another way to get rid of a spider mite. The method is quite specific, but completely harmless to humans and pets. In addition, it does not imply any laborious spraying, exposure of plants under the bag and other body movements.
The essence biological control against spider mites is to use them for this natural enemies- phytoseiulus and amblyseius. These are also ticks, but only predatory. You can buy them in garden centers, flower shops or on the Internet.
Ambliseiuses and Phytoseiuses are sold in paper sachets. The open package is hung on the affected plant, predatory mites crawl out and eat the pests As soon as you release phytoseiulus or amblysei into the plant pot, they will immediately start looking for food for themselves. In a day, 1 predator eats 5 spider mites or 10 eggs - not bad! Thus, the more predators you acquire, the faster you will be able to destroy the malicious pests. The only thing is that as soon as the predators are left without food, they will die, so it will not work to store them until the next invasion of spider mites.
Spider mites are found on all continents, including Antarctica. These are not insects, but small arthropods, the closest relative of which are spiders. They feed on plant sap and secrete cobwebs. Most famous representative families - an ordinary spider mite, a pest of garden and indoor plants.
What does it look like
It is a polyphagous pest capable of feeding on several hundred host plants, many of which are important crops.
The adults are small and difficult to see on the leaves. The length of females is 0.4-0.6 mm, males are even smaller. The body is elongated, convex above, flat below. Sucking oral apparatus. Like spiders, ticks have eight legs, which distinguishes them from aphids and other sucking insects that have 6 legs. There is no chitinous cover, so the body is soft.
In the larval stage, the insects are transparent, have a light green or greenish brown color. On the sides 2 large dark spots- the intestinal loops are visible through the transparent body. V younger age the larva has only 6 legs, two more will develop later. Adult females and males are colored dark red or orange.
This is the worst pest of indoor plants. If your favorite flower began to dry for no reason, then it is worth inspecting reverse side leaflets. If you find small dark dots on the lower surface of the sheet plate, poke one of them with a toothpick. If a speck of dust begins to move, then this is a spider mite, and it's time to wonder how to deal with it.
Where dwells
More often the pest settles on plants with delicate and juicy leaves: indoor roses, chrysanthemums, crotons, violets, Benjamin's ficus. Plants with rough leaves covered with cuticles - zamioculcas, ficuses, cacti - are too tough for the pest, since it cannot pierce the thick shell and get to the juice.
After tick infestation indoor flower turns yellow and dries. The pest can settle not only on the leaves, but also on the petals, disfiguring them. Inflorescences become wrinkled, spotty, fall off prematurely.
Pests multiply rapidly. Even a single specimen that got into a room with a stream of air from a window in a dry room air favorable for it will begin to multiply rapidly. From laying eggs to obtaining adults from them, it takes only a week.
Spider mites on indoor plants quickly move from pot to pot, infecting home plantings. Take a closer look at the areas of the stem from which the leaf petioles extend. If you notice a white cobweb, then this means that ticks have settled on indoor plants and it's time to get down to business.
Ready funds
Most effective drugs from ticks are classified as acaricides. V indoor conditions the most harmless biological type agents are suitable. Acaricides destroy only adult insects and do not harm eggs, so the treatments have to be repeated several times every three to four days.
Fitoverm
The drug has an enteric action against harmful insects and ticks, produced in Russia. Contains soil fungus spores that settle inside the body of pests and cause their death. Safe for people and animals. For the treatment of indoor plants, 2 ml of Fitoverm is diluted in a liter of water and the leaves are sprayed every 7 days. The treatments are repeated 2 to 4 times.
Vermitec
Manufactured by Syngenta, Switzerland. Biological product for protection ornamental plants open and protected ground. At the beginning of the appearance of mites, one treatment is sufficient. If the driver has managed to multiply strongly, the treatment is repeated after a week.
To kill insects, 3 ml of the drug is diluted in 10 liters of water. After spraying, put on the plant plastic bag, which can be removed in a day.
Aktofit
Ukrainian analog Fitoverma, biological drug 4 generations, destroys ticks and insects. Indoor plants are treated twice with an interval of at least 14 days. A liter of water requires 4 ml of the product.
Folk remedies
If the number of pests is small, then one of the proven home methods can be dispensed with.
Treatment with rubbing alcohol
The most difficult thing is to find real medical alcohol with a strength of 96%. Soak a cotton swab in alcohol and wipe the leaves of the flower - all mites and eggs will be instantly destroyed. Such a measure to combat spider mite suitable for plants with dense leaves: ficuses, chinese roses, dieffenbachia, palms, and is not suitable for thin, delicate and pubescent leaves of fuchsia and violets.
Laundry soap
It does not destroy ticks by itself, but creates a film on the surface of the leaves through which the pests cannot breathe and die. The soap is whipped into a lather and all the leaves are smeared with a brush. After three to four hours, the plants are washed under a warm shower and covered overnight with a plastic bag. The increased humidity will "finish off" the miraculously survived, but already weakened pests. If a plant with small leaves is infected, a sprayer can be used instead of wiping.
Cat flea drops
Quickly and reliably destroy spider mites on indoor plants. cat fleas... Add 3-4 drops of the product per liter of water and carry out 2 treatments with an interval of 10 days.
Predatory mites
You can search online stores or garden centers for sachets with natural pests - predatory mites phytoseiulus and amblyseius. Sasha is opened and hung on a branch of a houseplant. The predators crawl out and start looking for food. Everyone eats several spider mites and about a dozen eggs every day, so in a maximum of a week, not a single pest will survive. And then the predators will die of hunger.
Spider mite in the garden
In the garden, mites appear in June and already in August go to winter, hiding under plant debris and in the surface layer of the soil. During this time, they manage to destroy a huge number of garden plants... PCs can live in greenhouses all year round without retirement.
Where dwells
More often, spider mites start on seedlings in a greenhouse. Floral and decorative leafy crops are severely affected open ground: garden roses, chrysanthemums, boxwood, juniper, robinia, chestnuts, chubushnik. Starts up quickly on lemon.
The insect eagerly settles on greenhouse cucumbers, eggplant and tomatoes. Grapes, apple trees, strawberries, melons, beans, beets, rhubarb, soybeans, spinach, peppers are not bypassed.
The pest settles on the lower plane of the leaf and sucks out the juice. It can be detected by the cobweb accumulated at the base of the petioles, but it becomes visible when the infection becomes massive.
Many indoor plant lovers often complain about some kind of cobweb, with varying degrees of density, entwining leaves, their legs and stems. Where this strange web comes from, few people know, for some reason it is believed that these are invisible spiders who fell in love with the plant and decided to settle in it. At night they weave a web, and during the day they sleep, buried in the soil.
A person begins to rearrange the pots from their place of place, diligently removing the annoying cobweb, washing the leaves with water, loosen the soil, add sand and insecticides, but, as a rule, this does not lead to any, even an insignificant effect. The cobweb reappears, and later the leaves begin to weaken and wither. The most moisture-loving broad-leaved varieties, as in the fall, arrange a real leaf fall.
What is this very web, where does it come from and how it can harm an adult strong plant, we will consider in our article. In search of the culprit of all the troubles, we will also try to determine the methods of struggle. We will take into account both simple and chemical methods protection against ticks, for example, means such as aktara.
What a terrible beast lives in flower pots
And the fault of all these troubles is a very small living creature with a body length of up to 1 mm, the so-called spider mite, which in fact is not an insect at all, but a member of the many-faced family of arachnids - Acari. Main characteristic that distinguishes arachnids from insects is the number of legs. Of course, for an experienced entomologist there are a lot of other signs by which he always distinguishes a spider from an insect, but for a simple layman, counting the number of pairs of limbs is the most in a simple way... All insects have three pairs of legs, and arachnids, which include all types of mites, including spider mites, move in four pairs.
If we dig a little deeper into arachnology - the science that studies all arachnids, we learn that it is mites, not spiders, that are common pests of indoor plants around the world. There are, perhaps, hundreds of species of ticks, and to be more precise - 1270, belonging to several families or genera, feeding only on plant food and weaving such a peculiar cobweb.
Basics of spider mite biology
Spider mites are very hardy creatures, despite their small size. Depending on the species, they do their best to survive, both in hot and dry and highly humid conditions, which are unfavorable for many plant pests. And if such a mite enters the pot of an indoor plant, then better home for him and not to find. In the temperate zone of Russia, the number one among all pests of this species is the representative better known as the common spider mite - Tetranychus urticae. These pests are also known as red mites due to their winter coloration, which they change from September to March.
In addition, there are a number of other types of spider mites that can also wreak havoc on indoor plants when infested:
- carmine,
- European,
- southern,
- citrus red,
- bulb mite,
- false tick.
But still, the most common is the ubiquitous common spider mite, which more often than not have to be dealt with at home.
Features of the life of a spider mite
Spider mite problems can occur at any time, but especially often they begin in winter time when the humidity level decreases and the temperature rises, as well as in the summer, when the air temperature in the room is kept at a constant level. In addition, in winter, the plants themselves are more vulnerable due to low sunlight and a slowdown in their internal metabolism.
It is for these reasons that spider mites are activated most often in winter and a little less often in summer. In the transitional off-season - in spring and autumn, the processes of its vital activity are significantly slowed down, as a result, the abundant entanglement of the plant with cobwebs at this time can be found much less often.
Where do spider mites come from
Spider mites are brought into a home flower pot from the street, they are still hitchhikers. This is especially the case when the soil for the pot is taken directly from the garden or lawn. The second option is for the pest to hit directly on the leaves of the plant, when in the summer it is taken out to Fresh air... Of his aircraft the tick does not, it does not fly and does not jump, but is only able to move very slowly over extremely short distances. But thanks to a light gust of wind and that very cobweb, the pest can quite successfully overcome many kilometers of distance. At the moment of landing on any plant, the mite hides under the back of the leaves, or in the upper layers of the soil and begins to actively produce its own kind. There are also known cases of the "arrival" of a tick on human clothing or pet hair.
The common spider mite is one that goes through a red phase in winter and is able to survive for a while without a plant. For this purpose, dark, preferably humid places where there is no access are very suitable for him. sunlight... These can be deposits of room dust, where there is a lot of it in hard-to-reach places, cracks between floorboards, under linoleum, behind skirting boards and so on. In a word, the pest will be satisfied with any place where he will not be disturbed.
For this reason, one of the methods of combating spider mites is an extremely thorough cleaning of the room, and not only the rooms with flower pots, but the entire apartment. This method is especially relevant before planting new plants. If this is not done, then the ticks will again and again infect other pots and no control methods, even the most modern facilities, such as, for example, the insecticide Aktara, beloved by many, will not bring the desired effect.
Spider mite is a serious pest
Most genera of spider mites can reproduce at an alarming rate. Fortunately, most of them, including common view, are clearly visible at the moment of the greatest activity. That is, at the time when they begin to weave their web. However, some ticks, such as small ones, such as members of the Tarosonemid family, can develop and harm unhindered for a significant period of time before their presence is noticed, because not everyone knows. By the time their activity is discovered, and the plant owner decides on control measures, the infection can reach very serious proportions.
Manipulations with each pot must be carried out in a separate room; a bathroom is better suited for these purposes. Consider the algorithm of actions that must be implemented for each plant:
- Cleaning of all dry, damaged leaves. If there are too many of them, you can remove all the old ones, leaving only the youngest, blossoming ones. The plant will only get better from this - less energy will be spent on the still useless leaves.
- Bathe the plant in warm water. The temperature depends on the type of flower, but in general it is the same for everyone - about 20 degrees Celsius. It should be emphasized that bathing should be carried out only in running water - the mites will be washed off, otherwise the already removed pests will again enter the leaves.
- Spray the plant with mild soapy water. A more useful and effective remedy would be the usual laundry soap... Expensive scented soaps can not only harm the plant by chemical means, but also have no effect. For spraying, you must first put a soapy, slightly transparent warm solution in a separate dish and use a household sprayer. Special attention give the back of the leaves and stems. After half an hour, the entire solution must be washed off under running water... To be sure how the soap solution will affect the plant itself, you can first spray a couple of leaves and wait 30-40 minutes, and then rinse and wait for several hours, preferably a day. If no changes are noted on the leaves, you can continue processing.
- Wash all accessible surfaces liberally with soap. flower pot including pallet.
- Some experts recommend depriving the mites of oxygen by wrapping the plant pot tightly in a plastic bag. Honestly, this method is ineffective, so it is better not to use it.
Females of the mite lay a large number of eggs each. The shell of the egg is so dense that it protects its contents from even the most poisonous toxins and temperature extremes. It is also not possible to wash off microscopic eggs that are tightly glued to folds in leaves and stems.
For these reasons, all the above treatment must be repeated with a cycle of 3-4 times, every 5-6 days. And of course thorough preventive actions general cleaning of the entire apartment.
In addition to such simple home methods, there are more radical ones, for example, aktara, which they try to resort to in the first place, hoping for a stunning effect. but excellent result the fight is still impossible to achieve by any modern chemical means, if the whole range of measures is not carried out, including general cleaning in the apartment.
What is Aktara?
As the most striking, in the opinion of many, the method is worth mentioning such a chemical agent for controlling plant pests as aktara. It may be necessary to upset the supporters of this drug, who use it in the fight against spider mites, it has a very weak effect against them. And not because Aktara is a poor-quality agent, but because it is used against insects, and not against ticks.
Aktara has quite good reviews among lovers of home vegetation, they say, if you water the ground with it, the spider mite disappears over time. Honestly, it's hard to believe, but it might be worth a try.
The defeat of indoor plants by a spider mite is a fairly common phenomenon and is often not always noticeable immediately. But this is a mortal enemy for your collection of flowers and decorative “favorites”. It may be too late in a few days, so the fight to destroy the spider mite must be started immediately.
Today, according to experts, there are no drugs thanks to which it is possible to get rid of the spider mite once and for all, but it is possible to prevent the death of the plant by applying it in time specialized means that are guaranteed to eliminate this pest. But you need to know: he quickly "gets used" to the drugs and can return again.
One of important rules to destroy it, it is a regular and thorough inspection of the plant.
There are certain symptoms and outward signs that it is affected by this pest:
- Discolored spots on the seamy side of leaves;
- The dots on the inside of the leaves are either dark or faded;
- Leaves punctured (initial stage);
- Thin colorless cobweb;
- Loss of green leaf color, it turns red, a marble tint appears;
- The leaves begin to dry, deform, curl;
- White bloom on different parts in the form of dandruff;
- Dust layer;
- Slowdown in growth;
- The accumulation of pests at the edges of the leaves (with a large lesion).
For inspection it is better to use a magnifying glass and conduct it in daylight.
Adverse factors external environment for this pest are: cold, high humidity(more than 55%) and cool temperature (less than 25 degrees Celsius).
But even under such conditions, the guaranteed death of pests does not occur, because they have the biological ability to slow down all processes of their vital activity (diapause).
During such a period, they seem to freeze without signs of life, stop moving, do not drink the juice of the leaves, and one might think that the struggle with them ended in victory. But with the restoration of suitable conditions for them, their attacks on plants are renewed with even greater force.
Types of spider mites
This species does not belong to the tick family, but is a representative of the arachnid group. This is important, since in order to choose the right means for its elimination, one must understand which drugs are suitable in order to cope with this particular category of pests.
Description, biological characteristics
- Belongs to the class of arthropods, not insects;
- The size of an individual is about half a millimeter, and it can only be seen using a magnifying glass;
- The life time is 25-35 days, but during this period each female lays several hundred eggs, of which new individuals appear after 3 days. Within a few days, they are ready for the process of increasing the population through reproduction. The eggs do not lose their viability for about 5-10 years. 20 generations of individuals are formed per year;
- The color can be brown, brown. The female is colored reddish, so it is much easier to distinguish her on the leaves;
- The body is oblong, covered with villi;
- They live in colonies on the seamy side of the leaf, with the arrival of winter they can burrow into the soil up to 22 cm;
- During diapause, they crawl into the cracks of window sills, under the baseboards, chips of pots, into recesses in window frames.
Certain types of mites are chosen different flowers and plants, their attack on them is massive.
| Tick type | Plants |
| Spiderweb ordinary | Fuchsia, balsam, ficus, roses. |
| Red | Roses, all kinds of orchids, nightshade, lemon, azalea, camellia, cacti, carnation, calla lilies. |
| False | Citrus fruits, orchids, passionflower. |
| Atlantic | Palm, ficus. |
| Cyclamen | Chrysanthemum, cyclamen, pelargonium, balsam, violet, dahlia, geranium, daisy, petunia, azalea. |
| Wide | Anthurium, euonymus, ficus, oleander, cactus. |
| Clover | Ficus, orchids, all bulbous. |
| Wide | Balsam, hibiscus, dahlia, begonia, cyclamen, chrysanthemum. |
Almost all types of these pests are omnivorous, but there are exceptions; plants with a fleecy surface and all varieties of aloe are not so often affected.
Especially often you can see its population on roses and orchids; many growers, after an unsuccessful struggle, stop growing them.
They not only destroy the plant, but also carry various fungal diseases.
If the damage to the specimen is strong enough, then it is better to destroy it as soon as possible.
Since the spider mite is not a pest - an insect, it is useless to use insecticides against it, they will not give results. Against them, it is necessary to use drugs of the group of acaricides and insectoacaricides.
They are drugs specially designed to kill this species of arachnids.
These funds include substances that cause paralysis of the pest and their food organs and components that cause sterilization of females and eggs.
They are divided into the following groups:
- Contact - death is carried out upon contact with the drug;
- Intestinal - death occurs during nutrition;
- Fumigants - death through poisonous vapors;
- Systemic - death through plant sap.
It is necessary to take into account when using the hazard class for humans and animals. The most dangerous are drugs of the 1st and 2nd class, the drugs of the 4th class are considered completely safe, the drugs of the 3rd class have a differentiated degree of danger (bees, fish).
| Name and action | How to use,
Hazard Class |
| Aktelik Intestinal, contact |
Dilute 2 ml in 2 liters of water. outdoor treatment, fatal to animals and fish. |
| Apollo Contact, sterilization, egg destruction |
5 ml is diluted clean water in a volume of 10 liters. Grade 4, safe for bees. |
| Bitoxibacillin Intestinal |
Dilute 50 g with warm water (10 liters). |
| Demitan Contact and intestinal |
Use the finished product according to the instructions. Class 4, dangerous for fish, apply once. |
| Karate Intestinal, contact, fumigant |
0.2 ml per 1 liter of aqueous solution. Grade 2, toxic to fish and bees. |
| Neoron Contact |
2 ml for 1 liter of aqueous solution. |
| Nissoran Contact, destroys eggs and larvae, sterilizes females |
Dilute 1 teaspoon of powder in 8-10 liters of water. |
| Omite Contact |
Dilute 15 ml with 10 liters of water. Class 2 is dangerous for humans, class 3 - for bees. |
| Oberon Contact, sterilization, kills larvae |
3 ml per 10 liters of aqueous solution. |
| Orthus Contact |
10 ml per bucket of water. |
| Sunmight Contact, destructive at all stages of development |
1 teaspoon is added to 10 liters of aqueous solution, mix well. |
| Skelto Contact |
1 ml for 1 liter of water. |
| Talstar Contact, intestinal |
0.15 ml for 0.5 liters of water. |
| Flumite Sterilization of females and eggs |
2 ml for 5 liters of aqueous solution. |
| Fitoverm Contact, intestinal, does not work on roses |
Dilute 1 ampoule with water (1 l). |
| Fufanon Intestinal, contact |
Dilute 5 ml with water, use 5 liters. |
Spraying with substances of class 1 and 2 is carried out outside living quarters, outdoors or on the balcony. For substances of 3 and 4 classes, the process is carried out in the bathroom with closed doors.
The drugs must be constantly changed so that there is no addiction, since the spider mite has the ability to adapt and develop immunity against poisons very quickly.
If the treatment did not bring results before the onset of winter, then such a plant is a dangerous source of future infection. Since the females for the winter go into the ground deep into the pot and none of the influencing substances acts on them.
The scheme of plant processing is directly "tied" to the biological cycle of development of the spider mite.
The first spraying is aimed at destroying the bulk of adults. Regardless of the drugs used, the bulk of the pests (70-80%) will be destroyed.
The second should be carried out in a week, when new individuals hatch from the eggs.
The third spray is carried out again a week later for final destruction.
Many experienced indoor crop lovers add a fourth spray to eliminate possible population residues.
How to properly treat indoor flowers with drugs
The spider mite is a rather serious problem and its destruction requires methodology and correct execution of all stages. It will not be easy to eliminate such a rapidly spreading pest, so a number of important rules must be observed.
Processing rules
- First of all, it is necessary to immediately destroy those specimens that have suffered from the pest by 80-90%, since it is better to lose one or two than the entire home collection;
- All damaged leaves must be torn off and eliminated;
- All plants should be disinfected, regardless of the presence of the pest;
- It is necessary to disinfect window sills, baseboards, window structures, pallets, outer parts of pots with alcohol, you can use a strong solution prepared from laundry soap;
- Wash the curtains in the room and bathroom, if disinfection measures have been taken there;
- It is desirable to carry out the elimination of the population in the first half of the day in daylight;
- Rinse the plant under the shower with a solution of soap flakes before processing. Plants for which it is undesirable water treatments", Prepare a steam bath by turning on hot water(the drain is not closed).
- Practices - flower growers do not advise using such a solution, it turns out that it clogs the stomata on the leaves, thanks to which the plant breathes;
- Dry the plant before processing.
The process involves spraying the trunk and the entire surface of the leaves on both sides with the selected preparation, moreover, shedding so that the plant is completely wet. Soil mix in a pot is also processed.
A bag of food grade polyethylene is put on the plant and left for 1-2 days.
Small indoor crops can be processed by immersing them upside down in a container with a solution of the product.
If the spraying method is not suitable for the plant, use a cotton swab soaked in the drug, which is placed on the ground in a pot and also covered with a plastic bag.
It is important to start the treatment process as early as possible, at the first manifestations of the presence of a pest.
Products without chemical ingredients, made from herbs and medicinal raw materials, are used in practice by those who would like to solve the problem with less harm to the health of family members. Usually, in this case, the damage to indoor plants by the pest is insignificant or it is just time to carry out regular prevention. Also, not everyone likes to use chemical agents and prefer a softer effect on indoor flowers.
However, experts warn that folk options for combating spider mites are not effective enough.
For disinfection, extracts, broth mixtures and infusions from various plants are prepared.
| Composition | How to cook |
| 100 grams of alder leaves | Boil in a liter of water for 35 minutes, leave for 10 hours. |
| 50 grams of leaves or 30-50 dandelion roots | Fill hot water, insist 3 - 4 hours. |
| 100 grams of red hot pepper | Insist in a liter of water for 3 hours. |
| 150 grams of potato tops | Insist in a liter of water for 3-4 hours. |
| 80-100 grams of yarrow flowers | Pour a liter of boiling water, leave for two days. |
| 50 grams of tomato leaves | Grind, brew with a liter of boiling water, leave for two days. |
| 100 grams of horseradish roots | Pour a liter of water, leave for 60 minutes. |
| Onion | Grind, pour half a liter of water, leave for 6 hours. |
| Calendula | Pour 400 grams with 4 liters of water, leave for about a week, filter through cheesecloth. |
| Dope | Pour 100 grams of grass with a liter of aqueous solution, leave for 24 hours, strain necessarily |
| Rosemary oil | Dilute 3-5 drops in a liter of aqueous solution |
| Sagebrush | 80-100 grams are poured with a liter of water, insisted for two days, drain |
| Sorrel | Grind 30 grams, dilute in half a liter of an aqueous solution, leave for 4-5 hours |
| Celandine | 400 grams of fresh or 100 grams of dry pour a liter of boiling water, leave for 24 hours, drain |
| 25 grams of garlic | Pass through a garlic press, pour in a liter of aqueous solution, do not insist |
Folk remedies are used every 5-7 days due to their low intensity of exposure.
There are quite original folk remedies fight against this pest.
Oil from the nuts of the neem tree (margose) perfectly destroys the populations of this pest, it can be bought in Ayurvedic stores. The advantage is that they do not develop immunity against this oil.
You can make a decoction yourself at home, which, by its effect on them, will have a similar effect that is obtained when treated with acaricides.
Broth: ground cinnamon - 1 tbsp. spoon, ground cloves - 1 tbsp. spoon and 2 tbsp. spoons of any Italian seasoning pour a liter of water, boil and pour 2 tbsp into the cooled broth. tablespoons of chopped garlic mixture. After straining, you can spray the plants.
Biological measures against spider mites
The essence biological methods the fight is to ensure that the destruction of the pest occurs naturally, without the use of chemical or folk remedies, but with the help of their natural enemies. For this, bioagents are used: predatory mites - phytoseiulus, metaseiulus, amblyseius and predatory bugs - macrolophus. They can usually be purchased from specialized stores.
Most often, such methods are used in industrial greenhouses and flower greenhouses. For indoor floriculture, they are used less often, although the results are quite impressive: one predator can eat 5 ticks or 10 eggs per day. Research work on the use of bioagents for the destruction of this group of pests are carried out in some European countries and are considered a promising direction.
Preventive measures play an important role in protecting indoor greenhouse from spider mites. It can enter the house along with the air from the street, when buying soil, a new plant, even with a gift bouquet.
Therefore, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures preventing the pest from settling in your indoor garden.
Mandatory activities:
- Regular inspection of plants for the presence of adult pests, their larvae and eggs;
- A weekly shower with warm water, a temperature of up to 43 degrees is permissible, since the pest does not tolerate moisture and is well washed off the leaves;
- Adjust the humidity level in the room to create a comfortable conditions for the vital functions of the tick. You can use humidifiers, climatic devices;
- in summer, it is good to take them out to balconies and terraces for ventilation and exposure to sunlight;
- Carry out "cleaning" of plants from weeds, dried and fallen leaves;
- Irradiation with ultraviolet light at least once a month;
- For any new plant, quarantine for 2-3 weeks is mandatory.
Quarantine measures for a new plant should include a mandatory shower immediately after purchase and treatment with one of the means aimed at destruction possible pests... After processing, it is covered with a bag and removed no earlier than 2 days later. This must be repeated one more time. The soil and drainage of the new "pet" are disinfected without fail.
The plant is placed in a separate room, without contact with other specimens, contact is not allowed.
Spider mites can return even after the most careful measures for its destruction, so it is necessary to constantly keep your blooming garden under control.