Drunk Spider mites

[MotherBrugger]

Has anyone heard of using rubbing alcohol in a 1 to 2 part mix with water to get rid of mild infestation of spider mites? Does it work? I have just this problem and want to control before it gets out of hand. I can't afford 500.00 and change for the chemicals they advertise. Any one with other remedies or cures?
Thanks everyone.

 

[wifezilla]

I have tried alcohol and it didn't work for me. Neem oil did though.

 

[digitS']

Never tried alcohol . . Insecticidal soap works fairly well with spider mites. Perhaps a mix of 3 tablespoons of green Palmolive in a gallon of water would work as a spay for them also. It is effective against aphids in my garden but I always feel like I need to come back the next morning and wash the plants off.

Yeah, spider mites are tough - you've already got the hot, dry conditions they like, eh?

They aren't insects so somethings that would work for aphids, say, might not be as good against the spider mites.

We always went through the rose bushes in the greenhouse where I once worked and sprayed the be-jeebers out of the plants with water before spraying them with chemicals. There was pretty good agreement amongst the greenhouse guys that the water spraying helped more than the chemicals - how about that !?

I mean, they are tiny, tiny things. If you can BLAST them off the plant they must not have hours enuf in their lifecycle to crawl all the way back to the plant to start their evil, juice sucking again! I still use this approach before spraying one of their most vulnerable victims - dahlias. I BLAST those plants with considerable force - leaves spinning like tattered sails in a gale!! It really seems to help.

Steve

 

[hoodat]

When you have spider mites dust is the enemy. They weave a sort of web to trap dust and that helps protect them from the natural predators. Just keeping the dust off your plants is sometimes enough to do the trick. remember that mites prefer the underside of your leaves so if you're spraying with water pay special attention to the undersides. I turn my sprayer head upside down so it sprays up instead of down and get it down low so it soaks the bottom of the leaves and gets them clean. As noted by Wifezilla neem is probably your best bet if you want to use spray. Insecticidal soap often also does the job by helping to keep leaves clean as well as killing mites.

 

[stepstephens2]

The soap will work fine and is fairly safe for your plants. Last year spider mites completely wiped out me beans... I didn't know what was going on until the things were completely covered in tiny tiny spiderwebs. After trying several things to save the rest of my garden, the soap solution thing worked the best. I did some homework online and found a recipe for palmolive & hot pepper homemade solution that I could see a difference after 2 days. I'm with the person above who suggests the soap and then rinsing off. I would soap in the early morning (so the plants don't burn) the first day and then rinse the second day making sure to get rid of all the little web things. Then inspect 2 days later and repeat again if needed.

We've never had mites like that before... but I read some posts on different sites that linked it to the use of Sevin dust. Supposedly it has something in it that actually makes them breed. (Although I'm guessing it is such a broad spectrum insecticide it wipes out all the things that prey on the mites.) But I had used quite a bit on most of my garden about 3 weeks before. Anyways, if you're in a hot area like I am I would suggest to stay away from broad spectrum insecticides just in case... I thought it worth mentioning.

 

[MotherBrugger]

Well, I tried the 1/2 and 1/2 alcohol mixture (w/water) yesterday. This morning, although many were gone, there were enough for me to go ahead and ask you.
I agree, blasting them them with pure water definitely helps, but if they've already made their webbings, it's harder to cut them loose. So I went ahead and tried the soap mix, since it was on hand. (And yes, I do it early, because I don't want to burn them with residues) Blasted the holy crap outta the lil' 8 legged monsters. I noticed the soap-mix had the ability to break down the webbings, and they were easier to spray off the leaves. I HATE that I accidentally killed three very beneficial spiders, who were so well hidden I just didn't see them until it was too late. They probably would have gotten it anyway, I really had to soak the whole plants. Digits, I did use a good pressure pump sprayer. If this doesn't work, I'm going to try the Neem. Yes Hoodat, there was a beginning of dust collection. I think the soap and power of sprayer was able to get it.
Thanks guys, these are good suggestions. I'll look at them in the morning and if I need to, I'll spray them day after tomorrow. You don't think I should spray them 3 days in a row do you? WOuldn't that be too weakening to the plants? Another question, lol.
Edit: Diggi, I like your idea of spraying with water really good first. I think I'll adopt that method in future. StepStevens, I'll be putting out Sevin (on ground only) end of next month. We have a cat and a dog, and fleas are huge issue down here. Our rains start then, and a friend of mine is Veternarian. He says fleas and their larvae can burrow as much as 8 inches into soil. I will need good, soaking rains to get the Sevin down that deep! :/

 

[digitS']

Dad once put dishsoap in a hose-end sprayer. I have no idea what concentration he used. He sprayed a plum tree that was being over-run by aphids.

Every leaf fell off that tree over the next few sunny days. So yes, soap can be damaging to plants but, as I say, I don't know how much he put on that tree. (The leaves grew back. )

Colorado State U gives recommendations on the mix: Insect Control: Soaps and Detergents. The 3T/gallon is on the real low-end of the scale but it does seem to work well.

I spray in the late afternoon. The humidity is lowest at that time of the day and I figure it is dehydration that is killing the bugs.

Good advice on how to spray from Hoodat. And, it is good to have that information on experience from StepSteve . . .

Steve
snowing here right now. i don't suppose the red spider mites are out to notice it . . .

 

[MotherBrugger]

I've been reading that what happens is the soap is able to penetrate their exoskeletons, thus breaking down their bodies. It's a slow and painful death, especially to harder bodied insects, that's why I felt so badly that I hit a few spiders. ANd yes, I don't want to lose any leaves, so I think your idea of hosing them off later on is good too.