Spider mite is a pest of agricultural crops. It cannot be said that the name of this pest is well known to everyone; many have no idea about it, have never heard of it and, due to its small size, have never seen it. A much larger number of gardeners observe the consequences of mite activity - wilted leaves, weakened growth, and the apical leaves of their favorite plants bound by cobwebs. The reason for this is spider mites.
Spider mite pest: description
Spider mites (lat. Tetranychidae) are a family of mites that are found everywhere, even in Antarctica. Representatives are grouped into 1270 species belonging to almost 100 genera.
Appearance of the pest:
- The tick's body length does not reach even one millimeter. Females, as a rule, are somewhat larger than males and are difficult to see without special means.
- The tick's body is soft, ellipsoidal with a convex back and smooth abdomen.
- According to its biological structure, it has two pairs of eyes, five-membered legs, 6 in young individuals, and 8 in adults.
- In the larval stage, individuals are transparent. Subsequently, the color of the ticks varies widely from light green to brownish.
- Dark spots appear on the sides of the body. These are intestinal sacs.
The spider mite feeds on leaf tissue. Mites suck out chloroplasts and form webs. There are more than 200 plants in the world to which they cause the greatest harm. The leading crops affected by this pest are grapes, soybeans, cotton and cassava.
Spider mites pose no danger to humans, domestic animals and birds and do not cause allergic reactions.
Spider mite life stages
- Ticks reproduce in dry and hot weather., as soon as the air temperature is above 25° C and the relative humidity is below 40%.
- From 3 to 7 generations of ticks are born per year. If weather conditions are unfavorable, then ticks do not reproduce and hardly feed - this state is called diapause.
- Eggs are laid by females little by little, there are 1-3 pieces in a clutch; they are small, round, slightly flattened. In total, all clutches can contain up to two hundred eggs.
- If the eggs are fertilized by males born this year, they become females, and unfertilized ones remain males.
- The larvae hatch on the third day after laying eggs. The larvae develop over approximately 24 hours and enter the nymph stage.
- Further development of mites under favorable conditions also occurs very quickly.. In four days, nymphs of both sexes manage to go through three molts and two stages of development. After this, the individuals are considered sexually mature and are able to give birth again.
- Egg laying occurs more often in the ground, under fallen leaves, on the roots of plants, the back side of leaves, and in potted culture - on the walls of pots.
Female spider mite
Spider mite eggs
Developmental stage of spider mite eggs
How do spider mites overwinter?
Only female individuals enter the wintering stage. From late summer until next spring they are orange-red or bright red, and the males die. Pest eggs can also overwinter.
Spider mites overwinter in a state of diapause:
- on plant residues;
- on fallen leaves;
- in bee hives;
- on details of fences;
- on greenhouse structures;
- in stored garbage;
- in boxes;
- in old things.
Females can burrow into the ground for wintering to a depth of 20 cm.
Which plants are most vulnerable?
In open ground, spider mites infect plants of vegetable, fruit, berry crops and grapes:
- From fruits - stone fruits, especially young trees such as blackthorn, are significantly depressed.
- Berry bushes suffer from mites and plantations with berries such as,.
- Rarely do spider mites damage calendula, it almost never occurs on tagetis, garden dandelion, and cyclamens.
- and, releasing phytoncides, repel ticks and are never affected by them.
Medicinal plants, as a rule, are not affected by spider mites:
- pharmacy;
- blue mustard;
- garden parsley;
- green and purple basil;
- tansy;
- celandine;
- yarrow;
- sagebrush.
Among indoor plants (saintpaulia), gloxinia, caleria and calceolaria are not affected due to the fact that they have densely pubescent leaves. Aloe arborescens is also not affected by mites.
The most common indoor plants that suffer from mites are fuchsias, balsams, and ivy.
Why do spider mites appear?
Common causes of spider mites:
- In summer, spider mites migrate very easily from area to area, being firmly attached to the web, it is easily blown away by the wind.
- On garden plot it may appear with purchased seedlings vegetables and flowers, seedlings of trees, shrubs and grapes.
- Spider mites are brought into homes with new potted plants., bouquets of flowers, or even on clothes, an umbrella or a bag.
At temperatures below 18 degrees, ticks no longer reproduce and stop moving and feeding.
Therefore, during the hot season, you need to be very careful, wash your shoes and accessories more often, and inspect all the flowers that are brought into your house or apartment.
How dangerous are spider mites for plants?
Ticks have a sucking mouthpart and suck out plant sap, along with plastids in which the process of photosynthesis occurs. The synthesis of plastic substances in the plant stops.
Due to damage to a large number of leaves, the plant is depressed, stops growing and developing, and even dies.
Oppressed plants are not resistant to fungal diseases. And the carrier of many of them is the spider mite.
Signs of spider mite infestation
The presence of a pest can be recognized by the following signs:
Effective drugs against spider mites
Drugs that are used to combat spider mites are called acaricides. They have a specific selective effect on the mite, while they may not have any effect on other insects. Below is a description of these drugs, including both chemical and environmental products.
| Drugs approved for use on various crops as acaricides include: | Drug name |
Description
 |
Aktellik
Description: Concentrated acaricide emulsion – 500 g/l. Produced by Syngenta. Used to combat various types mites on crops such as currants, as well as garden crops in solution.
|
The drug has especially proven itself in pest control on plants such as and. 
|
Aktellik
Apollo mites on crops such as currants, as well as garden crops in solution.
|
Valid for 30 days. Plants can be approached 7 days after treatment. 
|
Aktellik
Anti-mite mites on crops such as currants, as well as garden crops in solution.
|
| Karbofos-500 | Aktellik
This drug is used against mites on a wide range of plants. It is important that it is used for processing planting material in such plants: apple tree, pear tree, raspberry, cherry, sea buckthorn, . mites on crops such as currants, as well as garden crops in solution. To do this, prepare a 1-2% solution and keep the seedlings for 1-2 hours. |
Fufanon, 
|
Aktellik
Used on a wide range of plants - fruits, berries, flowers, vegetables open ground and grapes. mites on crops such as currants, as well as garden crops in solution.
|
Drug 30 Plus 
|
Aktellik
The drug is effective against ticks and a complex of wintering stages of pests on fruit trees, especially cherries, plums, apple trees, pears. It is effective on berry plantations and is used in park farming and vineyards. mites on crops such as currants, as well as garden crops in solution.
|
| Omite 30 and 57 | Aktellik
A preparation for working only against mites on apple trees, grapes, soybeans, cherries and spicy cloves. Application:
|
Iskra, Iskra TAB
 |
Aktellik
Used on apple trees, open ground vegetables, currants, flower and ornamental shrubs, including conifers - 1-2 l/10 m2. mites on crops such as currants, as well as garden crops in solution.
|
| Fitoverm | Aktellik
Biological insectoacaricide - used on vegetables in open and closed ground for the following plants: currants, hops, citrus crops. mites on crops such as currants, as well as garden crops in solution.
|
Akarin
 |
Aktellik
Most common for indoor use. In this case, a solution from 200 to 800 l/ha is needed. mites on crops such as currants, as well as garden crops in solution.
|
Vertimek 
|
Aktellik
A very effective drug, used on potted crops in apartments, protected soil, vegetables and flower crops. mites on crops such as currants, as well as garden crops in solution.
|
| Commander Maxi, Commander | Aktellik
They are used for processing vegetables in greenhouses, in addition to mites, they help combat pests such as thrips. mites on crops such as currants, as well as garden crops in solution.
|
|
It is used for spraying during the growing season of currants, apple trees, pears and grapes 1-2 times per growing season, the insecticide is effective for 14 days. |
Clipper 
|
It is used on tomatoes and cucumbers in protected soil from mites and a complex of pests at a dose of 0.6-1.2 l/ha. |
| Talstar | Effective in greenhouses, one application is acceptable. |
| Sunmite | It is used on apple trees, one spraying during the growing season is enough, the duration of the drug and the waiting period is 30 days. |
Binomial 
|
It is used for seed crops of vegetables. |
| BI-58 New | A universal remedy for a large number of crops, including alfalfa, grapes, and apple trees, one or two treatments are carried out with an interval of 30-40 days. |
| Karate Zeon | It is used on a wide range of plants - fruit trees, strawberries, raspberries, currants. Effective drug, one treatment is enough. |
| Craft | The drug is used against mites on apple trees, grapes, and cucumbers. Two applications per season are allowed with an interval of 28 days. |
For processing currants, grapes, ornamental shrubs sulfur preparations are used - colloidal sulfur, Tiovit jet. Copper and are suitable for autumn eradicating spraying.
The list of drugs not approved for use in the Russian Federation includes:
- Neoron;
- Fitosporin;
- Biokill;
- Aktofit.
Biological methods of controlling spider mites
The spider mite has a natural enemy in nature - the predatory mite Phytoseiulus. This is actively used in greenhouses, specially breeding Phytoseiulus and releasing it on cucumber and tomato plants, since insecticidal treatments in greenhouses are strictly limited, and in many prohibited. Its colonies specially breed biocomplexes on tobacco plants, and it is available for sale.
The predatory mite Phytoseiulus is a natural enemy of the spider mite In a garden, to repel spider mites, you need to plant the following plants among other crops as often as possible:
- calendula;
- cyclomena;
- marigold.
Spider mites don't like them
Proven folk remedies for spider mites
Folk remedies are used in apartments, as well as on garden crops in the ripening phase, if the whole family, and especially children, are constantly near the plants.
| Product name | Mode of application |
| Alcohol and vodka | Used in 1:10 solutions to treat the tips of shoots and leaves. This remedy works especially well against mites on tomatoes.. Alcohol is used ammonia |
| Soap (laundry, tar) | Treating affected plants with soap is the primary measure. It helps to wash away a significant number of pests and in the future, if chemicals are used, the soap will help to better retain the drug on the leaves. The product brings good results if used with it. |
| Garlic infusion | Insist on dark place 2-3 days, then the plants are sprayed in a diluted form. |
| Onion infusion | Since ancient times it has been used to spray plants against various diseases and pests. Bring the onion peel to a boil in water and leave for a day. The resulting infusion is sprayed onto the plants in the evening. |
Other folk remedies
- Among other effective remedies, mustard powder, since blue mustard is an essential oil plant, it effectively repels ticks. Plants are sprinkled with mustard powder. In addition, ash is suitable.
- If the leaves are severely damaged and the mite has spread, they can be treated with hydrogen peroxide, carefully wiping the mass of mites washed away with foam. This effective remedy acts simultaneously chemically and mechanically.
- As already mentioned, you can never see a mite on calendula officinalis; this plant is a natural antibiotic. Affected young leaves and stems of plants are washed with calendula decoction or alcohol tincture
diluted 1 teaspoon per glass of water.
Features of the fight against spider mites
Spider mites cannot tolerate high air humidity, so showering plants in the apartment and in the garden is very useful. In addition to increasing air humidity, water will mechanically wash away harmful insects from the leaves and stems of plants.
The period of diapause in ticks can be very long – up to ten years! This is a significant period of time and the plants that they damaged earlier could have already died. But ticks are still alive and are carriers of diseases. Sulfur-containing and phosphorus-containing acaricides must be alternated.
- Anti-spider mite preparations for indoor plants Biotlin Bau is effective for indoor plants.
- It helps remove not only ticks, but also whiteflies, thrips and leafhoppers. It is convenient to use in a spray bottle. One treatment is enough. The drug Iskra Zolotaya is effective for adding potted crops to the soil.
– ¼ tablet per 2 liters of soil is added to the pot at a distance of 2-3 cm from the non-lignified stem. The Tsvetolux Bau solution works in a similar way.
In greenhouses, all parts inside are washed with a solution of chlorine and soda ash, other detergents. After using poisons, it is necessary to ventilate the premises.
In greenhouses important event is to change the soil every 2 years. Before each rotation, the soils are steamed using a special installation.
To combat pests in the greenhouse, proven drugs are used. Among them is Plant-Pin, which gets rid of insects in a short time. The drug in the form of sticks is placed in the soil near the affected plant stem. When watering occurs, the product dissolves and begins to act.
Treating the soil with anti-spider mite preparations
- The soil for potted crops is treated with boiling water, cover with a box and old rags so that the high temperature remains for several minutes.
- In addition to high temperature processing, it is necessary to pour it well with a solution of potassium permanganate.
- The soil in the garden and vegetable garden must be dug up– necessarily in late autumn before the onset of frost with formation turnover.
- In summer, shallow digging will also be useful. In the open sun, the soil temperature reaches 60 o C - this is enough to kill the larval stages of the tick.
It is advisable to treat the soil in beds for vegetable crops: cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and others with Fitoverm or Akarin 1-3 days before planting seedlings.
The consumption of the drug varies greatly depending on the contamination of the soil and can range from 50 to 200 mg/m2. The soil must be watered and then loosened to a depth of 15-20 cm. The protective effect manifests itself within two to four months.
Using anti-spider mite medications on cucumbers
In protected soil, the drug Bitoxibacillin, P is effective. Its application rate is up to 30 l/ha of a 1% solution. Up to 6 treatments are possible.
Other drugs approved for use indoors are:
- Vertimek;
- Craft;
- Fitoverm;
- Clipper.
- 2 tbsp. spoons of vinegar essence are diluted in 8 liters of water;
- spray the resulting solution onto the seedlings.
Prevention of spider mites
Preventive measures include the following:
- In dry, hot weather, sprinkle garden crops, water with a hose, and use sprinklers to increase the humidity of the adjacent layer of air.
- Sprinkle home flowers regularly with water and wipe with a soft, damp cloth.
- Regularly change the soil of houseplants; treat the new soil with boiling water and a solution of potassium permanganate.
- Spray the berry plants with soapy water several times during the summer.
- On grapes, remove mite-affected leaves and burn them.
- In late autumn, dig up the soil in the area with the turnover of the layer so that the overwintering stages of the mite are killed by low temperatures.
Types of spider mites
The most common are common and red spider mites:
- Ordinary(common) spider mites infect most vegetables - tomato, cucumber, eggplant, pepper.
- Red Spider mites infect apple and plum trees, clove trees, and citrus fruits; young trees are especially vulnerable. Affects cacti. On the underside of the leaf, pinkish mite eggs and a coating in the form of light dust are visible - this is its web.
Common spider mite
Red spider mite
Other types:
- Currant The bud mite infects black, white, and red currant bushes. Black currants are most affected, the leaves of which may look wrinkled, swollen, and mites settle on back side leaf.
- Spruce Spider mites infect conifers - spruce, thuja, .
- False Spider mites do not form webs and are smaller in size than regular spider mites. On the underside of the leaf, near the veins, you can sometimes see single red oval eggs. These insects cause significant damage to the leaf epidermis. In cases where many leaves on a plant die, this can have irreversible consequences for the plant. Citrus fruits, orchids, papaya, passionflower and many other tropical crops are susceptible to attacks by false spider mites.
- Cyclamen The mite mainly causes damage in greenhouses and lives in buds and buds that have not yet opened. Unlike a regular tick, it prefers conditions with high humidity. Feature, signaling the presence of cyclamen mites on plants, is the curling of the leaves inward and their wrinkling. It even damages plants with pubescent leaves, such as violets, geraniums, and petunias.
- Turkestan Spider mite (green) is a very small pest. A characteristic sign of damage is yellow, dried leaves with cobwebs. It affects vegetables, melons, beans, and cotton.
- Wide spider mite - lives in greenhouses with high humidity. A characteristic feature of the lesion is hardened, curled leaves and a bronze-colored coating on the back of the leaf. Affects flower crops, harms chrysanthemums and gerberas. It also feeds on the tissues of vegetable plants.
Conclusion
Be sure to fight spider mites in your garden or on the windowsill using the methods described in the article, and do not leave your plants unattended. You will never get a high yield if plants and soil are infested with spider mites and left untreated.
First of all, it spoils appearance flowers, secondly, leads to their death. But if you know why spider mites are dangerous and how to fight them, you can completely protect your garden from this.
Spider mite: description of the pest
The spider mite is a representative of the arachnid class. It is resistant to insecticides; chemical treatments for ordinary mites are unlikely to have any effect on spider mites. The pest is red, yellow or orange. Gossamer is one of the the most common pests garden and vegetable garden.
The spider mite is a very small mite, 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 sparsely.
Pests settle on the underside of the leaf. You can identify insect damage to a plant by light spots on the surface of the leaf. After some time, they move to the upper side of the leaf. 
Pests multiply when daylight hours more than 14 hours and air temperature 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 conditions become favorable and begins to consume a large number of food and reproduce. These insects do not tolerate moisture, so dry air is a favorable environment indoors.
The cobweb lives in gardens and vegetable gardens, but can easily get indoors - it can fly with a gust of wind through open window. In this case, the spider mite is placed on indoor flowers and feeds on them. 
Also, a flower mite may appear in the house on a bouquet of flowers or with soil for planting, and the question arises: how to get rid of it. If a spider mite appears on indoor plants, you need to know how to deal with it correctly.
What harm can spider mites cause to plants, signs of the pest
The most common types are common and red spider mites. The usual one also harms vegetable crops. Cell sap is the insect's favorite food. They pierce the surface of the leaves and infect representatives of the flora, sucking out the juice and disrupting the structural integrity - the leaves dry out and crumble. 
Since the insect is very small, it is difficult to detect. A sign that the plant is sick is web. If insects accumulate in large numbers on the leaves, light spots are found that form large white areas and increase in size.
On an infected flower, the leaves and buds fall off and flowering stops. Most often you can find spider mites on a rose or chrysanthemum.
In the affected leaf, the rate of photosynthesis slows down, this makes the flower painful 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 a spider mite appears on plants, it is necessary to immediately begin to combat 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 will be able to destroy a significant part. 
If cobwebs appear on single flowers, they need to be removed. The fight against spider mites is, first of all, proper watering, after which you should cover the plants 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 can live for ten years.
Chemical control methods, how to get rid of spider mites using drugs
To completely get rid of the pest, spray the leaves with fine droplets. 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 can effectively destroy the pest. It is necessary to spray the 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.
The Fitoverm product can destroy pests even in enclosed spaces, since the drug has low toxicity. You should also remember about protective equipment: wash your hands thoroughly after handling, change clothes.
The drug "Actellik" is an even more effective remedy for pests. It is much more toxic and kills insects almost immediately. "Actellik" is recommended when other means no longer help, with mass destruction plants. Treatment with this drug is carried out only in an open space, all precautions are taken and kept away from households.
"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 using ultraviolet light, but it is possible to reduce the population size.
Traditional methods of fighting spider mites
If it is not possible to purchase a chemical pest control agent, use traditional home remedies for tick control. Enough effective method fight against cobwebs - dousing cold water. Dousing is carried out only if the plant is able to withstand it. Fighting 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 specified product 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 add a liter of water. Close the container with the mixture tightly and leave for 24 hours. To spray affected flowers, use only 6 grams of solution per liter of water.
In a similar way, you can make a solution from onions, which does not require dilution.
Medicinal dandelion is very effective in fighting insects. IN finished form This product is sold in any pharmacy. Grind 30 grams of dandelion roots and add a liter of water. Let the solution sit for several hours. Strain and use for spraying. 
Another folk remedy is
And in greenhouses. Ticks feed leaf cell sap, which leads to their yellowing, death and death of the plant.
See such a tick very hard, cobwebs appear on the leaves already at a late stage of infection.
In the greenhouse
How to deal with spider mites in a greenhouse? To prevent ticks from appearing, you need to start with prevention:
It is better to use chemicals in a greenhouse as a last resort, if folk remedies do not help. Recipes for homemade decoctions and infusions have been tested for centuries, and it is not for nothing that they are still used in pest control.
If the spider mite has settled in the greenhouse, then it's time to process. The fight against spider mites in a greenhouse with folk remedies is that you can simply dig up and burn the affected plants, but it is better to try regular spraying with homemade solutions. For greater efficiency You can alternate different means.
On indoor plants
How to get rid of spider mites on indoor flowers using folk remedies? Here too we should not forget about preventive measures:
- daily inspect plant leaves;
- periodically rinse plant under running warm water;
- spray and wipe leaves with a solution of laundry soap;
- several times a week for 1-2 minutes place the plant under a special ultraviolet lamp with long or medium rays;
- If you suspect a mite, quickly treat the leaves pure medical alcohol.
If prevention has not brought results, and the tick still appears, then it’s time to start active struggle.
Spider mites: how to fight with folk remedies? Simple and effective method treating house plants against spider mites in this video:
What folk remedies are there for spider mites on indoor plants?
Recipes
Exist traditional methods fight against spider mites. We present to you several effective recipes homemade decoctions and infusions for ticks.
Soap solution
They can also be processed indoor plants and greenhouse.
For processing in a greenhouse you will need a concentrated soap solution.
Dilute in a bucket of warm water 200 g laundry soap chopped on a coarse grater.
The resulting solution is infused for 2-3 hours, mixed well and sprayed on the infected plantings. You can use it instead of soap dishwashing liquid, diluted in water.
Indoor plants are wiped with a sponge well soaped with laundry soap. Special attention given to leaves and stems. Be sure to process the pot and lightly spray the soil around the plant.
It is important to avoid contact with soapy water on the roots, this can lead to the death of the flower.
The treated plant is left for 3-4 hours, then the soap suds are washed off and covered with a plastic bag for a day to maintain high humidity.
Sulfur-tar soap against spider mites - a fairly effective and proven remedy. Add 100 grams of crushed sulfur-tar soap to a bucket of water and spray it weekly. This treatment is repeated 2-3 more times.
Suitable for both indoor and garden plants. After such treatment, spider mites guaranteed to disappear.
Alcohol solution
Used ammonia. A solution of ammonia is made at the rate of 30 ml per bucket of water (10 l). This product can be used to wipe the leaves and treat the greenhouse.
Soap-alcohol solution also used on indoor plants. Dissolve 20-30 grams of soap in 1 liter of boiling water, cool and pour in 10-20 ml of alcohol. Carefully process the plant and top layer of soil.
Garlic
You can use it to make several types infusion:
- Grind 30 g garlic, add bucket hot water and leave for a day. The finished infusion is filtered and the affected leaves are treated.
- Can be finely chopped 500 g garlic, add 3 liters of water and leave in a dark place for 5-6 days. Then strain the infusion, pour 60 grams and dilute it in a bucket of water. You can add 50 grams of laundry soap there.
- Chopped garlic (200 g) is stirred in a bucket of water and spray immediately, without insisting.
- There are situations when a houseplant does not tolerate spraying (for example, succulents). In this case, chopped garlic is placed in a small container, place next to the plant and cover the whole thing with a bag for 1-2 hours.
Onion
Onion infusion also helps well in the fight against ticks. To prepare it you need 200 g fresh onion peels Fill a bucket with warm water and place in a warm place for 12 hours. The resulting infusion is filtered, squeezed and sprayed on the plants.
In houseplants you can simply wipe leaves and stems. The procedure is carried out weekly for 1-2 months.
Decoctions and infusions of herbs
Dandelion It also helps a lot in the fight against ticks. To do this, 30-40 grams of medicinal dandelion roots are crushed and poured with a liter of water. The plant is left to infuse for several hours and processed.
Decoction of cyclamen roots saves indoor plants. Boil 50 grams of roots in 0.5 liters of water and filter. The resulting decoction can be used to wipe the leaves and stems. After 5 days, the procedure is repeated.
Yarrow infusion It is prepared as follows: 700-800 grams of dry leaves are infused in 10 liters of boiling water. After 3 days, it can be used to treat both greenhouse and indoor plants.
Leave for 3-4 hours and filter. Can be used for greenhouse treatment.
Infusion and decoction of black henbane. This plant is extremely poisonous, but if you are careful, you can get rid of the tick forever.
For infusion, pour 1 kg of henbane into a bucket of water and leave for 10 hours. Then strain and add 20 grams of laundry soap. You can take 2 kg of fresh henbane, add water and cook for 2-3 hours. After filtering, add 10 liters of water to the broth.
Horseradish infusion: 1 kg of finely chopped horseradish roots is poured into a bucket of cold water. Leave for several hours and treat the plants.
Decoction of gray alder leaves prepared from 2 kg fresh leaves filled with a bucket of water. It is infused for 24 hours, then it is boiled for half an hour and infused again for 12-13 hours.
Wormwood decoction helps not only in the fight against ticks, but also against many other pests. Add 800 grams of dry wormwood to a bucket of water and leave for 2 days. Then cook for half an hour, filter and add another 10-12 liters of water.
It is good to spray with this decoction greenhouse landings.
Rosemary essential oil
Take a few drops per 1 liter of water. Stir well and wipe home flowers.
There are a lot of recipes for various infusions and decoctions. Some of them effective, some - not so much.
But in don't use chemicals right away, because you can ruin the harvest and harm your favorite house plant.
After all folk remedies That’s why they are called folk because their effectiveness has been tested by trial and error for many years.
How to get rid of spider mites on summer cottage using traditional methods, you will learn by watching this video:
If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.
Lovers of indoor plants and gardeners often face an unpleasant situation when their flowers or garden trees very small pests - spider mites - settle in. These arthropod insects are only about one millimeter in size. Their favorite places are the undersides 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 insectoacaricides. However, if there are few pests, you can do without harmful chemicals and use proven traditional methods fight against these harmful arachnids. Let's get acquainted with some effective means.
Edible alcohol
This product can be used to wipe leaves infected with the pest. It is more advisable to use on plants with a thick leathery layer (ficus, zamioculcas, citrus fruits, dracaena). You can also spray the leaves with alcohol from a spray bottle. After a couple of weeks, the treatment needs to be repeated. The mite will disappear, but the plant will not be harmed.
If an indoor flower is affected by spider mites, you can spray it with a solution of colloidal sulfur. It is absolutely safe. 50 g of paste is dissolved in 10-15 liters of warm water. After two days, the white coating 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 thoroughly wiped with this solution and left without washing off for 12-14 days. After this, wash off with running water.
The dense, leathery leaves can be wiped with a soapy sponge. The foam should be left for 5 hours. The tray with the pot must be thoroughly treated with soapy water.
Dracaena, lemon and ficus are treated with this composition. Laundry soap is crushed and poured with warm water. When the soap dissolves, pour a little kerosene and warm water into the solution. The leaves are wiped with this mixture. After two weeks, the procedure is repeated.
Hot water and sun
Violets are often infested by transparent spider mites. You can fight it if you periodically pour the bushes hot water(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.
Herbal remedies
- Onion peel. Cup onion peel pour 4 liters of boiling water. Boil on fire. Infuse and strain. This decoction is sprayed on indoor flowers.
- Tobacco. For 50 grams of dry raw materials, take 1 liter of boiling water. Infuse the product for three days. Strain and spray the leaves.
- Yarrow. If the pest population is small, you can spray with a decoction of yarrow. To do this, take 1 kg of chopped grass with inflorescences and pour 10 liters of boiling water over it. Cook the product for half an hour at low boiling. Next – filter. Spray generously over the leaves.
- Clematis. Prepare an infusion of herbs. Add two tablespoons of crushed flowers and stems to 0.5 liters of boiling water. They insist. Garden and indoor crops are sprayed with this product.
- Blue cyanosis. Spray regularly indoor flower decoction of cyanosis roots. Add 2 tablespoons of fresh raw materials to 400 milliliters of boiling water. The composition is boiled for 15 minutes and allowed to brew for another half hour. Spraying sessions are carried out every other day.
- Oriental goat's rue. Its insecticidal properties against pests have been known for a long time. An infusion is prepared from dry powdered leaves: add 150 grams of raw material to 1 liter of boiling water. Leave for 8 hours. Spray the affected indoor or garden crops.
If a spider mite appears on a plant, you will have to make a lot of effort to get rid of it. You won’t be able to defeat this pest with “one shot”! Regular treatment will be required until not a single harmful insect remains.
Spider mites are considered one of the most tenacious and insidious pests of indoor plants. This arthropod pest multiplies quickly and short term can spread to all house plants. With a lifespan of about a month, the female lays up to a hundred eggs of offspring every three to four days. If the affected leaves are not detected in a timely manner, it is very difficult to rid the plant of the mite and save it from death.
Types of spider mites
Spider mites have a wide habitat. Their colonies are found almost anywhere on Earth except Antarctica. It is very difficult to see mites on the plant due to their small size and faded color. Only adult females have an orange-red body color. You can see what the larvae and adults look like in a photo or under a microscope.
Ways to combat spider mites at home
Pest control can be long and not always effective. Females hibernate when unfavorable conditions arise, and the eggs remain viable for five years.
The fight against spider mites at home should be comprehensive and systematic. If at least one plant from a home collection is damaged, all specimens in the house must be treated. The infected flower is immediately quarantined to prevent further spread of the pests. Not only plants, but also flower pots, plant pots, windows, window sills and other surfaces where ticks can hide should undergo anti-tick treatment.
Among the ways to combat spider mites are the following:
Washing the leaves with hot water is carried out at a temperature of 45-46 degrees on both sides for a couple of minutes. The stems and top layer of soil are also watered. The treatment is repeated every 3-4 days in the first two weeks. Then for another two to three weeks, indoor plants are given a hot shower once a week.
For violets and other flowers with fleecy leaves, water procedures are carried out in the form of a sauna. In the bathroom with flowers, hot water is turned on at maximum temperature. Within 10-12 minutes the bathroom should be filled with steam. Total time Staying in the steam room for plants should be no more than 20-25 minutes from the moment the hot water is turned on. The frequency of the procedure is similar to the above-described rinsing with a hot shower.
2. Treatment with soap solution. To prepare a solution in water room temperature dissolve shavings of laundry or tar soap. You can also use soft detergent for dish washing. Soapy water is whipped into a thick foam and applied to the leaves and stems from all sides, being careful not to get on the ground. The top layer of soil can only be lightly sprayed with a spray bottle without affecting the roots. The soap solution is left on the plant for 3-4 hours and then washed off. The regularity of washing with a soap solution is the same as with conventional wet treatment.
This method has a lot of opponents who believe that soap clogs the pores of plants. In this case, the development of the plant is disrupted due to the blocking of the photosynthesis process.
3. Spraying with infusions from folk remedies. Folk remedies in the fight against spider mites are in most cases ineffective. You can get rid of the pest with their help by early stage infection when ticks have just begun to reproduce. But they are safe for plants, people and pets.
4. Treatment with chemicals. Since ticks are not insects, not insecticides are used to kill them, but acaricides or insectoacaricides. All these drugs, to one degree or another, pose a danger to humans and animals, and therefore require compliance special conditions processing.
The specificity of the fight against spider mites is that these pests very quickly acquire immunity to pesticides. After only 3-4 treatments, the tick stops responding to the active ingredient in the drug. Therefore, acaricides have to be constantly alternated.
Folk remedies for fighting spider mites
Every fight with a spider mite at home has individual characteristics. Folk remedy, which turns out to be effective under some conditions, may turn out to be useless in other situations. For plants with delicate and pubescent leaves, such actions are practically useless; it is better to immediately begin chemical treatment.
| Folk remedy | Preparation of the solution | Processing Features |
| Alcohol | Ammonia, boric or medical alcohol is used | “Thick-skinned” plants can be processed: palm trees, philodendrons, ficuses, diefenbachia, hibiscus, aroids (alocasia, adenium, etc.), marataceae with pubescent leaves. All accessible surfaces of the plant are treated with a cotton swab, as well as flower pot, pallet and window sill with window. After a day, wipe the leaves and stem with a clean damp cloth. When replanting a plant, an effective method is to immerse the whole plant or its roots in ammonia for a few seconds. This method can be used to process, for example, cacti. |
| Garlic | 1 way: 30-40 grams of garlic pulp (middle head) is poured into 500 ml of water and left under a lid in a dark place for 5 days. The resulting infusion is filtered and diluted in half with water. Method 2: the pulp of one large clove of garlic is dipped in a glass of boiling water and left for 5-7 minutes | Before processing, the resulting infusions are filtered. Plants are sprayed with a spray bottle or wiped with a cotton swab, paying special attention hard to reach places and the lower part of the leaves. |
| Onion | Method 1: 100 grams of husks are poured with 5 liters of water and left in a dark place for 5 days. Method 2: 60-80 grams (1 medium onion) of chopped onion, pour 1/2 liter of water in a sealed container. Leave for about 7 hours |
Popular and effective chemicals for killing spider mites
To get rid of spider mites using acaricides, you need to know the main active ingredient of the drugs and change them periodically. For processing it is also necessary to know the toxicity class. Drugs with toxicity class 3-4 can be used in the bathroom, and class 1-2 only outdoors.
Rules for treating indoor flowers with industrial preparations
Treatment of the plant with chemicals is carried out in 3 stages with a difference of 5-8 days. The hotter the air in the room, the faster the spider mite larvae hatch from the eggs and the smaller the difference between treatments should be.
When using the drug for the first time, its effect must be checked on one piece of paper. If after a day of observation the plant has not reacted negatively, then the treatment is carried out on all plants of this species.
Treatment is carried out at an ambient temperature of about 26-28 degrees, spraying generously dry plant. Small specimens can be completely immersed in a 50% solution of the drug. To enhance the effect, add soap to the solution.
Spraying is carried out up to 12 hours on a sunny day and up to 14 hours in cloudy weather. Until completely dry, the plant should not be exposed to direct sunlight.
Prevention measures
The best protection against the death of flowers from this pest is timely prevention:
- All new plants should be quarantined for several weeks;
- Regular spraying, maintaining high humidity of leaves and soil, ventilation of the room;
- Monthly inspection and treatment of flowers with hot water or steam.
Following these simple preventive measures will help maintain your houseplants and minimize the risk of spider mite infestation.