We were gone two days and came home to see some leaf drop. Today, I was trimming some brugs for a swap and realized they had spider mites. I have some Bayer 3-in-1. Will that stop 'em?
I've been spraying the "recipe" every other day, and I did ground fertilize everything about 2 wks ago. I've been very fortunate to not get mites, even in the hottest, driest summers here. I'm stumped. And we have to leave again soon.

Bayer 3 in 1 is fine for spider mites.I would take off the larger leaves.They will drop anyway.Then soak the soil in the root zone.It takes about a week to work through the plants system.I also like to spray the underside of the leaves with a soap solution.Not detergent.

Thanks for response. I've already removed most of what leaves were left. When I sprayed them, most fell off. It just seemed it happened in a couple of days while we were gone. I usually hand water, but let the sprinklers come on while we were gone. The only thing that was different was that the sprinklers wouldn't have reached the tops of the brugs. They're rather tall still since they were all getting ready to bloom again, and I didn't want to cut them back yet.
I'll fix them up a Bayer cocktail this evening.
One more question... I promised to take some cutting to the Mid-South Swap this coming weekend. I stripped the leaves off the cuttings and soaked them a bit in a pan before placing them in water. Will they be okay to take to give away, since the leaves are gone? I don't want to be the Typhoid Mary of the Brug World....spreading spider mites as I go...
Again, I appreciate your reply. Sandi

Ha,that brings back memories.I took a full load of red spider mites to my first roundup.
I was new and had no idea what a spider mite was.The others were nice about it and broke the news to me gently.
What I do for cuttings is to remove all the leaves and then dip in the soap solution.If you don't have soap then a good washing should do the trick.

Thanks...I'll do that in the morning. I do want to be invited back again one day!

I have used a miticide on them before...with something that kills the eggs which are not affected. But a good dose of the soap will be better... JT, do you ever put a bit of vegie oil in the soap?

I finally gave up on all my brugs and did nothing. They went away and all went to one brug and I don't treat them...I use that brug for the sacrificial lamb!!!

carol

I've got spidermites on some small arborea seedlings. I have some 3 in 1. Would it be safe to use on the seedlings? if not, what could I spray them with to get rid of the spidermites? Use a systemic on them?

Are you sure they are spidermites. When I thought the same, I took leaves in and there were 3 different ones.... But if they ARE mites, be sure that whatever you use is effective on mites. And do it every couple of days or you won't get the eggs.

Bettydee,I use 3 in 1 on everything and have never noticed it hurting seedlings.When I spray I spray everything.

JT, thank you for the information. I'll go spray everything tomorrow ... well later today.

Are you spraying the 3 in 1? I dumped it on the roots as directed and the plants came back and leafed out...only to get mites again a month later. This is the 3rd round and I see on the bottle "no need to spray," but I read here you spray. I realllllly want to spray if it will kill these buggers. I want to see their teeny tiny little bodies curl up, writhe in pain, and cough a couple of times before they kick off.... Now they're going after the colocasias. Help!!!!

Well, I helped myself.... Moved all the potted brugs away from the pond and into the beds with other brugs. Mixed up some 3 in 1 and sprayed and sprayed. Couldn't find my loupe, so I just had to imagine all those mites gasping their last breaths. Before I clean up, I'm still going to water in some of the 3in1 around the biggest brugs. What doesn't kill them (or me), will make 'em better...I hope.

Remember to respray every 7 days ... until you are sure you have interrupted the cycle...the systemic/topical spray doesn't get the sacks of eggs....

I will mark it on my calendar, Carol. I just got so mad when I saw all those leaves on the ground this morning. We had only been away for a couple of days.

I have a sacrificial brug...it gets eaten by the mites...and they don't bother the others. I used to really worry about them but life is too short!!!! Seems I have reached a balanc where the beneficial insects have kicked in...

Carol points out something I have noticed here.The brugs outside never seem to be bothered but the ones inside the gh where I spray on a regular basis get eaten alive.
I do not spray outside since we eat stuff from there.

But are you spraying Bayer, or something else? I don't think soap is going to knock these down. I think maybe the intense dry heat (105 today in Westlake) may have a part in it too.
One thing I haven't done in a while is use the "recipe." I ran out and didn't make a new batch, instead using Miracle Gro and other fertilizers that I had. I think I'm going back to the recipe, or at least add it in, and see if it makes a difference.
No need to worry about poison in the garden. There's nothing in our garden that we can eat.....I am not a very successful farmer....either!

I am told by a plant pathologist that the imidocloprid in the Bayer products is NOT effective on mites. When I was starting out with brugs, I had a panic when I got Carmine Mites and Broad Mites. I stripped every single leaf from the plants, put them in a big plastic bag (actually 8 bags...HUGE bags) and then sprayed the bare branches down with Neem oil...really drenched them. Did this every 2 days for 4 applications. Burned the bags. It worked. New leaves came out and I just trimmed them back a bit.

I might have to try that.....I just stuffed the leaves in a bag and tied it up and stuck it in the garbage can.
We're on our way back to the lake tonight. Tree guys are coming at 7AM to take down a shade tree if they can't save it. Always something.....
Thanks for suggestions....appreciate it... When we get back, I'm going to mark the brug "troublemakers" and give them stick-eye big time.... If they don't shape up, they're outta here!

**Back home from the lake and editing to correct spelling.....I meant to write "stink eye!" When we lived in Hawaii, our daughter was on a Hawaiian soccer team. The other girls taught her pidgin and she would crack us up with some of her smarty comments.

I just started on my own mite attack about a week. A friend I trade with accidentally sent them to me (lol, remembering the 'typhoid mary' line further up) Anyway, into round 2 of treatment. The soap got most leaves, and I sacrificed 3 beneficial spiders that I couldn't move. I want to nip this in the bud, before they think they'll be moving to other plants. Today all are looking good again, but will re-do in another few days. I've also been told that the Neem works very well. What would be advantage (or not) of using Neem over insectididial soap? Or the Bayer 3 in 1 you mention?

When you use Neem or a spray, you are working topically. Bayer 3 in 1 is a systemic...and it zaps most sucking insects but not white flies. Neem, Insecticidal Soap, Soap with a wee bit of oil...they suffocate the beasts. It's important to repeat treatments because you need to suffocate various stages of growth from hatching eggs to adults...

I did kill me to strip everything off when they were about to bloom but I did it...really wanted to get rid of them!!!! It seems to have works... I had them on one plant which I just ignored as I figured if I let them live there and eat their share they wouldn't spread. Well the tree is dead and they have disappeared????? until next time.