Hello all,

This year I thought I would get a jump start on mite season. I went outside and all ready some of the leaves are silvered. Out with the Forbid at 9:00 pm I went and sprayed everything. This is my second year raising them and would like leaves and flowers full on each one.

Rhapsody

I guess that's one blessing that our recent cold weather has brought. Mine are blooming away, with not a sign of mites yet. On the down side, I broke a couple of branches moving the big guys around, and the cuttings I brought into the house were immediately showing mite activity.

I just dunked them in the kitchen sink with soapy water, had to do it twice, but they are clean as a whistle now.

Got another soapy story, last summer when I was away in August for 10 days, my neighbor (a Masters in Hort from UF) came over to check on my plants a couple of times. He found the mites going nuts over the plants, and I had left a sprayer with soapy water sitting by them. He sprayed them so thoroughly that they were absolutely going nuts with new growth when I got home and I asked him what 'magic potion' he'd used on them. He said he just sprayed them "really thoroughly" twice while I was away.

Lesson learned, I wasn't doing a good enough job spraying them down. Soap will work better in the long run than any of the systemics, because it kills the bugs mechanically, not by poisoning them. They'll eventually get resistant to all the systemics.

What kind of soap do you use? I have Dr. Bronner's and Murphies Oil Soap. Some use Dawn dish washing liquid. I plan to put it is a dial feeder and spray the heck out of them.

R

That's a good plan Rhaps. I think I might use my dial feeder, too. Plan to re-spray in a week in case there were eggs or babies down in the leaf axils that didn't get "got" the first time.

I asked our wonderful old entomologist over at the Extension office if it matters what kind of soap and he said it doesn't matter. I use whatever I've got under the kitchen sink. Today it's Method brand dish soap. I've also used Method liquid hand soap, and that's what was in the sprayer when my neighbor did his super spray job last summer. Worked great!

I haven't had much of a problem with mites, but glad I found this just in case. How much soap per gallon of water ?

Rhapsody, love that succulent in your avatar what is it ?

You must have geckos or something that's keeping the mites in check! I have a tremendous problem every year with mites on the brugs. Up side is the mites never go after anything else!

About 2tsp. of soap per gallon seems to be the accepted rate, Mj. Depends a bit on how 'concentrated' the soap is, some are more than others. I err on the side of being generous.

I have a 2 gallon sprayer, because I spray the path edges all around the house against chiggers as well. I put in 2 tablespoons for the 2 gallons, which is maybe one extra tsp. more than recommended. Too strong can burn foliage, and especially don't spray soapy water when the sun is going to hit the leaves. I do it in the evenings.

mjsponies said:I haven't had much of a problem with mites, but glad I found this just in case. How much soap per gallon of water ?

Rhapsody, love that succulent in your avatar what is it ?

mjsponies ~ It is a Aeonium ‘Sunburst’. Very pretty and easy to grow! Happy to hear someone doesn't have problems with mite. I just don't see why every year. If you kill them and the eggs WHERE do they come from?
Rhapsody

dyzzypyxxy said:That's a good plan Rhaps. I think I might use my dial feeder, too. Plan to re-spray in a week in case there were eggs or babies down in the leaf axils that didn't get "got" the first time.

I asked our wonderful old entomologist over at the Extension office if it matters what kind of soap and he said it doesn't matter. I use whatever I've got under the kitchen sink. Today it's Method brand dish soap. I've also used Method liquid hand soap, and that's what was in the sprayer when my neighbor did his super spray job last summer. Worked great!

Cool. I think I will try Dawn. It will remove the waxy coat on the mite and other bug. That leaves them exposed to the elements and they die... or so they say!

I need the dial sprayer to get to the top on the 9 foot brug. I have one with a adjustable spray head so I can get the underside of the leaves.

Rhapsody