Recently I've been noticing an issue with my plants. Weird specks on the leaves... strange bugs on the back that looked different than aphids...

It wasn't until today I realized that for the last month or so I've been battling spider mites on my orange tree and roses. While my Orange Tree is perfectly fine now (There wasn't many and I isolated it) my roses are still recovering and still have the mites.

I've:

1) Picked off leaves that are too damaged or have a lot of mites and eggs on the back

2) Sprayed the back of the leaves with a strong jet of water from a bottle

3) Used a pesticide but I don't know if it works on mites really. (And I don't like using it x.x)

I am planning on stopping by my gardening shop to ask for Japanese advice since they likely have a way to deal with ハダニ科 maybe they have a specialized product but what do you guys think? My roses are just about to blossom (many buds are appearing) and I am worried that a prolonged battle with these little buggers will really mess them up...

Ashley - you might look for neem or a derivative. I use Azamax here in the states for spider mites. It's a derivative of neem oil - it controls some pests better but not diseases so much. I bought primarily to use on my lemon trees (indoors over winter).

Some soapy water spray.
1 TBL. to a gallon of water. Use liquid dish soap. Regular Dawn or ivory. If not available, liquid dish soap without additives or fragrance.
Spray underside and tops, every 2 or 3 days till under control. Probably 7 to 10 days.
Some plants my be sensitive. So after soap spray drys, you may want to rinse off.
I dont rinse it off my vegetables. So be alert.
Spray in early morning so as sun dosent burn leaves and they dont get mildew.
😎😎😎

Hello AshleyD, I try to use first a mix of water, alcohol, dishwashing liquid and tabasco sauce. I do it early part of the day, before the sun hits the plants. Yes, sometimes got to repeat treatment. I try not to go for pesticides immediately, since I got some good insects around too.

I have been spraying with neem oil in the mornings but the sun is so intense I might I have to start spraying at 4am so it stops burning the leaves...

Thank you for all the help. It has been lessening!

I have always handled spider mites in my rose garden by washing the roses with a strong stream of water from the hose three days in a row to break the breeding cycle. After that, all I have had to do was wash the plants down once a week.

Spider mites love hot, arid conditions, so washing the plants down ... be sure to get the underside of the leaves ... seems to handle the problem for me. I grow over 100 roses and don't use any other method to control the mites in my garden.

RoseBlush1 said:I have always handled spider mites in my rose garden by washing the roses with a strong stream of water from the hose three days in a row to break the breeding cycle. After that, all I have had to do was wash the plants down once a week.

Spider mites love hot, arid conditions, so washing the plants down ... be sure to get the underside of the leaves ... seems to handle the problem for me. I grow over 100 roses and don't use any other method to control the mites in my garden.

Thanks I am still having a lot of trouble with the leaves burning and yellowing and I am just like on the verge of giving up XD one rose seems to have recovered but some of the others are still barely holding on.

Is it certain the problem is spider mites?

Robert, your post seems to have been taken from this web page, just to make sure we give proper credit since you forgot:

http://www.naturallivingideas....

it was most of the spider mites seem to be gone. I am still spraying constantly though. Now I just think the heat is taking its toll on some of my flowers. I appreciate all the help here. The shower is a great idea as well.

AshleyD said:it was most of the spider mites seem to be gone. I am still spraying constantly though. Now I just think the heat is taking its toll on some of my flowers. I appreciate all the help here. The shower is a great idea as well.

Mildly soapy spray, a few hours after hard water spray, a bit after that, the mild soapy water spray around the base of the plants. Works good on aphids too.

Update: they are still there one plant was so stunted and dying I tossed it. Still fighting with my red rose bush, the yellow one has seemed to recover completely. I still spray neem oil But am running out so yay.

The soapy spray is what I'm gonna do next since just regular water isn't doing much. Also wondering if tossing the current soil will help and replanting it since it is getting cooler and a transplant not be entirely out of the question. I can take a picture later: Just didn't expect these things to be so persistent....