Treating Spider Mites
 

How do you know if you have spider mites?
Does anyone have suggestions on what to get to treat spider mites? I'm not sure if my Zygopetalum has mites or dust under the leaves, and there are SO MANY options for just neem oil that I'm not sure what to get or how to apply.

I heard that the alcohol treatment doesn't really work. Also should I treat ALL of my orchids with neem oil? or just ones I'm suspicious of?

You can try Ray's link for help with i.d. if you think you have spider mites. There are other kinds of mites that produce similar damage, but don't produce any webbing that might tip you off. Most mites are visible under 10x magnification. At least one type of mite requires higher than 10x to see (in the case of my eyes, anyway.)

To get rid of them, you can start with thoroughly hosing down both upper and lower sides of leaves. That has worked for some. More tenacious infestations can require a miticide.


Spider Mites - First Rays LLC

If it is a small collection, spray rubbing alcohol on all leaf surfaces after you have rinsed plants with water. I had a big problem last summer... Had to go to the states to get Bayer 3in one...kills mites. I also have used insecticidal soap... I rotate products and eventually got rid of them. I was growing warm with low humidity... Recipe for disaster.


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Try 40ml general purpose spray oil, 80ml meths in one lt of water. This is a general spray I use to counter most things. you can spray or wipe on usually once every two weeks then monthly, good for spider mite, scale, merely bug and aphids. It also helps condition your foliage (gives it a shine)

The rubbing alcohol treatment does work, I had 2 small plants infested with spider miles that I treated in this way. I wiped each leaf individually with an alcohol soaked cotton ball and repeated 1 x week for 3-4 weeks. Mites were gone! Though I don't think it's very convenient to do on many plants or large plants.

Well I'll be trying the alcohol method and see how that works, I'm not 100% sure that my orchids have mites, or if they do, it certainly doesn't seem like a large infestation, but I'd rather treat preventatively.

Has anyone tried hairspray for mites? I saw Orchidgirl using it and was wondering.

Take a damp tissue and wipe the undersides of the leaves. Then examine if there is any fine residue or little spots on the tissue. If you have mites, you can usually see them on the tissue.

So I did that, and I saw a dust but not bugs, and it wasnt moving...are those still mites?

If you are getting dust on the undersides, I would think it could be mites. You may need a magnifying glass to actually see anything moving. Or if you already sprayed or treated, most of them may be dead.