How to Rid a Vegetable Garden of Spider Mites

Spider mites are common garden pests. Although they are almost invisible to the naked eye, they can cause large problems in the garden if their numbers are great enough. Signs of spider mites include scorched looking leaves and leaf discoloration. Severe infestations can kill plants.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Diagnose your garden problems correctly to make sure you have spider mites and not another problem. Proper diagnosis is the key to effective garden pest treatments. If you suspect spider mites, take a white sheet of paper and hold it under a branch. Shake or tap the branch; if you see tiny, slow-moving specks on the paper, you probably have spider mites.

2. Let nature take care of the problem. Spider mites can proliferate when their natural predators, such as lady beetles, predatory mites and big-eyed bugs, are killed by insecticides. Use insecticides with care and try to save beneficial insect species that can help control garden pests.

3. Give plants adequate water during dry periods. Dry conditions can lead to spider mite outbreaks on your plants. For sturdy plants and trees, hose the plants down periodically to remove the dust on the leaves and inhibit the spider mite webbing that holds the eggs.

4. Make your own insecticidal spray using 5 tbsp. of liquid dish detergent and 1 gallon of water. You’ll want to use repeated sprayings, making sure to get the undersides of the leaves. The spray will only kill those spider mites that it comes into contact with.

5. Use a miticide or other pesticide on your plants. Spider mites are notoriously difficult to get ride of, even with pesticides, so you’ll need to weigh the costs and benefits to using these more potentially harmful substances in your yard and garden.