How to Spray for Spider Mites
Spider mites are small mites that feed on plants and can severely damage them. They pierce the leaf and make holes in them. Just like a spider, they have 8 legs and take only about 2 weeks to go from egg to adult mite. Spider mites can be eliminated from your garden by using a predator mite, which is a natural enemy, or by spraying them. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Confirm that you indeed have spider mites. You can do this by placing a sheet of white paper underneath the contaminated leaf. Give the leaf a light tap. If there are little flecks on the paper that are moving, you do indeed have mites.
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Start spraying in the morning. On a sunny, warm day, preferably 75 to 85 degrees Farenheit, hose off the plants to remove as many mites and eggs as possible. Make sure not to damage the plants when spraying. The spraying with plain water removes the mites, but also removes dust and other particles that the mites are attracted to.
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Mix insecticidal soap. Available at most lawn and garden stores, insecticidal soap typically comes in a concentrate with directions on how to dilute it. Follow the directions on the bottle that you purchase. Mixing it in a bottle with a spray nozzle will help you to avoid an additional step if pouring into a spray bottle.
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Spray soap on underside of leaves. This will help kill of the mites that may be left. Do this in the morning as well so that the heat of the day does not burn the leaves with residual soap. High temperatures can react with the soap to cause burning of the foliage.
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Spray with hose a final time. This will help to remove excess soap as much as possible. The less soap left, the less chance of burning and killing your plants.
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Tips & Warnings
You may have to repeat the procedure a few times to make sure that you are rid of all the mites. Do not tap your leaf to hard when first checking for mites. Hard tapping can cause predator mites, which are helpful, to fall off.
Do not use insecticidal mixtures that look milky or cloudy. That means that the mixture has gone bad and can kill your plants. It should be almost clear.
