Little Spiders That Destroy Houseplants
Indoor plants are often attacked by a variety of damaging pests, including spider mites. These tiny members of the Tetranychidae family closely resemble spiders and are seen on the undersides of plant leaves. Certain species of spider mites place a silky webbing on infested plants. These mites multiply rapidly and can eventually kill plants with heavy infestations. Does this Spark an idea?
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Identification
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Homeowners who see tiny, oval-shaped pests on their houseplants that look similar to spiders have spider mites. These mites are not insects but arachnids related to scorpions and spiders. Laying their eggs at the base of host plants, spider mites can complete their development in less than one week if indoor conditions are favorable, resulting in large numbers of mites on a single houseplant. Spider mites spin webs that make houseplants look dirty or dusty and also allow them to move from plant to plant inside your home. Spider mites are very small and difficult to see but are easily visible under a magnifying glass.
Types
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There are several different species of spider mites that infest different host plants. Twospotted spider mites are a common species that infest both outdoor and indoor plants of all types. Feeding on trees, shrubs, fruits, flowers and even weeds, twospotted spider mites can rise to damaging levels when the weather is hot and dry. Once cool, damp weather sets in, twospotted spider mites disappear until the next season. Some other species of spider mites include spruce spider mites, European red mites and maple mites.
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Signs and Symptoms
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Stippling of plant leaves is the most common symptom of spider mite infestations, which looks like tiny white or yellow speckles on leaves. Although spider mites typically feed on the undersides of leaves, the damage is visible on the top sides as well. When these infestations are prolonged or populations are large, plant leaves turn yellow then bronze in color. Leaves from infested plants may drop prematurely, and the plant eventually dies.
Solutions
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If spider mites are damaging your houseplants, there are a few ways to control them. When infestations are small, hosing your plant down with water is an effective means of control. Place your houseplant under the shower or rinse it off with a spray nozzle attachment on your garden hose. This process will cause the mites to fall off your plant, and repeated water applications twice a week will keep their numbers low. Horticultural oils are soft insecticides that can reduce spider mite infestations. This method works by coating the mites with oil, disrupting their breathing and causing them to die. Concentrate on the undersides of plant leaves to reach as many mites as possible. If spider mite infestations are heavy, stronger insecticides, known as miticides, may be necessary. Miticides must be applied to infested plants thoroughly for best results.
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References
- Photo Credit Martin Poole/Digital Vision/Getty Images
