What a spider mite looks like
The spider mite's tiny size barely reaches 1 mm. Even its red, yellow and light-green coloring still makes the insect invisible. Gardeners also call the spider mite the berry mite. And whatever names this «harmless little bug», blending in with the vegetation, may acquire – the essence remains the same. The spider mite is a voracious and tireless predator. And in its deadly web houseplants simply suffocate and slowly die.
The spider mite, quite literally, latches onto a houseplant and quickly dries it out. The insatiable pest greedily absorbs the leaves' juices. The weakening plant fights for its life with all its might. But below, above its roots, dry leaves are already piling up.
Signs of infestation
The spider mite is especially dangerous for houseplants that belong to the succulent group. These include cacti, aloe, lithops, agave and other exotic plants. They attract the predatory insect because they hold a fair amount of water in their leaves and stems, which once helped them survive in arid wild conditions.
You can see the traces of the spider mite's destructive work with your own eyes, for example, on a ficus, which has very thick, fleshy leaves. Within a matter of weeks, barely noticeable spots resembling little holes appear on its leaves. Plants infested with the pest begin to glint in the sun with the silvery webbing scattered between the leaves. As the spider mite kills its victims, it rapidly multiplies in this web. Moving yellow or light-green dots making their way across the surviving leaves are one of the signs that a houseplant needs urgent help.
Ways to fight the spider mite: 4 methods
By the way, houseplant mite larvae are often found in store-bought soil. That is why it must be baked in the oven at a temperature of 90 degrees for 30 minutes. And every houseplant that appears in your home should always be kept under special conditions, in order to make sure there is no dangerous pest.
The spider mite, as experience shows, is best fought at an early stage. And there are many effective methods that protect houseplants. Experienced plant lovers often use tar-soap foam with water. It is applied to the houseplant's leaves and the solution is left on for 5 hours. During this time a film forms, under which the mites die. Now all that remains is to wipe the leaves with a damp cloth and rinse them with water from a spray bottle.
Another popular folk remedy in the fight against the voracious pest is an onion infusion. The recipe offered here is fairly simple. Take 150 g of onion skins and soak them in 5 l of water. After 4 days the onion infusion is ready. All that remains is to strain it and obtain a mixture that is lethal to the pest.
You can also use dichlorvos in the fight against the spider mite. Cover the houseplant with a cellophane bag and, through a small hole, spray only the soil. Then take the plant out onto the balcony to let it stand for a while in the cool breeze.
Fire, garlic, soap and 5 more ways to get rid of the big bud mite on currants
