Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Signs of Spider Mites
• Method 2 of 4: How to remove mites with water
• Method 3 of 4: Using horticultural oil
• Method 4 of 4: How to prevent spider mite infestations
• What do you need

Spider mites are tiny insects that are difficult to see with the naked eye and can cause serious harm to plants in your garden or lawn. If you suspect spider mites are in your garden, make sure that this is the case before doing anything. If your suspicions are confirmed, rinse the mites with a hose or use horticultural oil to prevent a more serious infestation.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Signs of Spider Mites

1. 1 Look for yellow or brown spots on plant leaves. The activity of spider mites weakens the plants, which is why they often develop yellow or brown spots. Moreover, the leaves may dry out or fall off the plant. Specialist Answer Question

   The reader of wikiHow is interested in: "How to get rid of spider mites on plants?"

   
   

   

   Lauren kurtz

   Professional gardener Lauren Kurtz is a naturalist and gardening specialist. Managed a well-watered garden at the Aurora Municipal Center, Colorado (Department of Water Conservation). She received her BA in Environmental and Sustainability Science from Western Michigan University in 2014.

   SPECIALIST'S ADVICE

   Professional gardener Lauren Kurtz gives advice: “Spray the plant with natural or chemical insect repellent. To make a natural remedy, mix some dish soap and water and spray the mixture on all sides of the leaves. Spray the leaves regularly with plain water to prevent future spider mites. "

   
   
2. 2 Examine the plants for spider webs. Spider mites weave webs under the leaves and stems of plants. Examine the plants daily to check for cobwebs.
3. 3 Look for ticks with a magnifying glass. Since spider mites are less than one millimeter in size, they are difficult to see with the naked eye. Buy a magnifying glass from a department store or online store and examine the leaves of the plants. If you see tiny insects crawling on the leaves in the form of dots, there is a good chance that these are spider mites.
4. 4 Shake the leaves over a white piece of paper. If you don't have a magnifying glass, try spotting ticks on a white piece of paper. Place a piece of paper under the leaves, and then shake the plant.If green, brown or black dots begin to crawl along the leaf, then you have spider mites.
   • Try crushing insects with your fingers. If the spot turns out to be green, then the mites are feeding on plants. If the spot is orange or yellow, then these are predators feeding on harmful insects.

Method 2 of 4: How to remove mites with water

1. 1 Isolate affected plants. If you find spider mites and want to minimize the harm they can do, isolate the plants affected by the mites. Take them to a different part of the garden or bring them indoors before you start removing the mites.
2. 2 Hose the plants. The jet must be powerful enough to kill the spider mites. Point the hose at the plants and spray the leaves with cold water. Be sure to spray underneath the leaves to ensure that all the mites are killed.
3. 3 Spray the plants once a week. Isolate affected plants for at least a month to prevent spider mites from spreading to other plants. The spray will not be enough to destroy their eggs, so spray the plants once a week for the next month to be sure to kill the mites that will hatch from the eggs.

Method 3 of 4: Using horticultural oil

1. 1 Mix gardening oil and water in a spray bottle. Horticultural oil is an oil-based product that can be sprayed on insects and their eggs, causing death by suffocation. Horticultural oil can be purchased at a hardware store, gardening store, or ordered online. Before diluting the oil, be sure to read the package directions to find out how much water to use and if this oil can be used on your plants.
   • Use traditional horticultural oils in the summer.
   • In the spring and fall, use dormant oils to spray the plants.
2. 2 Bring mite plants to your garage or shed. Rain or high humidity can wash off the oil, so to prevent this from happening, bring the plants indoors. Do not use horticultural oil on maples, nuts, cryptomeria and spruce, and read the instructions carefully to make sure it can be used on your plants.
3. 3 Spray the plants thoroughly with oil. Since water does not mix well with oil, be sure to shake the bottle before spraying. Moisten the leaves with oil on both sides. Wait for the oil to absorb and kill the mites and their eggs.
   • Horticultural oil is a choking agent for mites, so cover the entire plant with it.
   • Do not spray the flowers with oils, otherwise it may harm them.
4. 4 Spray every 2-3 weeks until the mites die. Check your plants periodically for signs of mites throughout the next week. If mites continue to emerge from the eggs, spray the plant again.

Method 4 of 4: How to prevent spider mite infestations

1. 1 Trim the affected areas of the plants. If you notice cobwebs or leaf spots on the branches, trim off those parts with garden shears or pruning shears. Dispose of the affected parts in the trash.
   • If you discard mite-infested plant parts near your garden, the mites can spread to other plants.
2. 2 Spray plants with cold water. Moisture will keep the mites away from the plants. Bring the plants into your home and spray them with water 2-3 times a day to reduce the likelihood of mite infestation. Place the plants in saucers of water to keep them from attracting mites.
3. 3 Place a humidifier next to the plants. Spider mites prefer dry conditions, so a humidifier should help repel them. Do not use a humidifier if you sprayed your plants with horticultural oil.

What do you need

• garden hose
• Water
• Horticultural oil
• Spray
• Magnifier
• Paper
• Garden shears or pruning shears
• Air humidifier (optional)