Hey, just a heads up. This post is not sponsored. The brands I mention are ones I just really like to use. I have not been paid to share them.
Let's face it, these little boogers are the bane of every plant lover's existence. They come in swiftly through the night, set up their tiny homes, and raid through your plant's innards. Within a week, your plant has been deprived of its juices and all the plants around are host to a new colony of mites.
Recently I was in a war against spider mites, but even though I only had one casualty, I came out victorious! Here's what I did and a few things I didn't do that you might try out for yourself!
Inspect Your Plants Thoroughly and Regularly
First of all, I was very very very lucky that I caught the mites early. I didn't regularly inspect my plants. Luckily, I randomly had the inkling to check my plants out. Sure enough, I saw webbing towards the bottom of the leaves of my Marble Queen Pothos. My Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree and Monstera were also showing shiny webbing on the leaves. If I had waited any longer to check, the pothos especially might not have survived. So, check on your babies!!!
Quarantine. QUARANTINE.
Move those suckers away from all of your precious babies. Put the infected plants in your bathtub or in a separate room that doesn't have any other plants. Try to avoid quarantining them outside as this might bring a whole other wave of pests onto them. You're already fighting one war, there's no need to start another.
No Touchy!!!!!!
Whatever you do, do NOT touch other plants after you touch the infested ones. These enemies fight on the microscopic level, so you are at risk of spreading them if you're not careful. Treat it like a sickness! (Thank you Gretchen for this tip! Check her out on IG: @greenhousegirl94) If you are going to be touching other plants, even other ones you think are infested, WASH. YO'. HANDS.
Determine the Radius of Infestation (ROF).
The ROF, which is a term I just coined, is the space around the infested plants. This includes, the walls, base boards, shelves, floors, plants, pots, window curtains, etc. Anything that the mites might have latched onto is under the ROF.
DEEP Clean.
Once you have separated the infected plants from the healthy ones, and you have washed your hands, you can clean the ROF. In my ROF, there were window curtains and baskets that once held the infected plants. I threw the curtains in the washing machine and separated the infected plants from the decorative baskets they were in (I've still yet to bring these baskets back in my room. LOL).
I grabbed a pair of gloves, wash cloths, and a 3:1 mixture of water and rubbing alcohol and wiped until my whole room smelled like a doctor's office. EVERYTHING in the ROF should be wiped.
Treatment
Now you can begin treating the infested plants. First, cut off any yellowing leaves or leaves with spots on them. Using whatever insecticide you have, preferably one with Neem Oil, spray your plants’ leaves. I used Garden Safe's Fungicide 3 that I got from Target for about $5. It's organic and contains Neem Oil. It can also be used to treat fungal diseases.
Wear gloves and use a washcloth to wipe every single leaf. Get the backside of the leaf as well as this is where spider mites usually like to reside. I waited 10 minutes until rinsing of the spray with the high powered shower head. Some people choose to leave it on, but I do not recommend that. I do not know how sensitive your plants are and sometimes the insecticide can burn the leaves.
You should also treat the plants that were near the infested plants just in case they have spider mites that you can't see. Just make sure to clean the area where you treated the infected plants with to avoid cross-contamination.
Consistency
One treatment is not enough for the mites. You will kill the adult ones, but the eggs may still be lingering. At one-week intervals, apply the treatment again. Do this for at least three weeks.
Prevention
This is one of the steps that I failed to do. By regularly inspecting the plants you can catch them early, but what can you do to keep spider mites from ever hopping onto your plants?
1.) Inspect plants before you buy them.
Before you walk home with that Alocasia Polly from Lowe's, double check that there is no webbing or signs of mites on the leaves.
2.) Quarantine and treat new plants.
When you bring home new plants, keep them away from your plant stash. They may be carrying pests, so to avoid spreading them quarantine the plants. Also, treat your new plants right off the bat. Only one or two treatments may be necessary before you introduce them to your other plant children.
3.) Keep Outdoor Plants Outdoors and Indoor Plants Indoors.
Spider mites often come from outside and latch on to your plants. By bringing an outdoor plant inside, you may be introducing a whole tribe of pests, and not just spider mites, to the indoor plants. If you live in an area where you have to move plants from out to in, make sure to follow the same rules for new plants that you buy. Treat and quarantine before bringing them back into the fold.
4.) Be especially aware of plants near open windows.
Spider mites are also prone to entering through windows. The breeze brings them through the windows and into your house. Inspect these plants more often than the others. Continue to open your windows to let the fresh air in, but just be aware.
5.) Treat plants regularly.
Even if it's once a month, treat your plants with insecticide or give them a good shower by spraying their leaves with water.
6.) Keep humidity levels high and plants well-watered.
Spider mites love dry conditions, so create an environment they don't like. If you don't already have one, buy a humidifier. If it's possible, avoid under-watering (but I get that this is just as hard as avoiding over-watering, so try your best).
Good Luck, Soldier!
I wish you the best in your fight(s) against spider mites. Feel free to reach out to the plant community on Instagram. Most of us have dealt with them and if this regimen doesn't work for you, try out others' tips and tricks!
Have you ever dealt with spider mites before? How did it end and do you have anymore tips to combat them? Leave a comment in the box below!
Happy Planting!
