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Beside myself with spider mites... How can I kill these things off once and for all?


chad2468emr

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I have tried everything I have easy access to; both organic and not. I searched the forum on here, but most of the recommendations say "just use insecticidal soap" and that's not cutting it. 

I tried the commercial soap sprays. I tried malathion. I have also tried Tau-fluvalinate / Tebuconazole combo spray. Anything I use seems to work for a day or so and then when I check the next day, I find spots with a dozen or so little red demons crawling around. 

I make sure to get every underside of each leaf when I spray. I mean I really soak the things and I spray hard to remove as many as possible. The Tau-fluvalinate / Tebuconazole combo spray I used is supposed to be systemic, but how long does that take to take effect? It rained several hours after I used it yesterday. Everything had dried before hand, but I may give it another go just in-case.

Is there anything I can use that will just nuke these suckers? I have them on almost every palm I own at this point, even with taking action at the first sign of them two weeks ago. They just keep coming back. I'm all for organic solutions when possible, but I have thousands of dollars worth of palms at stake here, and I'm really not interested in risking that. Even if I spray with soap every other day, I watch leaves get yellower and yellower, and I'm over it.

Does anything that's supposed to kill these things actually work? 

Former South Florida resident living in the Greater Orlando Area, zone 9b.

Constantly wishing I could still grow zone 10 palms worry-free, but also trying to appease my strange fixation with Washingtonias. 

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Sevin dust for potted, liquid sevin for plants in ground as well as canopy trees above. Only insecticides will work, repeat as needed.

Elemental sulfur will help discourage the mites, but will not cure the problem.

 

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5 minutes ago, amh said:

Forgot to mention that Tebuconazole is a fungicide...

Yeah, that was in the "Fungus, Mite, and Insecticide" spray I used, so that makes sense! haha Good to know i've got some fungicide on-hand now as a result, though. haha

24 minutes ago, GottmitAlex said:

Potted or in ground palms?

Potted, forgot to mention that. 

15 minutes ago, amh said:

Sevin dust for potted...

Is this systemic at all? After a quick googling, I see that it doesn't really mention working on spider mites. I feel like it would be really hard to apply or get the dust to settle on the bottoms of fronds / leaves, which is where 90% of the mites I'm dealing with are. Any tips on that? How often do you have to reapply? Do you find that this work really quickly? 

Former South Florida resident living in the Greater Orlando Area, zone 9b.

Constantly wishing I could still grow zone 10 palms worry-free, but also trying to appease my strange fixation with Washingtonias. 

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Insecticides do not work with spider mites, which are related to spiders. You need to get a targeted miticide. Miticides are expensive and toxic. I alternate Avid (generic Ardent) and, I believe, the generic of Forbid. If you get only one, try Avid/Ardent. I use two to prevent mites from developing resistance. Eight ounces of concentrate for each costs ~$100 but you need only about 1/2 tsp per gallon of water in a pressure sprayer. Always use miticides outdoors on a calm day and wear a mask and gloves. Mix miticide and water in a pressure sprayer and apply to all parts of your palms, including undersides of leaves. Every fall I get spider mite attacks from Nov. through early spring. I apply alternating miticides every 2-3 months during winter dry season.

Mite infestations spread fast and can be quickly lethal. I lost a potted Areca catechu dwarf to one before I bit the bullet and bought my Avid. Now I treat my potted palms proactively starting every November. You will never be rid of mites with a treatment. They always rebound when conditions are right - here in FL during dry season. 

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Meg

Palms of Victory I shall wear

Cape Coral (It's Just Paradise)
Florida
Zone 10A on the Isabelle Canal
Elevation: 15 feet

I'd like to be under the sea in an octopus' garden in the shade.

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39 minutes ago, chad2468emr said:

I have tried everything I have easy access to; both organic and not. I searched the forum on here, but most of the recommendations say "just use insecticidal soap" and that's not cutting it. 

I tried the commercial soap sprays. I tried malathion. I have also tried Tau-fluvalinate / Tebuconazole combo spray. Anything I use seems to work for a day or so and then when I check the next day, I find spots with a dozen or so little red demons crawling around. 

I make sure to get every underside of each leaf when I spray. I mean I really soak the things and I spray hard to remove as many as possible. The Tau-fluvalinate / Tebuconazole combo spray I used is supposed to be systemic, but how long does that take to take effect? It rained several hours after I used it yesterday. Everything had dried before hand, but I may give it another go just in-case.

Is there anything I can use that will just nuke these suckers? I have them on almost every palm I own at this point, even with taking action at the first sign of them two weeks ago. They just keep coming back. I'm all for organic solutions when possible, but I have thousands of dollars worth of palms at stake here, and I'm really not interested in risking that. Even if I spray with soap every other day, I watch leaves get yellower and yellower, and I'm over it.

Does anything that's supposed to kill these things actually work? 

Mite-specific insecticides will help but you also have to break their life cycle.. Soaps, etc will kill those on the plants but, when eggs ( in the soil ) hatch, you're back to square one.. So treat repeatedly and that should knock them down until gone.  If possible, might increase the air flow around your plants.. Is supposed to help detur them. Same with squirting down the plants every so often.  Can be really bad here ( on my Plumeria esp. )  due to dust/lack of wind, rainfall.. and that's on plants kept outdoors under my patio/ shade cloth. Hate them.

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1 minute ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Mite-specific insecticides will help but you also have to break their life cycle.. Soaps, etc will kill those on the plants but, when eggs ( in the soil ) hatch, you're back to square one.. So treat repeatedly and that should knock them down until gone.  If possible, might increase the air flow around your plants.. Is supposed to help detur them. Same with squirting down the plants every so often.  Can be really bad here ( on my Plumeria esp. )  due to dust/lack of wind, rainfall.. and that's on plants kept outdoors under my patio/ shade cloth. Hate them.

So just daily spray-downs with soaps? Honestly since it's non-toxic and I don't have to be so careful where I spray, whether its dry before I let the dog out, etc,  I wouldn't mind doing that daily as long as it works, haha. Do you make your own or do you have a commercial one you recommend? 

Is there any risk of using these soaps so much on seedlings or any of my palms? If a bunch of the soap gets in the soil, will it hurt their roots if used in excess? 

Former South Florida resident living in the Greater Orlando Area, zone 9b.

Constantly wishing I could still grow zone 10 palms worry-free, but also trying to appease my strange fixation with Washingtonias. 

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21 minutes ago, chad2468emr said:

Yeah, that was in the "Fungus, Mite, and Insecticide" spray I used, so that makes sense! haha Good to know i've got some fungicide on-hand now as a result, though. haha

Potted, forgot to mention that. 

Is this systemic at all? After a quick googling, I see that it doesn't really mention working on spider mites. I feel like it would be really hard to apply or get the dust to settle on the bottoms of fronds / leaves, which is where 90% of the mites I'm dealing with are. Any tips on that? How often do you have to reapply? Do you find that this work really quickly? 

It wipes out spider mites and aphids, fast. I use it on vegetables/fruit plants, palms, cycads, and everything else.

The dust should work by applying to the tops of the fronds, but the liquid can be sprayed on the bottoms.

Dusting your yard with sulfur will also help deter mites at ground level.

Again, I do not have experience with fluvalinate, but it is less deadly to bees.

Check all warning labels for pet toxicity, especially if you have cats.

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3 minutes ago, chad2468emr said:

So just daily spray-downs with soaps? Honestly since it's non-toxic and I don't have to be so careful where I spray, whether its dry before I let the dog out, etc,  I wouldn't mind doing that daily as long as it works, haha. Do you make your own or do you have a commercial one you recommend? 

Is there any risk of using these soaps so much on seedlings or any of my palms? If a bunch of the soap gets in the soil, will it hurt their roots if used in excess? 

Tough to say, others here would have better suggestions regarding the stronger stuff..  Regardless of what you use, definitely let it dry before allowing your Dog/ other animals you might have anywhere near the plants, esp. if you end up having to use any of the heavy duty options.  Follow any advise shared/directions very carefully..

I personally would just cut off leaves on the Plumeria that were being attacked the most ( obviously can't do that w/ palms ), and spray down the others w/ water.. Really try to avoid anything chemical myself..  Whats weird is they were the only things the spider mites went after and in some cases, some were magnets while others, sitting next to those plants, had few/ no mites on them. We had no real rain all summer and w/ the excessive heat, mites didn't get knocked down like they normally would once our Monsoon season starts. I ended up cutting back some of the Plumeria which were infested the worst.  Like Meg mentioned, you never really get rid of them.. When conditions are right, they're already planning out their re-invasion.

The only issue w/ using anything Chemical, as mentioned, is the darn things can build up an immunity to X chemical over time which is why you may end up having to rotate what you use for control. ..Or is what i have been told/read numerous times..

Not sure if soap would hurt seedlings.. Perhaps some might be more sensitive to it than others?

 

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29 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Mite-specific insecticides will help but you also have to break their life cycle.. Soaps, etc will kill those on the plants but, when eggs ( in the soil ) hatch, you're back to square one.. So treat repeatedly and that should knock them down until gone.  If possible, might increase the air flow around your plants.. Is supposed to help detur them. Same with squirting down the plants every so often.  Can be really bad here ( on my Plumeria esp. )  due to dust/lack of wind, rainfall.. and that's on plants kept outdoors under my patio/ shade cloth. Hate them.

Yes airflow will help.

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3 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Tough to say, others here would have better suggestions regarding the stronger stuff..  Regardless of what you use, definitely let it dry before allowing your Dog/ other animals you might have anywhere near the plants, esp. if you end up having to use any of the heavy duty options.  Follow any advise shared/directions very carefully..

I personally would just cut off leaves on the Plumeria that were being attacked the most ( obviously can't do that w/ palms ), and spray down the others w/ water.. Really try to avoid anything chemical myself..  Whats weird is they were the only things the spider mites went after and in some cases, some were magnets while others, sitting next to those plants, had few/ no mites on them. We had no real rain all summer and w/ the excessive heat, mites didn't get knocked down like they normally would once our Monsoon season starts. I ended up cutting back some of the Plumeria which were infested the worst.  Like Meg mentioned, you never really get rid of them.. When conditions are right, they're already planning out their re-invasion.

The only issue w/ using anything Chemical, as mentioned, is the darn things can build up an immunity to X chemical over time which is why you may end up having to rotate what you use for control. ..Or is what i have been told/read numerous times..

Not sure if soap would hurt seedlings.. Perhaps some might be more sensitive to it than others?

 

Potassium soaps are fairly safe for plants and animals, but I would not use more than once a week.

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Avid is the best I have ever used, it is expensive but it works. 

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Lived in Cape Coral, Miami, Orlando and St. Petersburg Florida.

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26 minutes ago, Palmaceae said:

Avid is the best I have ever used, it is expensive but it works. 

Haven't used, but should be very effective.

If you are adventurous and want to save money, you may try ivermectin liquid and water as a foliar spray.

I don't know what concentration you would need.

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5 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Insecticides do not work with spider mites, which are related to spiders. You need to get a targeted miticide. Miticides are expensive and toxic. I alternate Avid (generic Ardent) and, I believe, the generic of Forbid. If you get only one, try Avid/Ardent. I use two to prevent mites from developing resistance. Eight ounces of concentrate for each costs ~$100 but you need only about 1/2 tsp per gallon of water in a pressure sprayer. Always use miticides outdoors on a calm day and wear a mask and gloves. Mix miticide and water in a pressure sprayer and apply to all parts of your palms, including undersides of leaves. Every fall I get spider mite attacks from Nov. through early spring. I apply alternating miticides every 2-3 months during winter dry season.

Mite infestations spread fast and can be quickly lethal. I lost a potted Areca catechu dwarf to one before I bit the bullet and bought my Avid. Now I treat my potted palms proactively starting every November. You will never be rid of mites with a treatment. They always rebound when conditions are right - here in FL during dry season. 

I saw AVID mentioned elsewhere... I guess I’ll have to bite the bullet and get it. Or else go through endless soap spray and plants. I hate spraying the crazy toxic stuff because it makes me so paranoid about my dog (and myself for that matter) but I guess I’ll just be extra cautious. Thank you for the tip! 

Former South Florida resident living in the Greater Orlando Area, zone 9b.

Constantly wishing I could still grow zone 10 palms worry-free, but also trying to appease my strange fixation with Washingtonias. 

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9 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Mite-specific insecticides will help but you also have to break their life cycle.. Soaps, etc will kill those on the plants but, when eggs ( in the soil ) hatch, you're back to square one.. So treat repeatedly and that should knock them down until gone.  If possible, might increase the air flow around your plants.. Is supposed to help detur them. Same with squirting down the plants every so often.  Can be really bad here ( on my Plumeria esp. )  due to dust/lack of wind, rainfall.. and that's on plants kept outdoors under my patio/ shade cloth. Hate them.

Something often overlooked. I rotate between Avid and Ovid (an ovicide) if I get an outbreak in the greenhouse. Doesn’t happen as much now that I leave circulation fans on 24/7 and have improved my pot culture. But some plants are just mite magnets. 

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Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

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I would use sevin or malathion for backyard usage, they are much cheaper than the acanicides and will work for your home problems.

For closed environments like a green house, use the expensive stuff.

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Found Malathion to  work but it is now banned  in Europe(together with a lot of other organophosphorus pesticides) due to its toxicity. This class has been, to a great extent replaced by the synthetic pyrethroids which are supposed to be as effective but not so toxic. Can't say I find them to be as good but it prevents the hundreds of cases of O/P pesticide poisons yearly. Don't know what its like over in the States but whatever u us, wear the relevant protective wear

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20 minutes ago, konarikcy said:

Found Malathion to  work but it is now banned  in Europe(together with a lot of other organophosphorus pesticides) due to its toxicity. This class has been, to a great extent replaced by the synthetic pyrethroids which are supposed to be as effective but not so toxic. Can't say I find them to be as good but it prevents the hundreds of cases of O/P pesticide poisons yearly. Don't know what its like over in the States but whatever u us, wear the relevant protective wear

The synthetic pyrethroids are a little safer to mammals (excluding cats) and bird, but has the same negative effects on aquatic organisms and non-targeted invertebrates.

Malathion is still used for treating lice and mites in humans and other mammals in the US.

Malathion would probably be the best solution mentioned here for just home spider mite control.

Remember all of the treatments listed in this thread will require successive applications.

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A little worried about my indoor container ranch. These little web-builder keep setting up on my plumerias every few day after I spray them (product is Ortho 3 in 1, contains sulfur and pyrethrins). They turned my little hibiscus tree deciduous and it is just now struggling to put out new leaves. I have treated it many times with multiple products but now repeatedly with this. 

They haven't gone after my palms yet but I will have to stay vigilant. Its creeping me out since they seem to be able to take a plant down fast. Should I spray them to prevent and infection.  I dont wear any gear, so tired of putting gear on.

Maybe I should get arvid.

They seem to like fleshier plants. They go after all the produce in my garden, most particularly around the growth apex or flower buds (they love to set up shop in Brussel sprouts ).

 

 

 

 

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  • 2 months later...

Still dealing with those red suckers in one form or another... mostly on my larger palms that I can’t literally wipe each leaflet clean on. Tried literally everything but heavy duty miticides and I’m ready to make the leap for my mental health’s sake.

I don’t love the idea of using something as toxic as Avid that needs to be sprayed around in the air. I’ll definitely be getting one of those cheap hazmat suits, a mask, etc if I use it, but I live in a community of townhomes so I can only imagine what the neighbors will be thinking: “I’m calling the HOA!” And honestly I don’t love the idea of spraying it anywhere someone could accidentally poison themselves or their pet. 

Has anyone tried Kontos before? I love the idea of a systemic root drench miticide that I don’t need to spray through the air because it would seriously make me less stressed out. 

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9F0151AA-A0E3-4A01-8F04-378A85BD3458.thumb.jpeg.2c41b8462c1fff2e5fa0ea79f06c5b75.jpeg

Former South Florida resident living in the Greater Orlando Area, zone 9b.

Constantly wishing I could still grow zone 10 palms worry-free, but also trying to appease my strange fixation with Washingtonias. 

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4 hours ago, chad2468emr said:

Still dealing with those red suckers in one form or another... mostly on my larger palms that I can’t literally wipe each leaflet clean on. Tried literally everything but heavy duty miticides and I’m ready to make the leap for my mental health’s sake.

I don’t love the idea of using something as toxic as Avid that needs to be sprayed around in the air. I’ll definitely be getting one of those cheap hazmat suits, a mask, etc if I use it, but I live in a community of townhomes so I can only imagine what the neighbors will be thinking: “I’m calling the HOA!” And honestly I don’t love the idea of spraying it anywhere someone could accidentally poison themselves or their pet. 

Has anyone tried Kontos before? I love the idea of a systemic root drench miticide that I don’t need to spray through the air because it would seriously make me less stressed out. 

582BEC3A-F186-4BF1-B3E0-9D16689DCED2.thumb.jpeg.7a958b1da192afd3838d50337f606d82.jpeg

9F0151AA-A0E3-4A01-8F04-378A85BD3458.thumb.jpeg.2c41b8462c1fff2e5fa0ea79f06c5b75.jpeg

Have you tried malathion?

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most years i end up buying predator mites for my plants in the basement

indoors higher humidity helps the predator mites to out compete the mites

i am guessing these are outside though?

i have heard of people using high ph water and low ph water alternately for bugs and powdery mildew.. then maybe a rinse with regular water

the idea being to end up with the two cancelling out and leaving neutral ph

do this in the evening/night and rinse off before sun will be hitting the plant

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2 minutes ago, subsonicdrone said:

most years i end up buying predator mites for my plants in the basement

i am guessing these are outside though?

i have heard of people using high ph water and low ph water alternately for bugs and powdery mildew.. then maybe a rinse with regular water

the idea being to end up with the two cancelling out and leaving neutral ph

indoors higher humidity helps the predator mites to out compete the mites

Interesting thought about the high/low Ph water.. Higher humidity ( indoors or outside ) definitely helps tame these things.. Here in the Desert, have no issues w/ them outdoors this time of year but come summer, when it is roasting hot and extremely dry, they're back w/ a vengeance.. Until monsoon season starts, if it does..

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@amh I have out of desperation, but since it’s an insecticide and spider mites are arthropods, it’s doesn’t do anything. It smelled awful and was what most made me realize I’m not loving the idea of open-air spraying something as toxic as Avid. I mean, anything is possible with how much I hate these things but I think I’m going to give this root drench solution a shot first. 

@subsonicdrone Given that the legitimate poisons I’ve sprayed on these things only knock them back for several days at most, even with repeat treatments every 3 days, I’m just not willing to spend any more energy on alternative, wholistic options, haha. I thought neem + soap was making a difference for a while, but after spraying every other day for a week, I checked one of the plants and found a clump of 7 or so mites on the underside of a leaflet that I know had been saturated. I’ve placed 2K predatory mites on the trees twice, and it’s really only a 100 sq ft area, and I basically released them to never see them again and find nothing but red spider mites. Im so tired of knocking them back for 3 days only to have to try again... and again, and again. I’m ready to go nuclear.

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Former South Florida resident living in the Greater Orlando Area, zone 9b.

Constantly wishing I could still grow zone 10 palms worry-free, but also trying to appease my strange fixation with Washingtonias. 

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i have had little explosions of them on my plumeria

also scale and mealybug on my citrus

i have been plucking off the worst leaves and scrubbing with a toothbrush and soapy water the nearby leaves and the green parts of the stem

sometimes when the plants need watering and my humidifier runs out of water it gets pretty dry in there

i have noticed predators which i bought last winter which came inside with the plants this fall

(delphastus catalinae, persimilis and also the californicus)

trying to tackle the outbreaks manually to avoid purchasing more this year due to the cost

however i did find the bill from last year and it was march when i bought them so i have a long way to go still

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42 minutes ago, chad2468emr said:

@amh I have out of desperation, but since it’s an insecticide and spider mites are arthropods, it’s doesn’t do anything. It smelled awful and was what most made me realize I’m not loving the idea of open-air spraying something as toxic as Avid. I mean, anything is possible with how much I hate these things but I think I’m going to give this root drench solution a shot first. 

@subsonicdrone Given that the legitimate poisons I’ve sprayed on these things only knock them back for several days at most, even with repeat treatments every 3 days, I’m just not willing to spend any more energy on alternative, wholistic options, haha. I thought neem + soap was making a difference for a while, but after spraying every other day for a week, I checked one of the plants and found a clump of 7 or so mites on the underside of a leaflet that I know had been saturated. I’ve placed 2K predatory mites on the trees twice, and it’s really only a 100 sq ft area, and I basically released them to never see them again and find nothing but red spider mites. Im so tired of knocking them back for 3 days only to have to try again... and again, and again. I’m ready to go nuclear.

Both carbaryl and malathion will kill spider mites.

Insects are arthropods.

Avid contains abamectin which is an avermectin and is fairly safe for mammals with the exception of dogs.

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12 hours ago, chad2468emr said:

Has anyone tried Kontos before? I love the idea of a systemic root drench miticide that I don’t need to spray through the air because it would seriously make me less stressed out. 

I do not have experience with Kontos (spirotetramat), but it should be effective and relatively safe for home use.

 

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  • 3 months later...

I just want to share an ode to Forbid... (spiromesifen) This will probably sound like some fake Amazon review, but I hope I’ve been around here long enough for y’all to know I’m not being paid to say this hahaha. 

This stuff is a life saver. After a relentless battle with every organic option out there, some not-so-organic options, and some weird home made concoctions, this stuff is finally what worked. The large, red, demon mites that were infesting a few of my palms out front have been completely cleared away after a single use. I’ve had an outbreak of smaller, brown spider mites on an indoor cat palm and while those seemed to be more affected by other options than the red ones, they’d still come back. One forbid treatment after hauling it outdoors for the day and they’ve been gone for months. Same with my back patio. Had an outbreak of small spider mites there too with a majesty and some adjacent palms being covered in the things, and after one treatment, they’re all gone with the wind. 

I try to use environmentally friendly and organic options when possible, but after months of battling, this proved to be the only thing that actually worked. Can’t recommend the stuff enough! It’s not cheap, but you can buy small “sample” sizes on eBay for 1/10th the cost of a full bottle, and you need so little per gallon that this will probably last me over a year. 

 

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Former South Florida resident living in the Greater Orlando Area, zone 9b.

Constantly wishing I could still grow zone 10 palms worry-free, but also trying to appease my strange fixation with Washingtonias. 

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5 hours ago, chad2468emr said:

I just want to share an ode to Forbid... (spiromesifen) This will probably sound like some fake Amazon review, but I hope I’ve been around here long enough for y’all to know I’m not being paid to say this hahaha. 

This stuff is a life saver. After a relentless battle with every organic option out there, some not-so-organic options, and some weird home made concoctions, this stuff is finally what worked. The large, red, demon mites that were infesting a few of my palms out front have been completely cleared away after a single use. I’ve had an outbreak of smaller, brown spider mites on an indoor cat palm and while those seemed to be more affected by other options than the red ones, they’d still come back. One forbid treatment after hauling it outdoors for the day and they’ve been gone for months. Same with my back patio. Had an outbreak of small spider mites there too with a majesty and some adjacent palms being covered in the things, and after one treatment, they’re all gone with the wind. 

I try to use environmentally friendly and organic options when possible, but after months of battling, this proved to be the only thing that actually worked. Can’t recommend the stuff enough! It’s not cheap, but you can buy small “sample” sizes on eBay for 1/10th the cost of a full bottle, and you need so little per gallon that this will probably last me over a year. 

 

Did you purchase from eBay?  I saw that and was skeptical. 

Were most of your mites on indoor/outdoor potted plants such as majesties or were they in plants in the ground? 

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On 4/22/2021 at 2:32 PM, PricklyPearSATC said:

Did you purchase from eBay?  I saw that and was skeptical. 

Were most of your mites on indoor/outdoor potted plants such as majesties or were they in plants in the ground? 

Everything is potted. Mites have been on everything at some point, but I have two archontophoenix, a washie, and a crytostachys renda that they really seemed to love. And yup! Purchased from eBay. 

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Former South Florida resident living in the Greater Orlando Area, zone 9b.

Constantly wishing I could still grow zone 10 palms worry-free, but also trying to appease my strange fixation with Washingtonias. 

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  • 2 months later...

I've settled on things that contain "potassium salts of fatty acids" or neem oil. Barring the more expensive arvid, these seem to work better than insecticides (part-experience, part internet research that indicated pyrethrins promoted mite reproduction). The pyrethrins seemed not to help and I'm not convinced with malathion since I hear mixed reports.

Some kind of oily or soapy surfactant I think is best for me.  Super insectidal soap at least fends them off decently. Neem oil smell is really retched.

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On 6/26/2021 at 1:33 PM, Frond-friend42 said:

I've settled on things that contain "potassium salts of fatty acids" or neem oil. Barring the more expensive arvid, these seem to work better than insecticides (part-experience, part internet research that indicated pyrethrins promoted mite reproduction). The pyrethrins seemed not to help and I'm not convinced with malathion since I hear mixed reports.

Some kind of oily or soapy surfactant I think is best for me.  Super insectidal soap at least fends them off decently. Neem oil smell is really retched.

Murphy's oil soap

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  • 2 months later...

I don't know if anyone else does this, but here in the SE we have pretty high pest pressure (spider mites, thrips, mealybugs, aphids, white fly, cutworms, etc...) 

I simply use neem oil once a month or so (sometimes twice) in a garden hose sprayer between March - October and it has almost irradiated any major pest issue I have experienced for the last 3 years. I just hose everything down to the point of dripping each time I apply.

For cutworms, and canna leaf rollers I use spinosad or BT in a pump sprayer alternating from the week I used the neem. 

This year, I had no evidence of spider mites, no white fly, and no thrips that I have seen, but still plenty of beneficials like bees, ladybugs, and lacewings. 

I had a very small attach from cutworms - which we battle every year regardless - but nothing severely damaging. 

 

I like the organic options, because they don't seem to have accumulative environmental toxicity like many of the synthetic options have, and I don't have to worry about getting cancer or something worse if it gets on me accidentally. 

 

I also use it on my grass areas and have no fungal issues or chinch bugs whereas all of my neighbors have these issues. 

 

I would be interested to see if anyone else uses this approach to pest management on their palms, gardens, yards, and ornamentals. 

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I keep 99.9% of my palms indoors. As far as I can tell neem oil works pretty well and you give it a strong endorsement here. I could handle the smell better if I were using it outdoors.

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@Frond-friend42 yes the smell is definitely... unique. I find mixing it with peppermint oil castille soap helps a good bit. Outside the smell dissipates within a day or two.

This year I have trialed Dr. Earth insecticide products (mixture of essential oils) in combination with neem, and in a mixture of the two and found it to be just as successful and smell MUCH BETTER. 

 

I would strongly recommend the Dr. Earth product indoors as the smell of peppermint and rosemary is MUCH more pleasant indoors or out! 

However, I must point out that I am fairly sure that those oils do not possess the same insecticidal characteristics as neem. 

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I tried the formula above in the video I posted and have not been impressed with the results.

 

It smelled good but was really goopy and lots of mites came back (mainly they are drawn to my plumerias) next day. Some of these require low temps however, to work. So that might have been a factor since it gets hot in my green-space the majority of the time, rarely going below 80. 

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