Eco-friendly Spider Mite Control

Yellowing, speckled leaves and small spider webs are sure signs spider mites have taken up residence in your plants.

These tiny pests are members of the spider family. They suck plant juices causing the leaves to look somewhat silvery or bronze. As the population grows and feeding increases the leaves can turn yellow, brown and die. And by the time the webs are visible the mite population is very large.

So don’t wait for webs to appear. Check indoor plants regularly using the white paper test. Shake a damaged leaf or two over a sheet of white paper. The tiny spider mites can be seen scurrying across the paper.

Start treatment with a strong blast of water on the upper and lower leaf surfaces and stems. Follow with insecticidal soap or Neem. These eco-friendly products are effective against the mites yet safe for you, pets and children. Repeat weekly as needed.

A bit more information: Place large indoor plants on a plastic tarp to protect flooring when treating for mites. Or set the container in a garbage bag, secure the top of the bag around the stem, and shower to dislodge the mites. Then follow with the insecticidal soap or Neem. This makes clean up easy while keeping soil out of the drain.