Friday, January 25, 2008
Question/ Answer Spidermite infestation.
Question: Spidermite infestation, once it has been controlled, how
does one keep it from coming back? How and where do they come from and can
they be eradicated before hitting our plants?
Answer: First of all after control has been established over an indoor insect population the best thing to do is be vigilant, inspect your plants daily so that any eggs that were missed can be dealt with as soon as they hatch. Your plants will love you for it.
Spidermites can come with plants or cuttings that you bring to your indoor garden. Spidermites can travel on your clothes, on your shoes, on your pets, and with air currents! In order to thrive spidermites like warm, dry conditions - which generally can be found indoors. If you can lower your temperature to 70-72 degrees and/or add humidity (up to 65% depending on the type of plant) to your growing environment, pests such as spidermites may remain inactive - which means that you might see them on your plants but they won't be doing any damage.
Greenhouse workers have been known to change their clothes, and step with their shoes in shallow pans of bleach water before entering a greenhouse. Also if you have any vent openings in your indoor garden that lead to the outside, they should be screened to prevent insects from entering.
You can use the sticky substance "Tanglefoot" around the base of plants to prevent spidermites and crawling insects from moving from one plant to the next. Depending on the type of mite infestation you have, you can purchase and introduce predator mites (they are carnivorous mites) that will eat the spidermites that are harming your plants.
Spraying your plants with an oil based spray (turn your lights off or very high up until the plants are dry), will help protect the plant against an insect infestation. Weekly sprayings with Azatrol or Einstein Oil (sometimes every 2-3 days) can help control an insect infestation if one happens to gain a footing on the plants.
Hope this information helps, Good Luck!
Sincerely,
the LBC plantlady
does one keep it from coming back? How and where do they come from and can
they be eradicated before hitting our plants?
Answer: First of all after control has been established over an indoor insect population the best thing to do is be vigilant, inspect your plants daily so that any eggs that were missed can be dealt with as soon as they hatch. Your plants will love you for it.
Spidermites can come with plants or cuttings that you bring to your indoor garden. Spidermites can travel on your clothes, on your shoes, on your pets, and with air currents! In order to thrive spidermites like warm, dry conditions - which generally can be found indoors. If you can lower your temperature to 70-72 degrees and/or add humidity (up to 65% depending on the type of plant) to your growing environment, pests such as spidermites may remain inactive - which means that you might see them on your plants but they won't be doing any damage.
Greenhouse workers have been known to change their clothes, and step with their shoes in shallow pans of bleach water before entering a greenhouse. Also if you have any vent openings in your indoor garden that lead to the outside, they should be screened to prevent insects from entering.
You can use the sticky substance "Tanglefoot" around the base of plants to prevent spidermites and crawling insects from moving from one plant to the next. Depending on the type of mite infestation you have, you can purchase and introduce predator mites (they are carnivorous mites) that will eat the spidermites that are harming your plants.
Spraying your plants with an oil based spray (turn your lights off or very high up until the plants are dry), will help protect the plant against an insect infestation. Weekly sprayings with Azatrol or Einstein Oil (sometimes every 2-3 days) can help control an insect infestation if one happens to gain a footing on the plants.
Hope this information helps, Good Luck!
Sincerely,
the LBC plantlady
