Spider Mites: How to spot them and prevent infestations
Written by Plant Sit
Illustration by Cassie Brock
One of the scariest things to face as a plant owner is bugs, and there are a couple of really common ones we need to be aware of. TODAY WE’LL FOCUS ON the terrifying spider mite.
What are SPIDER MITES?
Spider Mites are not true insects, they’re actually a type of arachnid, relatives of spiders, ticks and scorpions, which explains why they are so creepy.
How can you spot SPIDER MITES?
The adults are a reddish-brown or pale in colour, oval-shaped and very small (the size of a full stop!) making them incredibly hard to spot. Babies are similar to the adults, except only smaller. Helpful.
They tend to live in colonies on the undersides of leaves, and they may spin protective silk webs. And if that wasn’t bad enough, they feed by piercing leaf tissue and sucking up the plant fluids. So more like a spider/vampire hybrid of the plant world, really.
Even if you haven’t spotted the mites yet, you might be able to see their feeding marks as they show up as light dots on the leaves. As the feast continues, the leaves turn yellow and may dry up and drop off, and this is often when we really notice the infestation.
Why do plants get SPIDER MITES?
It’s hard to say why, but spider mites are most common in hot, dry conditions, especially where their natural enemies (Greenfly, Mealybugs etc) have been killed off by insecticide use. This is why they are common in house plants, as their natural enemies often don’t occur indoors.
Is there any way to control them?
Yes, and luckily we have tried & tested lots of different methods at Plant Sit:
Firstly we want to get rid of the visible bugs by cleaning both sides of the leaves with soapy water.
If the infestation is really bad at this stage it is best to change the soil. Remove from the pot, get rid of the old soil & (gently) wash the roots.
Thoroughly clean the pot (including the outer decorative pot) and repot again with fresh soil.
Now that visible signs have disappeared, it is best to use a treatment. There are so many different ones out there, but good old Baby Bio bug spray often works a treat. This is usually reapplied every 2 weeks until your plant shows signs of recovery.
Repeat steps if needed.
Preventative Tip
If your plants are prone to bugs, or if you are worried about getting them, a good preventative treatment to use is a mixture of water, neem oil (one capful) & washing up liquid (small squeeze) into a standard spray bottle. Works a treat sprayed onto leaves (the underside too!) and wiped around once a week.
If you are unsure about what to do or would like to chat with someone at Plant Sit, get in touch & we will be happy to help. Happy Halloween! 👻