Spider Mites

[Dewayne mater]

Ladybugs are a good choice early in the game. Once your plants are almost succumbing to the onslaught, they won't get the job done in my experience.

I'm guessing Miami, like Texas, the mite issue is intensified with additional heat and sun. If your plants are stressed by anything, in they move, and too much heat and sun are enough stress, even if you don't have disease. I get the argument that insecticides will wipe out indiscriminately, good and bad bugs, and then the bad ones takes over. However, I've had years where the only insecticide used was neem and b.t. and yet spider mites population goes wild. In harsh conditions, they thrive, and once they thrive, you either bring out the big guns, or you lose, imo.

Dewayne mater

[Tracydr]

Lady bugs vanished when we hit 105.
We may get some of the desert lady bugs, if I'm lucky. But I'd didnt see those until late August in really wicked, 115 degree heat last year.
And stress, lol. We hit 109 today. It's only May! This is not going to be a good year. Less than 10% humidity, too.

[desertlzbn]

I have some success using an igr. I am using Neemix 4.5, and I am not seeing many white flies at all. i don't think it helped with the bugs that look like micro mini grasshoppers.

[Garf]

Originally Posted by Tracydr

Lady bugs vanished when we hit 105.
We may get some of the desert lady bugs, if I'm lucky. But I'd didnt see those until late August in really wicked, 115 degree heat last year.
And stress, lol. We hit 109 today. It's only May! This is not going to be a good year. Less than 10% humidity, too.

I think i'll stay in the swamps of Miami.

[Tracydr]

I'm considering the Neemix. Just looking at other miticide ideas as well, especially since I have ivermectin and will need to order Neemix, or even Neem oil.
I did spray with Adams flea shampoo with IGR and a bit of veggie oil this past weekend. Plants do look better.
They didn't look bad. Just a bit of mite damage.
White flies are isolated to the eggplants, which don't seem bothered.
I did have a baby jalapeño die, looks like mites.

[desertlzbn]

Check to see if you have a crop production services up there, it its easy to open an account, that way you can have access to the products that the "professionals" use. You could also look for a horticulture supply house.

[attml]

I had spider mites on my JD's Special C-Tex already this year. Out of 48 plants I am not sure why they chose that plant exclusively? I used Captain Jacks Dead Bug brew by Bonide http://www.bonide.com/products/produ...ategory_id=250 and it cleaned them off of the plant. It has Spinosad in it and it didn't hurt the plant. I was very impressed with the results! Good luck!
Mark

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by delltraveller

I've been trying out a spray of 50% rubbing alcohol/ 50% water on some plants with signs of spider mites. Jury's still out on the effectiveness.

Let me know how this works. I've heard of using it for houseplants.

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by attml

I had spider mites on my JD's Special C-Tex already this year. Out of 48 plants I am not sure why they chose that plant exclusively? I used Captain Jacks Dead Bug brew by Bonide http://www.bonide.com/products/produ...ategory_id=250 and it cleaned them off of the plant. It has Spinosad in it and it didn't hurt the plant. I was very impressed with the results! Good luck!
Mark

My JDs is the hardest hit. I'm about to pull it to get it out of the garden. It's not done well anyway. No fruitset, smallest plant in the garden. KBX has a lot of mite damage on the bottom but still looks healthy and is big, blooming, although no fruit set. O'Sena Green will leave with JDs.
This is all starting on the south and west side of the garden. The heat sink of the west wall and the amount of sun on that side, despit overhead shade, must be stressing the plants.
Last year, my plants on that end succumbed earliest, too, although I had a great tomato year and didn't have anything die until July, when I lost some to a wilt.
I might get another shade up on the south. Not much I can do about the wall on the west side. I wonder if I grew a bunch of heat hardy vines on that wall if it would help?

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by desertlzbn

Check to see if you have a crop production services up there, it its easy to open an account, that way you can have access to the products that the "professionals" use. You could also look for a horticulture supply house.

Looks like there's one in Chandler. It's quite a hike but in about a week I need to go that direction to pick up chicken feed so I'll check it out. ( I get organic feed with a group order every three months)

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by attml

I had spider mites on my JD's Special C-Tex already this year. Out of 48 plants I am not sure why they chose that plant exclusively? I used Captain Jacks Dead Bug brew by Bonide http://www.bonide.com/products/produ...ategory_id=250 and it cleaned them off of the plant. It has Spinosad in it and it didn't hurt the plant. I was very impressed with the results! Good luck!
Mark

I got spinosad yesterday, even though it's not really considered a miticide. Thinking about mixing with some soap, molasses and seaweed/fish emulsion.
Does soap and/or molasses count as a non-ionic adjuvant?

[Heritage]

Originally Posted by Tracydr

Does soap and/or molasses count as a non-ionic adjuvant?

I think soap is anionic and wouldn't work the same as a nonionic adjuvant. Unless the label calls for an adjuvant, I wouldn't add one.

Also, I see you are considering ivermectin. I use abemectin [Agrimec, Avid] for mite and leaf miner control on dahlias and it works well. It is very important to rotate it with another miticide so that a resistance doesn't develop. I never use it more than twice in succession. I believe abemectin has been labeled for tomatoes in recent years. I think it is still a "restricted use" pesticide in California. (but not sure)

Spinosad sounds promising, I'm going to try it on tomatoes for mite control this season.

Steve

[Heritage]

Also, as you've probably figured, it is important to get a sprayer with a nozzle that 'rotates' so you can turn it upwards to spray under the leaves. With contact miticides it is important to have complete spray coverage.

[b54red]

Last year we had a very prolonged drought with very high temperatures and along with it came a devastating spider mite population. I tried just about everything starting with Neem which worked well when the population was just getting started but it seemed to get less effective with each spraying. I found the same thing happened with the pesticides Pyrethrin and Permethrin. I had better success by rotating every spraying with a different substance for a while but eventually, even getting to the point of spraying every few days, the mites just got worse. I finally tried a mix of Permethrin, soapy water(to penetrate the webs) and an Insect Growth Regulator finally stopped them and reduced my whitefly population greatly. It only took two applications about a week apart thoroughly coating the undersides of the leaves and even the mulch under the plants late in the evening. They haven't made much of an appearance so far this year because of the ladybugs; but the ladybugs are starting to leave so I'm keeping a close eye out for them. This time I will start with the IGR and hope it works as well as last year.

[Skaggydog]

Originally Posted by kurt

Ladybugs are cheaper(Im sorry "less expensive") than a bottle of chemicals.They will stop the life cycle of the critters.And while they are eating they also polinate at the same time.Two for one.

Ladybugs, Ladybugs fly away home.