Any good systemic insecticides?
 

I amm starting to bring in newly dug and other potted bananas. They are already starting with the spider mite problems. Are there any good systemic insecticides I can use instead of spraying all the time? Last winter I tried washing down the leaves and the "soapy" water spray method, but they always returned.:waving:

Re: Any good systemic insecticides?
 

You probably know that systemics are never used on fruiting plants, otherwise you (or someone) will eat the poison.

I have yet to find a systemic that advertises control of spider mites for more than 4 to 6 weeks. For example, try this search: site:www.bayeradvanced.com mites systemic

Re: Any good systemic insecticides?
 

You might consider beneficial insects. Here is a link:
Natural Organic Pest Control Products from the Carolina Bug Farm

Re: Any good systemic insecticides?
 

thanks scot im going to order some of the bugs for my gardan for nexst year i have spider mite realy bad perticulerly on my roses i have tried the spraing them off with water thing and its not at all afectiv

Re: Any good systemic insecticides?
 

I am getting replies, but they won't come up on the screen. Help!

Re: Any good systemic insecticides?
 

I tried the Predator mites, and they work OK if you have a bad infestation, but they don't do much for mites in small numbers. Plus they are pretty expensive.

I have yet to find a really effective way of controlling spider mites - other than spraying them off with water every few weeks (at least it's not chemicals). Aphids are the same way, and even though chemicals always kill them for me, they bounce back so fast it's impossible to keep them under control at times.

This year I'm going to use Neem since everyone swears by it. Lately I've had a big problem with mealy bugs (especially on my pothos). So they are on my "insects of evil" list.

Re: Any good systemic insecticides?
 

We had a thread previously about remedies for these issues.
See this thread:
http://www.bananas.org/f2/spider-mites-4943.html#post41447

If this link doesn't work, just do a search for Diatomaceous Earth then find the thread "Spider Mites"

Re: Any good systemic insecticides?
 

Water is a chemical, so I'm guessing you meant synthetic chemical. And even with those, spider mites can be tough "evil" bugs to get rid of. Neem oil kills them by suffocation -- the oil interferes with their ability to respirate. By the way, not all Neem oil products are 100% non-synthetic -- some are fortified with synthetic versions of Chrysanthemum oil. If this concerns you, read the label and the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) which most manufacturers post online.

Re: Any good systemic insecticides?
 

Good point on the H20, I did indeed mean synthetics. Neem mostly makes nervous for two reasons. One, can't really spray it indoors, so you have to treat ahead of time. But that means protecting the plants from the sun after spraying. So hopefully I can do this without burning anything.

Once I bring them in, hopefully I can just use water the rest of the winter to fight things off. That's why I put the tarps up around the entire garage this year - won't have to worry about spraying water onto the drywall this year.

Re: Any good systemic insecticides?
 

What is stopping you from spraying Neem oil indoors?

Re: Any good systemic insecticides?
 

Thanks Richard, I was going to ask that, as Neem is recommended for indoor use as far as I know!!!:bananas_b

Re: Any good systemic insecticides?
 

The smell for starters, LOL - the wife doesn't much care for that aroma. But the garage and GH's would be OK - I might keep that an option after all then.

Re: Any good systemic insecticides?
 

Thanks everyone!

Re: Any good systemic insecticides?
 

In field tests Admire Pro beats everything else short of Temek (which will hurt you in ways you cannot imagine).

If you are solely interested in the holistic route:

Step 1: Spray, then Drench @ 1% Hydrogen Peroxide @ 72 hours for 12 days.

Step 2: Spray, Dr. Bronners Pepermint Soap @ 10% @ 72 hours for 12 days.

Step 3: 1 part cheapest Antispetic mouthwash you can find to 1 part low TDS H2O (Distilled Water or if you have a rain harvesting method this is even lower in TDS than distilled).

Then take one can of WD40 and spray it into the mixture of Antispetic/Low TDS H2O to act as a binding agent, usually 1.5 - 2%. Repeat Folilar spray as needed (which should be every 10 days in temperate climates and every 5 in sub tropics.)

Hope this helps~!

Kind regards,

John

Re: Any good systemic insecticides?
 

Forgot to mention, the Antispetic/H2O/WD40 is far more effective than Neem and gasses off volatiles quickly.

Shake vigorously in the sprayer before each use, keeps for months~!

Re: Any good systemic insecticides?
 

If they're not fruiting type bananas, ornamentals like bordelon, basjoo, velutinas, ornatas and e. maurelii can be sprayed with avid for spider mites. You can't use it on edibles. Also on ornamentals, you can use marathon systemic for aphids, whiteflies and other bad crawlies. But again, not on fruitings.
The good thing about both of these is that Marathon is systemic, so it lasts a long time. Avid is translaminar, which means if you hit the top of the leaves good, it goes through to the bottom where the bugs actually are. You don't really want to use either one more than once a year so that your bugs don't get resistant, then even these won't work.
The down side, both are expensive!~

Re: Any good systemic insecticides?
 

Out here in San Diego County we were invaded two years ago by a tiny moth that looks a lot like white fly (also a tiny moth) but doesn't make the gooey nests. This pest also transmits a troublesome tomato virus. Well it also started having a great time with the local dandelions and also the fresh flower industry here. The flower industry sprayed like crazy with pesticides, and now the pest is immune to several, including Avid. The local tomato farmers about had a fit because now they have to spray weekly with a mixture that will drive the bugs away and not hurt the tomatoes (some use a mixture of pyrethrins and aromatic oils). I'm having to do the same thing on my Fuchsias. In a fortunate turn of events, only one of my tomato plants is of interest to these rascals. They devastated my melons, though.