soobak0313

I was looking at my dwarf cavendish(The first and the only banana I am growing right now, which is in my profile picture.) and found there was a tiny web, and tiny spider-like insects(1mm in length, I think) moving there. I just sprayed insect killer, and I wonder if they are really spider mites, and how should I do if they are real spider mites. I'm growing my DC indoors with a lot of other plants including Alocasia and Rubber tree, and I'm afraid of my lovely plants dying because of them.

I'm not that afraid of BBTV as there haven't been any report about BBTV infection in Korea 'till now.

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Soobak0313
Location :
Cheongju city, North Chungcheong province, South Korea (Hardiness zone 8a)
Daejeon Metropolitan City, South Korea (Hardiness zone 7a)

LilRaverBoi

If it's spider mites, which it very possibly is (they love indoor tropicals), then I would suggest one of three methods for treatment:

1) Spray the plant off once a day in the shower (if it's the small one in the pic) for a few weeks. Make sure to get underneath the leaves, in the cracks of the midrib, etc. rubbing with a cloth gently. Heavy misting with a mister bottle can also do about the same thing. Be sure not to over-water/soak the soil each time you do this...maybe cover the soil with plastic so the water runs off the soil, but gets where it needs to go otherwise on the foliage.

2) Buy some neem oil and make a solution of approx. 1-2 Tbsp per gallon and spray onto the leaves with a mister bottle. This not only kills adults by suffocation, but also is supposed to kill eggs (or prevent them from hatching). Again, get underneath leaves as well as above....thorough coverage! Probably a good idea to rub the leaves over with a wet rag before treatment to remove some of the population and help in treatment efficacy. Retreat in about a week.

3) Make a solution of vegetable oil, suave brand coconut shampoo (not sure if that's available in your area, but a cheap generic shampoo should work) and water. Spray on leaves as stated above. Retreat in about a week.

Those are some treatments I have found to be somewhat effective. Mind you, spider mites can be difficult to get rid of entirely indoors. You will probably need to retreat periodically and keep a keen eye on the look-out for signs of repopulation. Overall, spider mites hate air-circulation and moisture, so a humid environment with some air flow is helpful in keeping them from getting out of hand. Also, consider treating other plants that are in the same area as the affected plant/s. I know spider mites like alocasia as well.

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BANANA RAVE!
Feel the beat from start to stop, dancin' and movin' from bottom to top!
lilraverboi@genxglow.com
RIP Tog Tan. We love you and will always remember you!
I'm Bryan with a Y! There is no 'I' in BRYAN!

venturabananas

Good advice from Ryan. And you don't need to worry about BBTV and spider mites because the only known vector is banana aphids.

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soobak0313

Well, I heard from an article that spider mites can spread BBTV, and if banana aphids are the only vectors then I think the atricle was wrong. Anyway, I think I don't have to worry about BBTV even if they were banana aphids, because there is only a few people growing banana here, and none of them have reported BBTV infection before.

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Soobak0313
Location :
Cheongju city, North Chungcheong province, South Korea (Hardiness zone 8a)
Daejeon Metropolitan City, South Korea (Hardiness zone 7a)

soobak0313

Well, how much vegetable oil and shampoo should I put in water to make the solution in 3)?

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Soobak0313
Location :
Cheongju city, North Chungcheong province, South Korea (Hardiness zone 8a)
Daejeon Metropolitan City, South Korea (Hardiness zone 7a)

LilRaverBoi

Honestly, I don't really measure it...just kinda squirt some in a spray bottle. Maybe a tablespoon of each? It's mostly water with a dash of the oil/shampoo.

__________________
BANANA RAVE!
Feel the beat from start to stop, dancin' and movin' from bottom to top!
lilraverboi@genxglow.com
RIP Tog Tan. We love you and will always remember you!
I'm Bryan with a Y! There is no 'I' in BRYAN!