Spider Mites

WindyCityzen · 10-24-2019, 05:19 PM

Brought my dwarf Cavendish in for the winter a couple weeks ago. I hosed it off well, and sprayed it with neem oil the day it came in. Only a week later, they were back with a vengeance. So I repeated. Same thing again. This time, I hosed it down and wiped the leaves with a damp sponge. Seems to be better. How often can I spray this guy with neem oil without hurting it? I have another banana in a container, but I've never seen mites like this before.

cincinnana · 10-24-2019, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WindyCityzen

Brought my dwarf Cavendish in for the winter a couple weeks ago. I hosed it off well, and sprayed it with neem oil the day it came in. Only a week later, they were back with a vengeance. So I repeated. Same thing again. This time, I hosed it down and wiped the leaves with a damp sponge. Seems to be better. How often can I spray this guy with neem oil without hurting it? I have another banana in a container, but I've never seen mites like this before.

Quite playing..

I was trying to be nice to them.....but they were winning.
I had to use the option........Malathion
Spray the pots and surrounding area numerous times.
Or better yet put he plants aside from your other stock for a week and spray for the critters.

Many gardeners fail to treat the surrounding area and containers for pests and they soon repopulate plant .

.
https://www.google.com/search?q=mala...w=1280&bih=634

Fern collection

by Hostafarian,
on Flickr

subsonicdrone · 10-24-2019, 08:24 PM

i have bought phytoseiulus persimilis and also neoseiulus californicus
there is also amblyseius swirskii, fallacis neoseiulus, neoseiulus cucumeris, feltiella acarisuga

and i am sure there are many others
some of these can be pricey

2000 phytoseiulus persimilis is $30 plus $10 shipping CAD here

WindyCityzen · 10-24-2019, 09:25 PM

I’m a little reluctant to release more mites into my living room. I’m not a greenhouse grower. My bananas (and lemons) grow in pot on my patio and come into my home for winter. Maybe I’ll give it a try though

subsonicdrone · 10-25-2019, 04:43 AM

i used to use a sponge and soapy water
also i had a phase of spraying soapy water and possibly because i was using tap water
the plants became unhappy essentially because they were getting a foliar feed of the wrong proportion
if you wipe or spray with soapy water repeatedly you should use distilled water
also the mites dont like high humidity (another hard one to accomplish in the living room)
someone from the forum gave me that distilled water tip... thanks again!
oh yeah spider mites like citrus as well
one product i almost got this year was cryptolaemus montrouzieri for scale/mealybug
but the price tag scared me off
i will continue to scrub them off with a toothbrush, sponge etc
i may end up getting them still because you can spend MANY hours scrubbing throughout the winter

beam2050 · 10-25-2019, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cincinnana

Quite playing......

I was trying to be NICE.....but they were winning.
I had to use the option.
Spray the pots and surrounding area numerous times.
Or better yet put he plants aside from your other stock for a week and spray for the critters.

Many gardeners fail to treat the surrounding area and containers for pests.

.
https://www.google.com/search?q=mala...w=1280&bih=634

Fern collection

by Hostafarian,
on Flickr

guys in the white coats are looking for you.

nice layout. must be mean mowing.

mushtaq86 · 10-25-2019, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WindyCityzen

Brought my dwarf Cavendish in for the winter a couple weeks ago. I hosed it off well, and sprayed it with neem oil the day it came in. Only a week later, they were back with a vengeance. So I repeated. Same thing again. This time, I hosed it down and wiped the leaves with a damp sponge. Seems to be better. How often can I spray this guy with neem oil without hurting it? I have another banana in a container, but I've never seen mites like this before.

Hi WindyCityzen

Red spider mites are dreaded nightmare for us container hobbyists, who bring their banana plants indoors in the winter months.

It only takes about roughly a week from seeing a few spider mites on your leaves, to a full army, deteriorating all the leaves if left untreated.

Pesticides I used 10 years ago on them do not work, they became immune to them.

Neem oil is the best solution using on spider mites as moist leaves keeps them in check, make sure any new roller is quickly sprayed with Neem oil, when unfurled, spray once a week until taken outside in spring, also make sure not too much Neem oil is put into the spray bottle, as you will kill the banana plant by blocking the stoma on the leaves, for the plant to breathe, as happened to me in the past.

Humidifiers are supposed to work well, on red spider mites,but I have never tried them.

barrie · 10-25-2019, 05:32 PM

In my greenhouse, I use insecticidal smoke bombs containing permethrin...found them very effective on spider mites and also kills off adult vine weevils.
Not so effective on aphids, unfortunately.

10-24-2019, 05:19 PM	#1 (permalink)
WindyCityzen Join Date: Jul 2019 Posts: 23 BananaBucks : 11,062 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 5 Times Was Thanked 30 Times in 13 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Spider Mites Brought my dwarf Cavendish in for the winter a couple weeks ago. I hosed it off well, and sprayed it with neem oil the day it came in. Only a week later, they were back with a vengeance. So I repeated. Same thing again. This time, I hosed it down and wiped the leaves with a damp sponge. Seems to be better. How often can I spray this guy with neem oil without hurting it? I have another banana in a container, but I've never seen mites like this before.

10-24-2019, 08:24 PM	#3 (permalink)
subsonicdrone Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 1,303 BananaBucks : 14,179 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 4,652 Times Was Thanked 1,851 Times in 637 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Spider Mites i have bought phytoseiulus persimilis and also neoseiulus californicus there is also amblyseius swirskii, fallacis neoseiulus, neoseiulus cucumeris, feltiella acarisuga and i am sure there are many others some of these can be pricey 2000 phytoseiulus persimilis is $30 plus $10 shipping CAD here

10-24-2019, 09:25 PM	#4 (permalink)
WindyCityzen Join Date: Jul 2019 Posts: 23 BananaBucks : 11,062 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 5 Times Was Thanked 30 Times in 13 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Spider Mites I’m a little reluctant to release more mites into my living room. I’m not a greenhouse grower. My bananas (and lemons) grow in pot on my patio and come into my home for winter. Maybe I’ll give it a try though

10-25-2019, 04:43 AM	#5 (permalink)
subsonicdrone Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 1,303 BananaBucks : 14,179 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 4,652 Times Was Thanked 1,851 Times in 637 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Spider Mites i used to use a sponge and soapy water also i had a phase of spraying soapy water and possibly because i was using tap water the plants became unhappy essentially because they were getting a foliar feed of the wrong proportion if you wipe or spray with soapy water repeatedly you should use distilled water also the mites dont like high humidity (another hard one to accomplish in the living room) someone from the forum gave me that distilled water tip... thanks again! oh yeah spider mites like citrus as well one product i almost got this year was cryptolaemus montrouzieri for scale/mealybug but the price tag scared me off i will continue to scrub them off with a toothbrush, sponge etc i may end up getting them still because you can spend MANY hours scrubbing throughout the winter

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