Small and seemingly harmless can cause a lot of problems and. First, it spoils appearance flowers, secondly, leads to their death. But if you know how dangerous the spider mite is and how to deal with it, you can completely protect your garden from this.

Spider mite: pest description

The spider mite is a representative of the arachnid class. It is resistant to exposure, chemicals from ordinary ticks hardly have an effect on spider mite. The pest is red, yellow or orange.

The cobweb is one of the most common pests garden and.

Did you know? According to the Guinness Book of Records, the largest can reach 3.6 cm in length.

The cobweb is a very small tick, a small insect that has an oval shape and reaches a size of 0.4-1.0 mm. Some individuals with a good appetite can reach 2 mm. The body of the pest is covered with small bristles, placed very rarely.

Pests settle on the underside of the leaf. You can identify insect infestation by looking at the light dots on the surface of the leaf. After some time, they move to the upper side of the sheet.

Reproduction of pests occurs when the daylight hours are more than 14 hours and the air temperature is from 12 to 40 degrees. In difficult conditions, females hide in shelters and fall into diapause, during which life processes in the body slow down, which allows insects to exist for a long time without food.

The female pest comes to life immediately after the conditions become favorable, and begins to absorb a large amount of food and multiply. These insects do not tolerate moisture, so dry air is a favorable environment in the premises.

Did you know? The female cobweb lays more than 200, from which yellowish translucent larvae hatch.

The cobweb lives in gardens and vegetable gardens, but can easily get into the room - it can fly in with a gust of wind through an open window. The spider mite in this case is placed on indoor flowers and feeds on them.

Also, a flower mite can appear in a house on a bouquet of flowers or with land for planting, and the question arises: how from it. If a spider mite has appeared on houseplants, you need to know how to deal with it properly.

From the attack of a spider mite, ,, may suffer.

What harm can a spider mite cause to plants, signs of a pest

The most common types are common and red spider mite. Ordinary harms, and crops. Cell sap is the insect's favorite food. They pierce the surface of the leaves and infect the representatives of the flora, sucking out the juice and violating the structural integrity - the leaves dry out and crumble.

Since the insect is very small, it is difficult to detect it. A sign that the plant is sick is web. If insects accumulate in large numbers on the leaves, light spots are found, which form large white areas and increase in size.

On an infected flower, leaves and buds fall off, flowering stops. Most often, you can find a spider mite on or.

In the affected leaf, the intensity of photosynthesis slows down, which makes the flower sickly and susceptible to infectious diseases. The pest itself is a distributor of infections: gray rot, viral diseases.

Spider mite annoys many garden trees, shrubs and flowers: , , .

How to deal with spider mites

Let's look at how to deal with spider mites.

After the spider mite has appeared on the plants, it is necessary to immediately begin to fight it.

First, treat the plant with a solution of detergent or laundry soap. Use the solution warm. If you use this method, you will not get rid of the pest completely, but you can destroy a significant part.

If the cobweb appeared on single flowers, they must be removed. The fight against spider mites is, first of all, proper watering, after which the plants should be covered with plastic bags for three days.

Did you know? Many insects live without food for several years. For example, a scorpion can live without food for two years, and a tick for ten years.

Chemical methods of struggle, how to get rid of spider mites with the help of drugs

To get rid of the pest completely, make small drops of leaves. To do this, use phosphorus or sulfur preparations. Sulfur and phosphorus preparations for spider mites should be alternated.

The following substances are also effective in controlling insects:

  • "Vermitek";


These high-quality preparations are able to effectively destroy the pest. It is required to spray the plantings several times with a break of a couple of weeks, since they cannot kill insect eggs, it is necessary to wait until new pests are born.

Means "Fitoverm" can destroy pests even indoors, since the drug has a low toxicity. Protective equipment should also be remembered: wash your hands thoroughly after handling, change clothes.

The drug "Aktellik" - even more effective remedy from pests. It is much more toxic and kills insects almost immediately. "Aktellik" is recommended when other means no longer help, with massive damage to plants. Treatment with this drug is carried out only in open space, all precautions are observed and kept away from home.

"Neoron" destroys both adults and their eggs after two treatments.

Important! The insect does not tolerate ultraviolet rays, for this reason it hides under the leaves. It will not be possible to completely get rid of it with the help of ultraviolet light, but it is possible to reduce the population size.

Folk methods of dealing with spider mites

If it is not possible to purchase chemical agent from pests, use folk home remedies for tick control. Enough effective method cobweb control - dousing cold water. Douche is carried out only if the plant is able to withstand it. The fight against spider mites with folk remedies is also possible when the plant cannot be sprayed - you need to place a jar of turpentine or finely chopped garlic near it,

Another folk remedy is cyclamen: boil a few tubers for about three quarters of an hour. Cool the mixture and let it brew for several days. After that, spray the flower affected by insects. Repeat the process five days later.

If hard-leaved plants are affected, use regular rubbing alcohol. Soak a cotton swab in it, rub the leaves in a thin layer so that the alcohol does not cause burns. Before carrying out the procedure, test the method on one sheet.

Many horticultural fruit crops are attacked by a spider mite:,.

Preventive measures to protect plants from spider mites

Before you think about the destruction of the poutine mite, you should talk about the prevention of its appearance, since it is much more difficult to remove the spider mite than to secure the plants.

The pest is viable. It survives the most severe conditions in secluded places, and then appears again on the leaf and begins to multiply.

However, you can protect the plant from the pest if you follow simple prevention tips.

  • You need to regularly spray the flowers and wipe them with a wet sponge.
  • When the heating is turned on in the room, the plants should be examined more often, especially and.
  • Carefully study the flowers and houseplants brought into the house - observe for several days, as the pest could hide in unblown leaves.
  • Before planting, be sure to pickle.

The spider mite is a serious pest that can infect the entire planting in the shortest possible time. Now you can use effective remedies against spider mites - both chemical and folk, made at home.

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Flower growers caring for indoor plants know what harm a spider mite can cause to their pets. This insect is absolutely omnivorous and does not choose between flowers, actively destroying ficuses, begonias, and cacti. If it appears in the house, all green indoor crops fall into the risk zone, and it is not always possible to remove this pest on time, as a result of which all flowers can be destroyed very quickly.

Causes of the pest

Faced with this problem for the first time, many home flower lovers do not know why spider mite colonies appear on indoor plants and how to deal with this harmful spider. Meanwhile, an insect can very quickly destroy the entire collection of flowers. The reasons for its appearance can be completely different. Most often, the pest enters from the street, flying from trees and shrubs, so potted crops that are placed on the windowsills of the lower floors of houses can become infected with it. But he can get into the apartment in other ways:

  • with a purchased substrate for flowers;
  • with plants brought from the store or from the street;
  • from the clothes of a person who worked in a garden or garden;
  • with a festive bouquet.

An absolutely healthy at first glance plant, into which a female or spider eggs have somehow got into, can also suffer for no apparent reason. In the cold season, the female may be inactive, and when comfortable conditions come, “wake up” and start an attack. indoor flower.

What does the pest and affected plant look like?

The harmful insect Tetranychinae is difficult to see with the naked eye. The largest adult individual has a body length of no more than 0.5 mm. A small spider can be of different colors - it depends on what plants it starts on and what it eats, but most often its body is green. Less commonly, the spider is red or orange in color. His body is completely covered with scales.

The spider mite reproduces very quickly on indoor flowers. In just one to two weeks, an adult insect can grow, which in 10-15 days can completely destroy a flower. Affected by the Tetranychinae spider, it is covered with small white formations, and the lower part of the leaves is covered with cobwebs, which not only spoil the appearance of the flower, but also have a detrimental effect on it.


How to get rid of a tick yourself?

Fighting the Tetranychinae spider is very difficult. It multiplies rapidly, bites into the leaves, sucking the juice from the flowers, and thereby infects it. A simple treatment with acaricides - chemicals that kill various pests, will not help. To fight the Tetranychinae spider, you need A complex approach, which consists of several stages:

  • creating an environment in which the insect is uncomfortable to live;
  • treatment with biological and chemical agents;
  • preventive measures to prevent the emergence of new individuals.

Spider mites cannot stand high humidity, so you should, as often as possible, spray or wipe the leaves, and also arrange a “shower” for them. The roots of each indoor flower are washed with water in which laundry soap is diluted, and the soil is completely replaced with a new one.

Advice. After spraying with chemicals, indoor culture is best wrapped with plastic wrap or covered with a bag for several hours.

Every day you need to carefully wipe the window sill on which the pot stands, coasters, shelves - everything that is in the immediate vicinity of the flowerpot. It is desirable that the apartment be warm enough (not lower than +18 degrees), but if the temperature drops, all measures that take a lot of time and effort may become useless. At right choice method of dealing with spider mites on indoor plants, the problem can be solved by preserving the flowers.


Preparations

  1. Flumite is an acaricidal agent, the main active ingredient of which is fluvensin. It quickly penetrates the clutches of ticks, killing unborn spiders, and also has a toxic effect on adult ticks. The product is available in ampoules of 2 ml, each of which can be diluted in 5 liters of water. Treatment of plants with Flumite is carried out 1 time in 4 weeks.
  2. Fitoverm. Spraying with this drug leads to the fact that ticks stop feeding on plant sap. The action occurs after 5-7 hours, and the complete death of insects occurs 2-3 days after the first spraying. The solution is prepared at the rate of 1 ampoule per 1 liter of water. After processing, the liquid is poured out; it does not make sense to use the working solution again due to the loss of toxic qualities.
  3. Akarin is one of the effective means for combating insects gnawing leaves of plants. Dilute at the rate of 2 ml per liter jar of water. Spray the trunk and leaves on both sides every 3 days. The active effect of the drug begins within 4 hours after treatment.
  4. Appolo: an acaricide that has a paralyzing and sterilizing effect on the tick. To combat insects, it is diluted in an amount of 1 tsp per 10 liters of water. For effective action, it is necessary to spray or moisten the leaves very abundantly on both sides.
  5. Karate. Kills insects with high-quality processing 1 time in 2 weeks. The substance is dangerous for humans and animals, therefore, during use, pets should be removed from the premises, aquariums should be covered, and the florist should use protective equipment and take precautions.
  6. Omite 30SP - acaricide differs from many similar products in that even with prolonged use, ticks do not become addictive, so they can effectively fight pests with active spread.
  7. Sunmite. Kills both larvae and adults. It is possible that insects become addicted to the active substance pyridaben, on the basis of which the preparation is made, therefore it is not recommended to use it more often than once a year.
  8. Skelto is a relatively new remedy. It has a distinctive characteristic action - it kills eggs, larvae and adult spiders, but their death does not come quickly. Adult insects die in about a week, it will take at least 5 days for the destruction of the larvae. However, the drug is so effective that a single thorough treatment is enough to completely rid the plant of insects.


What to choose: chemicals or folk remedies?

Purchased preparations for spider mites may not always be effective, therefore, experienced flower growers, along with "chemistry", also use folk remedies, which, as a rule, is always in the household. The spider is afraid of medical alcohol, which has a paralytic effect on him. After abundant spraying of the leaves with alcohol, the insect stops nibbling the leaves, but in this way it is impossible to destroy the eggs laid in the soil and on the leaves.

Many insect control preparations are toxic and have a hazard class 2 or 3 for humans and animals, so experienced flower growers suggest getting rid of pests with the following folk remedies:

  • infusion of onion in water;
  • strong decoction of medicinal chamomile;
  • horseradish leaves, passed through a meat grinder and left to infuse in water for 1 hour;
  • black henbane - poisonous grass is insisted in proportions of 1 kg of raw materials per 10 liters of water;
  • decoction of horse sorrel.

Treatment with biological compounds should be carried out at least 1 time in 2 days. It will be most effective if the indoor culture has just begun to become infected with the Tetranychinae spider. When a large part of the flower is affected, the mandatory use of acaricides is necessary.

Advice. The solution will stick better to the leaves if you add a little crushed laundry soap or any detergent to it.

It is necessary to process not only the infected plant, but also those that are in the same room with it. The harmful insect moves very quickly and can destroy the entire collection of home flowers in a few days.


How to prevent infection

Love for green pets and careful care for them will help prevent their death from the attack of harmful insects. And although no one is safe from the appearance of this pest, it is possible to prevent its appearance or at least notice it at an early stage of appearance.

In order not to rack your brains on how to get rid of a spider mite, you need to carry out prevention. Keeping flowers in a healthy state will help the elementary hygiene of the plant itself and the room. Periodic treatment of the leaves with alcohol will relieve the rapid reproduction of individuals if they begin to appear. Do this with a moistened cotton swab, wiping it with all the leaves from the underside and outside, or with a spray bottle.

Advice. Wipe window sills and frames with alcohol from time to time to prevent the entry of mites, and also remove curtains for washing more often. Wash flower pot outside is also necessary.

It is unlikely that a mite will appear on the flowers if you take the following measures:

  • The soil for flowers needs to be steamed. This is done either in the kitchen oven, having previously scattered the substrate into shallow containers, or on the street on the coals from the fire. In untreated soil, larvae and queens of various pests often “sleep”.
  • If moss is used, then it must be poured with boiling water and left to cool for an hour. Hot water will increase the chance of killing insects.
  • It is better to leave freshly bought or donated flowers in a “quarantine” for several days, for example, in the bathroom. It would be correct to hold a “shower” on the leaves or spray them with acaricide for prevention.
  • You should regularly inspect your home "greenhouse". It is difficult to notice one individual that has appeared separately, but careful examination of the leaves will allow you to notice the pest invasion at an early stage.

There are many different insects that harm garden and horticultural crops. To destroy some, it is enough to carry out one or two cultivations of the garden; a lot of time and effort is spent on fighting others. The second group includes the spider mite, a very small insect with a short generation period and high fecundity. This allows the mites to multiply quickly and damage the flowers. open ground, open and closed ground vegetables.

What do spider mites look like

The largest and most well-fed female tick can reach one millimeter, the usual size of these pests is approximately half a millimeter, their body is convex oval shape top and straight bottom. Arthropods belonging to the class of arachnids. At the age of larvae, mites have a transparent light green or greenish-brown color. Adult females are bright red or orange-red. Only through a magnifying glass you can see the bristles that cover the body of the tick, it looks like a tiny spider, has three to four pairs of limbs.


The insect's habitat is huge, it can be found even on far north. If conditions allowed (low humidity and high temperature), the spider mite would breed all year round.

Types of malicious pests

Florists and gardeners need to know what a spider mite looks like, what are the features of its existence, only then the fight against it will be successful. Insects differ in size, color, number of limbs, preference for the place of settlement on the plant, degree of harmfulness.

One of the most common - common ticks, can harm almost any plants, settle on them in whole colonies, starting from the underside of the lower leaves. Having badly damaged the plant from below, they gradually move to its upper shoots.

Red spider mite

Red spider mites are also very voracious, so they attack any plants and harm them greatly. They breed most intensively when hot, dry weather sets in. They do not like cold and moisture, they settle down for wintering in the crevices of greenhouses, in the ground, on plant residues, even inside dry straws. With the onset of heat, red spider mites come out of their hiding places, lay eggs and begin to multiply intensively.

Cyclamen spider mite - already from the name it is clear that this insect likes to hit the most. Street cyclamens, chrysanthemums, balsams, bulbous suffer from a tick settlement on them. The pest is too small, its large accumulations resemble dust on the surface of a leaf.


Cyclamen spider mite


There is also a false spider mite in nature - a very small insect, which differs from the real one in that it does not weave a web, and this makes it even more dangerous, it cannot be found on flowers at an early stage of damage.

What type of plants are affected by mites?

Basically, adults and their larvae settle on the leaves from the underside, pierce them and begin to suck out the juice of the plant. After a while, the first visible signs of damage to the leaf plate appear on the upper side of the leaf: small bright dots.

Gradually, the dots form whole foci, increasing in size and discoloring the damaged areas of the sheet, which makes it look like marble. The flower mite depresses the plant. This happens because the metabolism of nutrients is disturbed in a diseased leaf, the process of photosynthesis is disrupted, and moisture evaporates intensively in the destroyed areas of the leaves.

If no action is taken at this stage of plant damage, the spider mite on flowers will cause more and more damage to plants. After a while, the leaves will begin to unnaturally curl and entwine with cobwebs. They will dry out more and more, the ovaries and buds will begin to wither and crumble.





On the web, ticks climb up the plant, continuing to entangle it with their web, reaching the very top. In this case, the flowers are already completely dry.

The red spider mite causes great harm to asters, aquilegia, dahlias, gerberas, delphiniums, carnations, roses, chrysanthemums and a whole range of flowers. This forces flower growers to look for new means of insect control in order to avoid economic and aesthetic damage.

Favorable conditions for the development of a dangerous insect

The development of the pest is also facilitated by the fact that, under unfavorable conditions for them, females hide in secluded places and fall into a state in which their life process slows down. Females sometimes fall into this state when they are pregnant. With the onset of favorable conditions for them, they restore their life process and lay eggs.


It is known that red spider mites in one summer period can give several generations of offspring, which gives their offspring in the same season. Therefore, the fight against spider mites is so difficult.

Measures to prevent the appearance of a tick on the site

You should not wait for the moment when signs of the presence of an insect on the plant become noticeable, and then start fighting it. It is better to regularly inspect the flowers periodically, so that at the very first signs of the appearance of a red spider mite (small holes are visible on the lower leaves), immediately begin to take action.

Since the tick settles on many plants, including weeds, it is necessary to ensure that nettles, quinoa and other weeds do not grow near flower plantings. But the smells of calendula, mustard, wormwood, basil repel the spider mite, and he will avoid such areas.

Is it possible to defeat the spider mite

Knowing what harm this harmful insect can do to flower crops in open ground, flower growers cannot help but worry about the question: how to deal with spider mites?

When periodically examining flowers, especially their lower leaves from the reverse side, the very first appearance is very small dots should alert the grower: it may be a red spider mite. And with him it is necessary to urgently start a fight.





If the appearance of a tick is so far isolated, the plants on which it is seen can be poured with water from a watering can or from a hose. Such mechanical treatment will not destroy the insect, but will reduce its number, since pests do not like high moisture. Periodically, it is necessary to irrigate not only the diseased plant, but also everything that is next to it.

Leaves affected by red spider mites should be cut off and burned. It is advisable to feed the flowers well. Having become stronger, they will be able to better endure the attack of the insect itself, and all the methods and preparations for the spider mite that will be used.

Folk pest control methods

Folk remedies for dealing with spider mites allow you to avoid chemicals. These arthropods never infect onions and garlic, which means that these vegetables can be used to destroy them:

  • since the evening onion peel(200 grams) soak in ten liters of warm (400 C) water and insist until morning. Strain the infusion and add 100 grams of detergent to it (so that the infusion sticks better) and process the plants;


  • minced garlic, take 150 grams and insist in a bucket of water for about a day, spray the diseased plants with the resulting filtered infusion;
  • if a flower that cannot be sprayed is sick, put chopped garlic cloves in a bowl next to the plant, wrap the flower together with the bowl with a plastic bag (bags of all sizes are sold in the household departments).

The fight against a tick is effective if for these purposes half a kilogram of fresh dandelion leaves is insisted in 10 liters of warm water. You need to insist for two hours and strain. Infusion should be used freshly prepared.


Does not like the red spider mite when it is treated with an infusion of horseradish roots. Take a kilogram of roots and leaves, chop, put in a bucket, pour water. Stirring, leave for one hour. Strain and apply the resulting infusion, carefully treating the places where the insect accumulates.

A fairly effective remedy for spider mites is a special herbal "tea":

  • ground cloves - one tablespoon;
  • ground cinnamon - one tablespoon;
  • Italian seasonings - two tablespoons.


ground cloves

ground cinnamon

Italian seasonings

Pour everything in a liter hot water and boil. In a slightly cooled broth, add two tablespoons of garlic (chopped) and insist until the broth has cooled. Strain, add some liquid soap(you can use zoo shampoo) and process the underside of the leaves. Such treatments are necessary for two weeks every two to three days.

Folk remedies for combating spider mites suggest the use of sulfur-tar soap. Dissolve one hundred grams of soap in a bucket of water and spray two or three times a week on flowers.

You can try to use an infusion of potato tops, it contains toxic substances from which the spider mite suffers. The methods of struggle are as follows: a kilogram of fresh tops is infused for 3-4 hours in eight liters of water, then the strained infusion can be used.

Plant protection chemicals

No matter how good folk remedies are, they give a weak and short-term result. Sometimes, when the weather is dry and hot, there are too many pests, you have to use chemicals in the fight against red spider mites.

Red spider mites are insidious pests, they are not so easy to destroy. They are affected only by acaricides and insectoacaricides. Drugs have to be replaced after several applications with others, because ticks, in addition to being very prolific, are able to develop immunity to pesticides.


There are many on sale right now different means, for example, "Antiklesh" from a spider mite, its effect manifests itself a few hours after application, and the protective effect lasts up to 15 days.

Means "Vertimek" and "Aktofit" - when they are used, the fight against the tick, which is on the plant during spraying, is effective. These funds do not work on hidden females, so the plants need to be treated again, after a few days.

When using chemicals, you should be especially careful, otherwise not only the spider mite may suffer. Methods of struggle should be carried out with obligatory observance of sanitary and protective requirements on the instructions for the preparation.

Preventive measures and remedies

It is necessary to worry about the fact that the red spider mite does not harm flowers, especially rare specimens, since autumn:

  1. Be sure to remove all plant debris from the site;
  2. Dig deep into the ground, breaking up large lumps;
  3. Disinfect garden tools, start working on uninfected areas;
  4. Before the onset of cold weather, carefully treat all greenhouse structures with solutions (especially cracks and secluded places).

With the onset of warm spring and summer days, one should begin to inspect plants, especially in warm spring, red spider mites can begin their harmful activity earlier than usual.

It is important that weeds do not grow around the flower beds, which can serve as a shelter for ticks and additional food. It is necessary to inspect not only flowers, but also other plants located near flower beds (grapes, cucumbers, garden strawberries, spinach), so that the pest does not pass from them to flowers. Since the red spider mite does not like moisture, in dry, hot weather, pour water over the plants in the evenings from a hose with a special nozzle.


Few pests are as ubiquitous as the spider mite, it is better to carry out control methods collectively, simultaneously with neighbors, this will help to avoid mass damage to plants for some time. But preventive measures needs to be continued.

Spraying is carried out in quiet, warm weather, preferably in the evening or morning hours, so as not to damage the leaves and flower petals in the heat.

Interestingly, the tick loves heat, but it does not tolerate direct sunlight. It is important to ensure that the flowers are not planted in the shade and partial shade, this will also help to some extent in the fight against the pest.

Pests pose a considerable threat to all gardens, gardens, and simply indoor plants. This is especially true for such a tireless and difficult to remove their representative as a spider mite, the symptoms of damage from which are not always definable even for experienced summer residents. The tick is a real scourge for plants, after the invasion of which, they die irrevocably. In order to successfully fight and counteract a tick, one should timely determine its appearance, know its nature and behavior, as well as effective folk methods of dealing with it.

What does a spider mite look like and how does it spoil plants

Tetranychus urticae is an insect so small that you can’t just see it, the size is only 0.5 mm. To see the pest, you need a magnifying glass, through which you can see an oval body covered with sparse bristles, as well as several pairs of legs, with which he deftly runs through the plants and moves from them to the neighboring ones.

The color of the spider mite can be different - green, yellow, red, orange, it largely depends on the environment in which it lives and on which plants. But most often it has a green color.


The plant chosen by the tick becomes his home, and he begins to braid it with his thin cobweb. It is one of the signs (symptoms) of the presence of a spider mite on the culture. Food for the pest is the juice of the plant, so it bites into the leaf, and can bite into the petals of the flowers. As a result, the inside of the leaves after the attack of the spider mite is covered with small white dots, and this is the second sign of the presence of an insect on the plant.

After the leaf is damaged, the plant fails in the work of such a process as photosynthesis. Culture doesn't get all those nutrients, which should accumulate, as a result of which it weakens, starts to hurt, and then may die. As for the flowers, the mite inexorably spoils the entire flower, destroying it from the inside, naturally, there is no longer any aesthetic appearance and cannot be. It is worth noting that the tick, leaving the already “gutted” plant, and moving to another, also transfers various diseases.


The difficulty of identifying a pest by symptoms is further complicated by the fact that when the piebald surfaces of the leaves begin to gradually turn yellow and the foliage falls off, inexperienced growers think that this is a manifestation of fungal diseases, and spend precious time on fungicide treatments. But we emphasize once again: on lemons, roses, sweet potatoes and cucumbers, spots first appear where the tick has stuck.

Here is a wonderful video where we managed to show the symptoms of a spider mite damage in close-up (to speed up the viewing, click on the gear and set the viewing speed to 1.5):

Reproduction of the pest occurs almost instantly - in one, maximum two weeks, an adult appears from the egg. This process can only be stopped low temperatures and sufficient humidity - in these cases, reproduction is rather slow. But in return, a little later, when a favorable atmosphere is established, you can get an abnormal outbreak of tick fertility, and then it will simply be everywhere. It is noteworthy that in room conditions the pest occupies the territory more quickly, and if one plant gets sick, then the entire flower corner can get sick very soon.


Features of the behavior of the spider mite

Fighting a tick is quite difficult, for this you need to know the features of its behavior. For example, in a strong heat, the pest leaves the garden, heading for dark places, and freezes there, or, in other words, falls into short-term hibernation (diapause). Most of these places are rooms. After the downturn of abnormal heat, the spider mite returns to its activities.

Similar behavior in the insect can be observed in the autumn period. With the onset of cold weather, the female also falls asleep, and not all individuals seek refuge for themselves, some remain to winter right on the flowers.

During these periods - when the pest "leaves" - it is useless to treat the plants with some preparations, because the tick will return safe and sound.


Folk and preventive measures against spider mites for indoor plants

As you know, it is easier to prevent a disease than to cure, and in this case, this saying is 100% valid. When growing indoor plants, preventive measures should be taken so that the flowers do not experience the invasion of the spider mite:

  1. Soil treatment for plants. Before planting / transplanting flowers into the newly acquired soil, it should be processed - roasted in the oven or baked in the microwave. Do the same with other components - sand, pebbles for drainage, etc. But we are not fans of “cooking” beneficial soil microbes, so we most often use water procedures.
  2. Periodic "shower" for plants. These procedures will reduce the likelihood of a tick appearing, as it does not like moisture. Once a week, plants can be taken to the bathroom and simply rinsed with all the leaves under streams of lukewarm water ~ 30-40 ° C.
  3. Newly acquired plants, or taken from friends and relatives, should not be simply immediately placed on the windowsill. They should first be taken to the bathroom and rinsed thoroughly with warm water, then treated with a natural acaricide (based on pyrethrum). Then, put the washed plants in plastic bags and hold them like this for two to three days. It is recommended to repeat this procedure after a while.

Folk remedies how to get rid of a spider mite if it has already appeared?

If the tick has already begun to "nibble" indoor flowers, then it is necessary to apply emergency measures, and in a complex, so as not to lose the entire flower corner.

  • First you need to wash the plant (its aerial part). Wash each leaf thoroughly with warm water, with the obligatory addition of laundry soap to it. Washing should also be subjected to - a pot, saucers, surfaces on which the flower lives. These measures, of course, will not get rid of the spider mite, but they will greatly reduce its number.
  • As you know, the tick is afraid of high humidity, so you need to arrange just such an atmosphere for it. To do this, the plants are watered abundantly, sprayed, and then covered with a plastic bag on top, creating a greenhouse effect to destroy the pest. Only here you should be careful - do not expose the plant in this form in the sun, otherwise there is a threat to burn the leaves. It is enough to leave such a greenhouse for 3 days.
  • Medical alcohol. They process pots, coasters for pots, surfaces on which flowers stand. For example, if the plant is on the windowsill, then it is necessary to process the top, side, and bottom of the structure. The soil is also sprayed with alcohol.
  • Folk methods spider mite control:
    • A decoction of cyclamen tubers is detrimental to ticks. The tubers are cut and boiled for 30-40 minutes. The resulting broth is cooled, and then the plants are treated with it. Carry out such treatments once a week;
    • Squeeze 250 g of garlic into 10 liters of water, leave for a day, strain and spray each leaf from the underside, spray with another tincture every other day - pour 1 kg of celandine tops with 3 liters of boiling water, and after a day dilute to 10 liters, strain and spray and alternate such processing every other day, it is enough to carry out three sprays of each tincture;
    • The processing of onion peel tincture gives an excellent result - winter stocks of onion shells are stuffed into a liter jar, poured with boiling water and allowed to stand for a day. Add 200-300 ml of the resulting solution to a 10-liter sprayer. Processing is carried out every 3 days in the evening, abundantly wetting the reverse side of the sheet.



Low-toxic purchased remedies for spider mites

  • Treatment with insect-acaricides of biological origin. These are substances such as "Fitoverma", "Aktofit" and "Vermitek". They are safe for humans and animals, but for spider mites they are detrimental. But, unfortunately, as for the whitefly, such spraying has absolutely no effect on dormant individuals, eggs and larvae, so treatments must be carried out regularly. If the room temperature fluctuates around 20 degrees, then you need to process it once every 10 days, and if it is much higher, then the treatment takes place twice a week. But for these drugs there is one caveat - if the room is colder than 18 degrees, they are useless, they have no effect on the pest.
  • Hormonal drug "Apollo" contact action. It has minimal toxicity, but it destroys oviposition and prevents adult mites from multiplying. Use according to instructions.

Biological methods of protection against spider mites

From biological means of control in greenhouses and winter gardens mainly predatory insects-entomophages are used - lacewings, phytoseiulus, western metaseiulus and amblyseius (Mackenzie and Californian). It is more convenient to use phytoseiulus, as they multiply rapidly and are happy to destroy another sap-sucking pest - the whitefly.


In conclusion, I would like to note that although it is difficult to identify the presence of a tick in a timely manner by symptoms - the cobwebs are poorly visible, and the tick itself is too small - but it is much easier to deal with it than with the whitefly. So the use of any of the above measures to combat the spider mite will definitely give a result, and quite quickly - just pay due attention to this, since a single treatment due to the presence of oviposition is not enough.

The enemy must be known by sight! Spider mites are microscopically small and cannot be seen with the naked eye. But since they harm not one at a time, but a whole flock, it is enough to look at the leaves of vegetables, which begin to turn yellow, and then dry out and die. Almost all summer residents grow vegetables in greenhouse greenhouses. Heat, moisture, weeds, and infested soil are absolutely ideal environments for spider mites. This type of mites begins its sabotage on the lower part of the leaf, gradually entangling it in a web, piercing the leaf and sucking out all the juice from it. The spider mite reproduces at an incredible rate. It is absolutely impossible to avoid getting a tick into a greenhouse, so the only way out is to fight!

Spider mite: fighting and preparing the greenhouse for the season

Fighting spider mites is not easy.



Consider some ways to prepare for the new summer season of greenhouses:

  1. In autumn, after the entire crop has been harvested, weeds should be removed as thoroughly as possible.
  2. In spring, compliance with the rules for planting crops, such as cucumbers, tomatoes, at a distance of 1 or more meters. The spider mite is not able to move such distances.
  3. Cultivation, watering, loosening, as well as regular inspection of plants will make it possible to detect the pest in time.
  4. For insects, excess humidity of 80-85% is not a very comfortable climate.
  5. The use of chemicals with a toxic effect on the pest. However, they must be used carefully and take precautions.
  6. It is advisable to alternate crops when planting.

Careful preparation of the soil in the fall will give a chance to minimize attacks from insect pests.

Measures to combat spider mites in the greenhouse

The most important thing is to identify spider mites at an early stage. If, nevertheless, it was not possible to detect the pest in due time, it is advisable to take measures to eliminate it as soon as possible.

Here special preparations for spraying crops are used:

  1. Fitoverm is a biological product. Causes paralysis and death of the insect.
  2. Ground sulfur, evaporating, seeps into the spores of fungi, where hydrogen sulfide is formed, which blocks the activity of the pathogen.
  3. Bitoxibacillin is an insecticidal microbiological preparation. Does not contain toxins. It contains live spores of microbial culture. The peculiarity of the drug is to reduce the fertility of the female, which reduces the vital activity of subsequent generations of spider mites.
  4. Colloidal sulfur in combination with a soapy solution is suitable for spraying. In addition, it is absolutely safe for humans.

Another effective measure to combat the spider mite is its fellow - phytoseiulus - a predatory mite. If possible, lay out sheets with the so-called "hunter" around the infected crop throughout the greenhouse.

In one day, a predator is able to eat 5 spider mites and dozens of eggs.

It is important to remember one thing, any insect quickly adapts to drugs, so it will be better to use a complex method, and not stop at one remedy.

How to get rid of spider mites in a greenhouse

Stores offer a huge selection of strong preparations for the destruction of spider mites.



Here are a few with brief descriptions:

  1. Plant Pin. This preparation is especially effective at an early stage of infection of vegetables. The effect of the drug occurs on the third day. The crop protection period is 1.5 months. It is advisable not to miss the resumption of the tick attack.
  2. Etisso. Very similar to Plan-Pin, however, in Etisso, the active substance dimethoate acts on nervous system insect and depresses respiration.
  3. Actellik. A very potent drug for spider mites. For people, careful use with eye protection, respiratory protection and skin used without harm. Toxic to aquatic organisms. The solution is used with a spray bottle.
  4. Aktofit. A preparation of biological origin that can fight many types of pests, including spider mites. It is desirable to use not only for the processing of crops, but also to protect ornamental plants.
  5. Antiklesch and Fufanon. Both drugs are identical and act on ticks in the same way. They are highly toxic;
  6. Apollo. From the action of the drug, sterilization of adults occurs and deprives the ability to reproduce.

It is necessary to use all available resources against the spider mite, otherwise the crop may be seriously affected.

Folk remedies for spider mites in the greenhouse

To prevent the occurrence of spider mites, gardeners often use turpentine. It is enough to pour liquid into a small container and place it next to the diseased plant. At the same time, cover the container with a diseased culture with a dense cloth for a maximum of 5 hours.

There is a completely safe home remedy for preventing the development of spider mites. The leaves of the plant just need to be washed with warm soapy water.

Summer residents also often prepare herbal infusions for spraying a damaged crop:

  1. Garlic and onion husks 200 grams are crushed and filled with 10 liters of water. Leave warm for 12 hours, filter and process the plants.
  2. 40 grams of dandelion roots are crushed and poured with 1 liter of water. Add half a bar of grated soap here. Insist and spray crops.
  3. Yarrow. The infusion is prepared in the proportion of 800 grams of dry leaves to 10 liters of boiling water. After 3 days, you can process the plants.
  4. Potato tops. 1 kg of tops is crushed and poured with a bucket of water. 3 hours infused, filtered. Everything is ready for spraying.

Of course, it must be borne in mind that folk remedies are not always effective, therefore, in the fight against spider mites, if possible, combine with biological products.

Methods for dealing with spider mites in a greenhouse (video)

Let's summarize. The spider mite is considered a serious pest that can leave a summer resident without a crop. The fight against spider mites in a greenhouse is a complex process, therefore, in order to destroy the pest, you need to control the situation. Compulsory prevention, pest control measures should include effective ways struggle. Harvested in autumn is the best reward for the labors left in the war with spider mites!

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