Damn spider mites....

Well, I thought it was the thunderstorms and lack of rain that had my hops looking wilted and cooked. Nope... It's the spider mites I just found..
The first leaf I taped gave up a very large, pink, vampire devil.. About half the size of the red angry smiley that signifies my mood about now....

I have huge cones already so chemicals are out.. I've read that Copenhagen and the like soaked in water and sprayed will chase them off. And dish soap/water as well..

What have you guys used, and what's effective?

I blasted all the plants with water just a little while ago, and will be increasing the water schedule to help keep them at bay as well..

I've heard of some old timers using a pouch of chewing tobacco boiled in about a gallon of water, mixed with some Listerine (amount unknown), and a couple drops of cheap liquid dish soap (used as a surfactant) to control garden pests, but I cannot vouch for how well it works, or if it works at all.

You could try the beneficial insects, they work well, but are not as immediate as chemicals. Mite Control Regards, GF.

I feel for ya man..

I had spider mites a few weeks ago, and in my research found that they are actually attracted to excess moisture, as they cannot contain moisture in their own bodies.

So be careful with watering... give your hops just the amount they need, and nothing more.


...

Everything I've found contradicts that....

They thrive in hot, dry climates. I'll edit a few google links in a minute.

CSU Page.. half way down under "Life History"

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/PUBS/insect/05507.html

About one third the way through the first paragraph.

http://www.getridofthings.com/get-rid-of-spider-mites.htm

Also taken from the second paragraph.

"Spider mites are not very keen on moist climates; they need the evaporative properties of an arid climate to reproduce more efficiently"

I think I'll try the tobacco approach. I was a Copenhagen user for 20 years, until 18 months ago. I should be interesting to actually get something beneficial out of it after all this time.. Just have to keep it from falling into my lip..

I also read several times about 50/50 water and alcohol. Probably why Listerine would work as well. I read that the alcohol kills them on contact. Maybe I'll try this approach first.

I'll update with the good or bad...

Here's another excerpt that I think I like.. Think I'll try this if I can find it. It's an eye for an eye, right? :rockin:

"Insecticidal soaps are rather mean way to kill mites. Derived from organic soaps like Castile soap, insecticidal soaps kill mites and other plant pests by compromising their cellular integrity, causing cells to rupture and die. In other words, insecticidal soaps dissolve the spider mite from the inside out, slowly turning them into mush. The usual recipe is about 2-3 drops of castile soap for every quart of water. There are premixed commercial applications available online if you don’t feel you have the experience necessary to mix your own insecticidal soaps."

gratus fermentatio said:

I've heard of some old timers using a pouch of chewing tobacco boiled in about a gallon of water, mixed with some Listerine (amount unknown), and a couple drops of cheap liquid dish soap (used as a surfactant) to control garden pests, but I cannot vouch for how well it works, or if it works at all.

You could try the beneficial insects, they work well, but are not as immediate as chemicals. Mite Control Regards, GF.

Click to expand...

This place didn't think it is a good idea to use this mixture on food plants

How to Make Bug Spray Using Tobacco, Listerine, Dish Washing Soap | eHow.com

tom

back in the day gardeners would chew and then spit the tobacco juice onto plant leaves where bugs were...personally i highly doubt that would harm you if you ingested the plant material but who knows. The dishwashing liquid is no good but the listerine would most likly evaporate. What gives

Try this out....
TastyBrew.com | Forum | Hop Spray Mix
I now drop the dish soap down to 1-3 drops for the 1.5Qts.
Good luck....

If you live near a apple orchard go get sucker shoots off the trees they harbor tryp mites that eat spider mites put one on each bine Glen

Very large and pink? Doesn't sound like a spider mite. Spider mites are tiny - almost microscopic. If you have a spider mite problem, you'll likely notice their webbing on the undersides of leaves first.

I had spider mites last year. Wound up controlling them with a spray from the garden hose twice a day. No problems this year... yet. We'll see in August. I do think I've got a population of "Spider Mite Destroyers" this year. They're tiny black beetles that have an affinity for spider mites.

If you use homemade soap, be sure to use an actual soap, such as Murphy or Fels Naptha. It's the fatty-acids in soap that kills soft-bodied insects. Dish "soap" is normally a detergent.

Try No Spider Mites it Organic so that your plants wont have any chemicals that are harmful.....http://www.nospidermites.com/ good luck with those buggers

greengirl123 said:

Try No Spider Mites it Organic so that your plants wont have any chemicals that are harmful.....http://www.nospidermites.com/ good luck with those buggers

Click to expand...

Hope your getting paid for your spam-vertising.

Wow, zombified thread from spam. AWESOME!

For an actual on-topic post in case people come looking here for actual answers, get some neem oil... any nursery should carry it, especially if they carry a few organic products.

neem oil is great, A little neem oil goes a long way. It it is not a instant knock down.
Once a month I spray the garden with it, been pest free for years, and it doesn't kill my bees.
pete