spider mites

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stageseven

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I'm growing hops for the first time this year, and seem to have gotten a nasty spider mite infestation. I picked up a supposedly fruit and vegetable safe spray from home depot and have been blasting the plants pretty hard every couple days for the last week. I still keep seeing the things crawling all over the plants though. The spray has spider mites listed as one of the things it kills, but it really doesn't seem like it's working all that well. Maybe I'm just not getting them all each time. Is there anything else I can do that's more effective to get rid of these things?

On a happier note, I went out to spray the plants down again, and to my surprise found a praying mantis hanging out on one of the plants. I know they eat insects but will they go after something as small as a spider mite?
 
Pictures needed to fully help you diagnose the insect itself.

Praying Mantis will eat thousands of spider mites and aphids in a lifetime.
 
You can also go to a local plant nursery and buy Lady Bugs.

If the infestation is sufficient they will hang around for the buffet.
 
stageseven said:
I'm growing hops for the first time this year, and seem to have gotten a nasty spider mite infestation. I picked up a supposedly fruit and vegetable safe spray from home depot and have been blasting the plants pretty hard every couple days for the last week. I still keep seeing the things crawling all over the plants though. The spray has spider mites listed as one of the things it kills, but it really doesn't seem like it's working all that well. Maybe I'm just not getting them all each time. Is there anything else I can do that's more effective to get rid of these things?

On a happier note, I went out to spray the plants down again, and to my surprise found a praying mantis hanging out on one of the plants. I know they eat insects but will they go after something as small as a spider mite?
Click to expand...

Spider mites are the BORG and will assimilate pretty much anything. They don't like being wet, so spraying helps. The eggs hatch in 3 days and pretty much nothing will kill the eggs, so re-treat every 3 days until the infestation is gone. Get something with Neem oil in it, that's the most gentle thing that 'might' kill them. If you are in an area that grows pot, then the little buggers will be totally resistant to Neem and you'll have to bring out the big guns chemicals like Avid, Floramite, Forbid, etc. Some of that stuff will make you sterile, so if you want babies some day you might want to wear a respirator. :(
 
A 1 to 1 mixture of water and rubbing alcohol will kill mites on contact and not harm your hop plants. You can also order predatory mites from a gardening supply store. Good luck.
 
Dish soap and water solution sprayed on wil work to. My dad used to use Malathion when he grew other stuff.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. The main active ingredients in the spray I already have are sulfur and pyrethrins. My hops are growing on a railing on our deck, so it's been difficult to get the whole plant sprayed. Sounds like I may want to try dish soap or alcohol once this bottle is done. If I get some ladybugs (there's always tons around my parent's house if I stop by), will dish soap or alcohol kill them as well?

I'd post pictures but the only camera I have is the one on my phone and it's not nearly good enough quality to get a clear shot of something so tiny. I'm 100% sure of what I've got though, very tiny tan/yellowish bugs that have made webbing on the underside of many leaves. I google image searched them and this looks exactly like what I have.

spidermites-webbing.jpg
 

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