Question
Hi! I noticed my tropical hibiscus got a parasite: something like very little, pin point dots, red, that make a spiderweb-like thing around the leaves.What is it? How can I treat it?
Thank you very much.
Gabriela

Answer
Gabriela,

Your plant has an insect called spider mites. Getting rid of spider mites (often incorrectly spelled spidermites) from your garden is priority number one if you抮e recognized a spider mite infestation because in the world of horticulture there are mites and then there are spider mites, or what we can call the two-spotted mite. Spider mite populations grow so quickly that often times a farmer or gardener is caught off guard. Warm, dry temperatures make the perfect climate for the spider mite抯 reproductive cycle, which leaves your plants susceptible not only to drought but also to the spider mite抯 tenacious appetite.

If you抳e noticed the signs of a mite infestation and you抮e dealing primarily with flowers, it may be in your best interest to turn to a miticide for the quickest and most effective control. However, if you抮e tending houseplants, you may want to consider an integrated pest management approach, which is what we抣l explain below: how to get rid of spider mites and control spider mite populations without insecticides or miticides, as the case may be.

The first step toward getting rid of spider mites is to isolate the plants, but keep the infested plants clustered. Isolating your plants will reduce the risk of spider mite migration. Spider mites are quite adept at riding air currents to and from the plants they wish to feed on. Keeping your plants in clusters will help retain moisture by reducing airflow between the plants. Spider mites are not very keen on moist climates; they need the evaporative properties of an arid climate to reproduce more efficiently.

Retaining humidity and moisture is a good way to get rid of spider mites. This can be accomplished in several ways. If you抮e tending potted plants, keeping your pots over a platter of water will help keep immediate moisture levels up. If you抮e tending to garden plants, you may want to consider putting in peat moss to fill the gaps between plants. Of course, the best way to keep humidity and moisture levels high is to bring your plants indoors where they can be misted with very cold water on a regular basis (2-3 times a day). The same treatment can be done to outdoor plants with firm but careful sprayings to help drown the mites and remove them from the plants.

Keeping plants out of the late afternoon sun and/or arid weather is perhaps your best defense against spider mites. This may not be possible for those of us who cannot remove plants via pots, but any way to provide shade to damaged or weakened plants during the warmer hours of the day will help. For indoor plants, drawing the shades or moving plants out of direct sunlight should help dissuade spider mites from taking up permanent residency. You may also want to consider setting a humidifier next to any affected plants.

It has been suggested that spraying plants with a 1:1 mixture of alcohol and water will kill spider mites on contact. Rubbing alcohol, like any alcohol for any creature, is poisonous in high dosages, and it evaporates quickly doing little damage to the plant it抯 been sprayed on. Some people suggest a 1:3 mixture of rubbing alcohol to water, but the strong the mixture, the more certain you are to get as many mites as possible. Make sure to cover the entire plant, focusing on the bottoms of the leaves where spider mites tend to hang out. Spray the fronts and backs of all leaves and the surface of the soil. Repat spraying with the alcohol every 3 days for 3 weeks consistantly to kill any eggs that hatch before they produce more eggs. Consistancy is very important. Good luck.

Darlene