Question
Does anyone have a natural  recipe for spider mites on sheffaleras??  We care for a hotel with wildlife, so we have to be very careful what we spray, as to not kill any
ducks!!!!  I use 1/2 water 1/2 alcohol with a dash of soap on the mealey bugs, but that does not work well for scale or spider mites.......  Any new recipes??????

Answer
Liz, Horticultural oil is harmless to wildlife, all it consists of is a natural oil from natural sources; Horticultural oil suffocates small insects such as mites, aphids, scale etc. with tremendous effectiveness, no poison involved! I don't recommend home made remedies, because if they aren't mixed correctly, they either don't work or work but clog the pores on many plants and cause more harm then good. Purchase a Horticultural oil and follow the directions,the process is to spray it on, let it sit overnight and wash off the residual oil and dead insects the next day...It works with no poison or harmful chemicals, just plain old cannola oil for the most part. Nick