How to Kill Spider Mite
Damage
Control of spider mite is an essential part of successful plant cultivation. It is especially important indoors or in hydroponic greenhouses where mites are favoured by the conditions and populations can explode.Spider mites are members of the Acari (mite) family Tetranychidae, which includes about 1,600 species. They generally live on the under sides of leaves of plants, where they may spin protective silk webs, and they can cause damage by puncturing the plant cells to feed. Spider mites are known to feed on several hundred species of plant.
Spider mites are less than 1 mm in size and vary in color. They lay small, spherical, initially transparent eggs and many species spin silk webbing to help protect the colony from predators; they get the 'spider' part of their common name from this webbing. Hot, dry conditions are often associated with population build-up of spider mites. Under optimal conditions (approximately 80ºF (25ºC)), the two-spotted spider mite can hatch in as little as 3 days, and become sexually mature in as little as 5 days. One female can lay up to 20 eggs per day and can live for 2 to 4 weeks, laying hundreds of eggs. A single mature female can spawn a population of a million mites in a month or less. This accelerated reproductive rate allows spider mite populations to adapt quickly to resist pesticides, so chemical control methods can become somewhat ineffectual when the same pesticide is used over a prolonged period.
Products
Spidermite Control
Spidermite Control is a preparation of natural organic vegetable oils and extracts that will quickly eradicate mite populations and mitigate the damage they cause.Plant Vitality + (Plus)
Spidermite spray that works after only one application. Also it will kill the eggs by spraying your substrate. You also can use it as a preventive treatment for cuttings to protect against spidermite.Nite Nite Spider Mite
Add to warm water at a rate of 25ml per 500ml. Spray onto plants ensuring all surfaces are wetted. Including underside of leaf.BAC SpiderMite Killer
Dilute with water and spray onto plants ensuring all surfaces are wetted.
Top Tip! A plant's ability to survive any kind of attack will be greatly improved by the general health of the crop, especially the root structure. Using root simulators early in the grow cycle will give your plants a head start and allow them to survive not only the damage done by the pest itself but the inevitable damage done by the actual pesticide (particularly ones containing hydrogen peroxide) or the process of removing the pest (i.e. High pressure hoses bruising leaf cells). Investing early in the grow could mean the difference between an infestation causing minor irritation or complete destruction.
Expert Video
As you may tell from our .co.uk address we are based in the UK but spider mites are a global nuisance.This video by the Kansas State University gives a wonderful explanation of a simple way to identify spidermite, an honest account of how hard it is to kill them and the attention to detail that needs to be applied when coating plants with pesticide, oil or neem.
To view KSU's Research videos visit http://www.youtube.com/user/KSREVideos
Insulate from infestation
Consider using a grow tent to contain your crops.