Spider speck , also known as two - spotted touch , become a particular problem for thegardener through the winter . commonly , they hibernate in priming coat bedding material or under the barque of trees or shrubs . However , if they stow away onto a plant being brought indoors , the artificial lights , and ardent , ironic , condition of most het homes will permit them to keep infecting plants .
The wanderer mite , Tetranychus urticae , is a tiny , 8 - legged pest touch on to the spider & ticking . Adults are usually green or yellow but wrick blood-red when the day lengths foreshorten in the fall . They assail plants by stabbing the bottom of the leaves and lactate out the sap . This price causes a distinctive stippling effect due to the departure of chlorophyll . As their number increase , the number of ashen speckles on the leaf increases and the leaf eventually dies . Once the wanderer mites start replication , a distinctive “ net ” forms , usually under the folio and then at the originate crest of the plant life .
What makes this gadfly truly difficult to control is its pace of breeding . Each female will lay up to 12 eggs per mean solar day . Mating is not required for ballock yield . At 21ºC , these eggs will hatch in as few as 3 days and will develop into adults in only 14 daytime . If pass on unbridled , 10 spider mite in May will become 100,000 by July !
wanderer mites have been found in greenhouses across North America and Europe and are know to assail over 200 coinage of plants including azalea , camellia , citrus , evergreen plant , Buddy Holly , ligustrum , pittosporum , pyracantha , rise , and viburnum ; fruit crops such as blackberry bush , blueberries and strawberry ; vegetables including tomatoes , squash , eggplant , cucumber ; and trees such as maple , elm , ash , sinister locust tree , and poplar .
The Predatory Mite
Unlike the spider mite , the predatory touch , Phytoseiulus persimilis , is a welcome worm in the garden & greenhouse . It is a fast - move insect with an orange teardrop - forge body . The species is a specialized vulture the two - distinguish wanderer pinch and feed in on all stages of its fair game , from egg to adult .
The adult P. persimilis is a voracious feeder , eating between 5 - 20 prey per day . It uses its good sense of smell to find plants taint by wanderer mite . As before long as it come into contact with wanderer mite webbing , it will intensify its hunting .
P. persimilis can be purchased from many biological control companies . Often it is shipped in a glass ampule or on trays of bean leave of absence . The prosperous method acting of software is to sparge about 20 adult on each plant . These predatory speck prefer to work their way up a plant life , searching for intellectual nourishment so attempt to introduce them as low down as you could . In addition , if many of your plants are infected , keep them close together with their leaf touching so that these marauder will be able to well move from one plant to another .
Unlike the spider mite , P. persimilis prefers humid conditions and Misting will not only help it multiply but will keep down the routine of the wanderer mite . A comparative humidness of 70 % is idealistic for P. persimilis . Once its nutrient provision is run through , the numbers of P. persimilis will decline .
Other cultural controls
As previously mention , misting plants at least twice a day will keep wanderer mite issue down . Mite populations can also be reduced by spray the bottom of the leaves with a jet of water to break away up the web and wash the jot off .
Soap spray are also very effective at controlling spider mite . The Active element , atomic number 19 or sodium salts of butterball battery-acid , is not toxic and can safely be used indoors . A homemade atomiser can also be groom using ordinary dishwashing detergent . Mix 5 tablespoonful of detergent in 1 gallon of water and spray the plants , especially the bottom of the leaves .
Resources
Arzeena Hamir is an agronomist and President of Terra Viva Organics .
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Email : Arzeena Hamir
