red spider mite protection help
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General HTUK rules apply. This section is for tips, hints and discussion on growing that is not related to any specific group of plants.
General HTUK rules apply. This section is for tips, hints and discussion on growing that is not related to any specific group of plants.
- Yorkshire Kris
- Posts: 10163
- Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:59 am
- Location: Rural South Wakefield, Yorkshire Lat 53.64 Long-1.54
Re: red spider mite protection help
http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?a ... egories%3C{9372012}/categories%3C{9372020}/categories%3C{9372098}/specificationsProductType=insect___slug_control/specificationsSpecificProductType=bug_control
Re: red spider mite protection help
True - but the RHS list of pesticides for amateurs mentions this and gives this as an 'also controls Red Spider Mite' - in practice I've found it works.Yorkshire Kris wrote:
Just had a closer look at this and there is no mention of Red Spider Mite on the packaging?
- Yorkshire Kris
- Posts: 10163
- Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:59 am
- Location: Rural South Wakefield, Yorkshire Lat 53.64 Long-1.54
Re: red spider mite protection help
Just ordered some of these for my indoor colocasia and nanas.Ian Cooke wrote:I keep plugging away on here about Bugclear ultra spikes but nobody responds - has anyone tried them? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bug-Clear-Ultra ... B0017RPHV2 or locally from Homebase.Buy on line
I too have spent a lifetime in horticulture, from the time when we sprayed some obnoxious and highly toxic chemicals, through to using biological control, which is highly effective but as others say, expensive. Now that I am semi-retired and don't have either the arsenal or budget that I used to have, these Bugclear spikes are to my mind the best thing on the market. Easy to use - just push them in, they feed and supply a slow stream of a systemic pesticide (that means it continues to protect the plant not just kill the current pests.) The active ingredient is acetamiprid which is commercially used for some edible crops so has a low toxicity making it quite safe to use in a domestic situation.
I have used them on cannas, bananas, Brugmansia and various other exotics with almost 100% success. I'd be interested to know if I've just been lucky or whether it is the wonder product that we all need!
Re: red spider mite protection help
As a chicken keeper red spider mite is the bane of my life. They infest the coop and can actually kill the chicken if not treated as they come out at night and suck the blood from the bird. Horrendously difficult to get rid of. Ive tried all the propriotory chemicals and nothing worked. A couple of years ago i sprayed with nearly neat dettol and this worked for a while but i think they have since built up an immunity to this. Luckily as yet i have had no infestation in the greenhouse. This year i came across a product that guaranteed to get rid of red spider mite. "Diatomaceous earth" A totally natural product made from ground sea organisms. Apparently when they are ground they leave very sharp edges that when comeing into contact with the SM rips them to bits. I was sceptial but the people selling it were poultry keeppers and swore by it. Everything they said about it was true. within 2 days NO RED MITE. Fantastic. I can honestly recommend it.
- The Codfather
- Posts: 6436
- Joined: Tue Sep 07, 2010 6:02 pm
- Location: Darlington, C.O. Durham
Re: red spider mite protection help
Where can you get it ????
AKA - Martin
Wish list - Big Palms or Dicksonia antarctica's but open to anything really.....Cash Waiting !
Wish list - Big Palms or Dicksonia antarctica's but open to anything really.....Cash Waiting !
Re: red spider mite protection help
codfather, ive just looked through my records online and cant seem to see where i bought it from. im not at home at the mo so cant look at the box but i will later on. Its a very fine powder and from what i read it can be used on almost anything, they even suggest the chickens can eat it to get rid of worms. Any poultry site should sell it, but i think where i got it from was the cheapest at the time.
- The Codfather
- Posts: 6436
- Joined: Tue Sep 07, 2010 6:02 pm
- Location: Darlington, C.O. Durham
Re: red spider mite protection help
AKA - Martin
Wish list - Big Palms or Dicksonia antarctica's but open to anything really.....Cash Waiting !
Wish list - Big Palms or Dicksonia antarctica's but open to anything really.....Cash Waiting !
Re: red spider mite protection help
I had a significant outbreak of Red Spider and Aphids in the conservatory early last spring. Never had a problem that early before, and they were all over my young vegetable plants (only use chemicals on vegetables we grown to eat ourselves as an absolute last resort - I'm not bothered about chemicals on ornamentals!)
Anyways ... I got some Neem Oil and some proper Horticultural Soap (rather than using Washing Up liquid - something about the levels of Phosphate??) and it worked a treat. Couple of applications and both were gone and the Red Spider didn't return, which I found amazing - although I did keep up a prophylactic treatment every couple of weeks or so for a while.
I got the Neem Oil off eBay and the Soap from Amazon (IIRC) - I can look up the suppliers if anyone would prefer a known-good supplier.
Its a fag to apply. Have to properly wet the leaves, top and bottom, which basically means picking the plant up, turning upside down, and then spraying with the other hand. I applied it in the evening and then washed it all off the following morning so the leaves weren't coated and in full sunshine.
Anyways ... I got some Neem Oil and some proper Horticultural Soap (rather than using Washing Up liquid - something about the levels of Phosphate??) and it worked a treat. Couple of applications and both were gone and the Red Spider didn't return, which I found amazing - although I did keep up a prophylactic treatment every couple of weeks or so for a while.
I got the Neem Oil off eBay and the Soap from Amazon (IIRC) - I can look up the suppliers if anyone would prefer a known-good supplier.
Its a fag to apply. Have to properly wet the leaves, top and bottom, which basically means picking the plant up, turning upside down, and then spraying with the other hand. I applied it in the evening and then washed it all off the following morning so the leaves weren't coated and in full sunshine.
- Yorkshire Kris
- Posts: 10163
- Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:59 am
- Location: Rural South Wakefield, Yorkshire Lat 53.64 Long-1.54
Re: red spider mite protection help
Utepat wrote:As a chicken keeper red spider mite is the bane of my life. They infest the coop and can actually kill the chicken if not treated as they come out at night and suck the blood from the bird. Horrendously difficult to get rid of. Ive tried all the propriotory chemicals and nothing worked. A couple of years ago i sprayed with nearly neat dettol and this worked for a while but i think they have since built up an immunity to this. Luckily as yet i have had no infestation in the greenhouse. This year i came across a product that guaranteed to get rid of red spider mite. "Diatomaceous earth" A totally natural product made from ground sea organisms. Apparently when they are ground they leave very sharp edges that when comeing into contact with the SM rips them to bits. I was sceptial but the people selling it were poultry keeppers and swore by it. Everything they said about it was true. within 2 days NO RED MITE. Fantastic. I can honestly recommend it.
I could be wrong but I don't believe Red Spider Mite is the same as the red mite that affects chickens?
Re: red spider mite protection help
Yes yorkshire kris you are completely right about this, but the diatomaceous earth is used to eliminate a number of different insect infestations not just the red mite that attack fowl.
- Yorkshire Kris
- Posts: 10163
- Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:59 am
- Location: Rural South Wakefield, Yorkshire Lat 53.64 Long-1.54
Re: red spider mite protection help
pat wrote:Yes yorkshire kris you are completely right about this, but the diatomaceous earth is used to eliminate a number of different insect infestations not just the red mite that attack fowl.
Re: red spider mite protection help
Ian Cooke wrote:I keep plugging away on here about Bugclear ultra spikes but nobody responds - has anyone tried them? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bug-Clear-Ultra ... B0017RPHV2 or locally from Homebase.Buy on line
I too have spent a lifetime in horticulture, from the time when we sprayed some obnoxious and highly toxic chemicals, through to using biological control, which is highly effective but as others say, expensive. Now that I am semi-retired and don't have either the arsenal or budget that I used to have, these Bugclear spikes are to my mind the best thing on the market. Easy to use - just push them in, they feed and supply a slow stream of a systemic pesticide (that means it continues to protect the plant not just kill the current pests.) The active ingredient is acetamiprid which is commercially used for some edible crops so has a low toxicity making it quite safe to use in a domestic situation.
I have used them on cannas, bananas, Brugmansia and various other exotics with almost 100% success. I'd be interested to know if I've just been lucky or whether it is the wonder product that we all need!
Well I've been using these since this post from Ian and although not eradicated them completely Yet, the numbers are greatly reduced and so far I have not had any leaf discolouration, the few Mites I do find are easy to wipe off
All looks good at the moment Thanks Ian
Leigh
- Yorkshire Kris
- Posts: 10163
- Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:59 am
- Location: Rural South Wakefield, Yorkshire Lat 53.64 Long-1.54
Re: red spider mite protection help
Leigh wrote:Ian Cooke wrote:I keep plugging away on here about Bugclear ultra spikes but nobody responds - has anyone tried them? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bug-Clear-Ultra ... B0017RPHV2 or locally from Homebase.Buy on line
I too have spent a lifetime in horticulture, from the time when we sprayed some obnoxious and highly toxic chemicals, through to using biological control, which is highly effective but as others say, expensive. Now that I am semi-retired and don't have either the arsenal or budget that I used to have, these Bugclear spikes are to my mind the best thing on the market. Easy to use - just push them in, they feed and supply a slow stream of a systemic pesticide (that means it continues to protect the plant not just kill the current pests.) The active ingredient is acetamiprid which is commercially used for some edible crops so has a low toxicity making it quite safe to use in a domestic situation.
I have used them on cannas, bananas, Brugmansia and various other exotics with almost 100% success. I'd be interested to know if I've just been lucky or whether it is the wonder product that we all need!
Well I've been using these since this post from Ian and although not eradicated them completely Yet, the numbers are greatly reduced and so far I have not had any leaf discolouration, the few Mites I do find are easy to wipe off
All looks good at the moment Thanks Ian
I have been using the sticks too for Red Spider Mite and aphids. It's may habe helped a bit but there is one downside with this product; plants need to be water well and regularly for the sticks to dissolve a bit and work. The plants I'm overwintering don't need much water in winter and therefore and not getting a good use of the sticks.