spider mites-Sorry it's long

[Zoisite]

Originally Posted by pslane

Any kind of soap?

Ordinary irritant-free liquid dishwashing detergent for washing dishes by hand, like Dawn, Palmolive or Sunlight or whatever you normally use will do. Use just enough soap in the water to act as a surfactant and good oil/grease cutter that will make the water foamy and bubbly if you shake it up or swish it around. When I'm spraying plants with it I use about 1/2 tsp of soap to 1.5 liters of water in a 2 liter spray bottle and shake it up well into foamy water full of air bubbles when I'm spraying the aphids on the roses outside. I drench the plants with the foamy spray and the reaction of the insects on them is immediate, instant. The soap and surfactant action helps to unglue insect eggs off the surfaces of plants and wash them and the insects/larvae off the plants and kills them from suffocation or drowning in soap bubbles covering their breathing orifices.

.

[Zoisite]

Originally Posted by nuts2uiam

Z - Only you could make spider mites sound like something I would want in my home!!!

A little too much fantastical visual imagery of brave and adventurous spider mites launching themselves into the void, was it? LOL

.

[pslane]

Originally Posted by Zoisite

A little too much fantastical visual imagery of brave and adventurous spider mites launching themselves into the void, was it? LOL

.

Yes, wearing little capes.

[pslane]

Thanks for all the help and info. I will be spraying my orchids, cacti and African violets regularly. I'm going to try and save my vine but may just go ahead and buy new ones in the spring. (and keep them sprayed)