Spider mites on your indoor plants don’t pose any risks to you, your family or pets. However, knowing how to kill spider mites on indoor plants is essential, they can be very destructive when it comes to your plants. They feed on sap, meaning they can destroy the chlorophyll, let alone prevent the plants from growing. Eventually, they can kill plants.
Learning how to kill spider mites on indoor plants isn’t all about getting the right solution or product. It’s also about understanding the dangers to your plants, as well as the signs that you may have spider mites. Here’s what you need to know to safeguard your indoor jungle.
Main Dangers to Plants
Here are some of the issues associated with spider mites on indoor plants.
- Cellular damage. Mites feed on sap. To reach it, they’ll destroy plant cells leaving behind thousands of tiny, yellowish dots.
- Rapid spread. If left untouched, mites spread very fast from plant to plant and can kill plants.
- Webbing. When the population grows, fine webbing collects dust and chokes the plant.
- Premature leaf drop. Losing sunlight and the possibility to grow, leaves will dry up much quicker. They’ll drop off, so they’ll weaken the plant.
On top of all these, a mite infestation makes your indoor plant fragile. This means that it can take other pests and develop secondary diseases as well.
Signs That You Have Spider Mites
Spider mites are very difficult to see with the naked eye, so most people ignore them until they have an actual problem. There is, however, a simple paper test that allows you to detect an infestation at an early stage.
Get a white piece of paper. Hold it under some of the leaves, then tap or shake those leaves a few times gently. Spider mites won’t stick to it, but they’ll usually fall on the paper. If you can observe tiny things walking around on the paper, you have spider mites.
Nothing to worry about! At least you’ve identified the problem before it kills the plant. Here’s how to kill spider mites on indoor plants.
How to Kill Spider Mites on Indoor Plants
Quarantine the Plant
Spider mites can spread easily, so you’ll have to quarantine your plant straight away. Move it away from other houseplants, ideally to a different room. This way, you’ll get to keep the infestation under control for a bit.
Get Rid of Dead Leaves
Some of the leaves may already be dead. If they’re heavily yellowed or even crispy, it’s time to get rid of them. The same applies if you see webbing all around them as these areas harbor the highest concentration of pests. Use sterilized scissors to do it. This move allows the plant to redirect its energy into fresh growth.
Water the Plant
This isn’t about watering the soil, but the actual plant. If it can fit thoroughly in your sink, go for it. Most people do it in the shower though. The water should be lukewarm and applied with a bit of pressure. Thoroughly blast each leaf individually, from top to bottom. Wash away everything. From webbing and mites to actual eggs.
Wash Spider Mites Off With Water
Spider mites are hydrophobic. This means that despite all these, you’ll still have some clinging tightly to the leaf surfaces. Get a clean microfiber cloth or paper towel and physically wipe every single leaf. Do the same for the whole plant. Once it’s clean, get an anti-mite spray and treat it thoroughly, paying close attention to the nooks where stems meet.
There are different recipes to make your own anti-mite spray too, yet it’s wiser to use a professional product like horticultural oil or insecticidal soap. Make sure it’s specifically made for the type of plant you have.
It’s important to know that spider mites reproduce superfast. You’ll need to perform this process every couple of days for at least a few weeks. Otherwise, the infestation will return due to newly hatched eggs.
Apart from the plant, it’s also important to clean the area. Vacuum thoroughly, wipe shelves with a disinfectant solution and so on.
Last, but not least, here are a few tips to prevent spider mites.
- Increase humidity, as spider mites tend to thrive in dry air, especially if it’s hot. Humidity should be between 50% and 60% which can be achieved using a room humidifier or a pebble tray.
- Dust plants regularly, as dust encourages spider mites and gives them a perfect environment to build webs.
- Avoid water stress, so underwatering and overwatering are both contraindicated.
In the end, learning how to kill spider mites on indoor plants isn’t that difficult. It requires consistency for at least a few weeks, but you can generally do it without any training at all. Learn how to prevent them too, only to avoid similar problems in the future and keep your indoor garden thriving.