The spider mite is a small mite (0.3-0.6 mm) that feeds on plant sap.
Spider webs like dry air, hot and dry conditions - flat air and conditions during heating, spider webs really like it. Therefore, 6 - 10 generations develop in one year. Female crickets lay about 20 - 90 eggs every day!! The most harmful to plants are web mite larvae and adult mites. The entire development of web mites from egg to adult tick takes 7-14 days, sometimes up to 28 days.
Aphids mainly feed on the underside of the plant's leaves, where they suck the sap. Chloroplasts break down in plant cells and yellow dots appear in the damaged areas. If there are many spider mites, all damaged leaves turn yellow to yellowish brown and fall off. The leaves, flowers and shoots of plants are meshed. Spider mites multiply rapidly when the air temperature is 22-30°C, but the relative air humidity is lower than 55%.
The body of the recluse is elongated oval, greenish-yellow in spring and early summer, reddish in late summer. Males are shorter than females. Adults have four pairs of legs. The egg is spherical (diameter 0.14 mm) at first transparent, later - white. The larva is slightly lighter than the adult, with three pairs of legs. Nymph – the same color as the adult, with four pairs of legs.
The spider is a pretty nasty pest. And the fight with it is difficult and long. I recommend cutting the infected leaves where there is a large infestation and increasing the humidity level in the place where the plant is located, because, as I already wrote, Tīklercei likes dry air. In addition to combating, one of the methods described below can be used.
The first way is to spray the plant with sugar water or coca-cola on both sides of the leaves. Leave for a day and rinse the plant the next day. The sugar water makes the webworm stick together and it dies. This procedure should be repeated every 7 days for at least a month, as it does not destroy the eggs.
Another way is to spray the plants with Neemazal or Siltac. It is an insecticide that can be purchased in farm and construction stores, next to plant pest control products. Spraying with this preparation should also be done regularly once a week. And remember that it works best if the temperature of the room where the plants are located is above 26C.
The third way is to use predatory insects that eat the webworm. There are various predators that can be used, such as spical mites. It is possible to order such good insects from me in Latvia. At the end of every month, I make a joint order of predatory ticks and give the opportunity to other interested parties to join the order. For prevention, I spread predatory mites on the plants of the store every month to rule out the possibility of any pest. It should only be taken into account that if there are many infected plants, it will be necessary to take bulk packages so that the mites can cope with the infestation. You can read more about predatory mites and join the order here https://augi-plants.lv/products/plesejerces-pret-tiklerci
The fourth way is to spray the plants with Cobra universal (with the black cap) and put the plant in a bag and overnight. I have read that this method helps some, others mentioned that more sensitive plants have died after this method. I have not tried this option myself.
The fifth way is to wipe or spray each leaf on both sides with a Neem oil cocktail. Neem oil is a natural product obtained from the neem tree (Azadirachta indica) and is a natural insecticide. It should only be diluted with water before use, as too much concentration can burn the leaves of more sensitive plants. Everyone uses their own recipe for a neem oil cocktail, but I can recommend the following proportions: 500ml of warm water, 2 teaspoons of neem oil, 1 teaspoon of vodka or any other liquid with a high alcohol content, 2 teaspoons of green soap or fairy. All this is thoroughly mixed and then it can be used for spraying plants. Spraying plants should be repeated every 7 days for at least a month. You can buy neem oil on my website. https://augi-plants.lv/products/nima-ella-dabigais-lidzeklis-cinai-ar-kaitekliem-100ml
If you have any other questions about plant care, apply for a consultation and I will gladly help you with advice so that you can take care of your houseplants like a professional in the future. https://augi-plants.lv/products/attalinata-konsultacija
