The first thing to do when you see spider mites, is to shower the entire plant down with good old water. Tops, undersides, stems, etc...
Neem oil will clog the pores of the leaves, which will lead to leaf rot, since the leaves will not be able to transpire properly. To top it off, once dry, it becomes inert and useless. It is like taking a sledgehammer to pop a balloon, instead of using a pin.
After you give the plant a thorough and loooong showering and watering, then you can use Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap. What you can do, is put the entire plant inside a lightweight clear plastic bag (dry cleaning bags are the best for this).
Tie off the small opening where the hanger goes through. Then, roll the sides of the bag down until it's almost flat. Now, gently place the plant in the center of it. Slowly bring the bag up over the leaves, being carefully not to bend or snap any. Spray with Safer Brand Soap until it runs down off the leaves and spray the soil as well. Then tie off the top of the bag and leave it alone for at least 24 hours. Best to use a tray underneath, before you start. It will suffocate any remaining mites and stay wet so it is infinitely more effective than spraying and allowing to dry.
Under normal circumstances, nothing more than a good long shower is needed.
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I hate those things! Yes, they are thrips and spread like wildfire if not treated. Check all nearby plants and others. I've brushed against these damn things and found them all over the place. Not many, thank God, but enough to be extremely annoying. They are very destructive.
The first thing you want to do is shower the leaves down thoroughly and water the plant. Next, please get Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap - do NOT buy the concentrate. It has clogged up every sprayer I own. It's as thick as toothpaste and does not dissolve.
After showering the plant, if outside, treat in the evening, after the sun is almost set. Spray and spray and spray, tops and bottoms of leaves and especially at leaf/stem junctions. Spray until the entire plant is dripping with the Safer Soap.
It WILL get rid of them and the most gentle remedy for the plant. Whatever you do, do NOT use neem oil. That crap clogs the pores of leaves and does more harm than good.
Any time you have sticky leaves, it is an indication of a sap sucking pest.
Treat with Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap or make your own spray with unscented castile soap, 2-3 tablespoons, mixed with a quart of water. Make sure to spray the top and underside of the leaves and the top of the soil for extra measure.
It's savable, but I dumped three very large spider plants recently because of these horrid little monsters. With hundreds of leaves, it was impossible to get in everywhere. I tried for a couple of weeks and finally gave up, salvaging cuttings that are now in water and still in quarantine for the next month.
However, with a large leaved plant, it is much easier to eradicate, so in your case, head to the bathtub, get some Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap or unscented liquid castile soap (a couple tablespoons to a quart) and spray the leaves.
First, turn the pot on its side and shower the entire plant down. This will help remove some of the thrips. Turning it on its side is to prevent the insects from falling into the soil or on lower leaves.
When you spray the plant with Safer or Castle soap, do the same thing - pot on its side to make sure you are getting under the leaves as well as the top.
You do not need anything stronger. One or two applications will do the trick, but keep the plant isolated from any other plants. Thrips rarely fly, but they are adept at short flights and jumping from one plant to another.
Did not notice the aphids on the stem until you pointed it out. Thank you.
Also very biased against neem oil, since it's like taking a hammer to a bubble, when a simple pin prick will suffice.
I use Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap, but always start out with showering the plant first, then using a solution of 1+ tablespoon liquid unscented castile soap to a quart of water and spraying the plant thoroughly. Only use Safer Soap when absolutely necessary.
Sticky spots like that are always an indication of some kind of pest. If you can, turn the pot on its side and shower it down well, making sure to get tops and bottom of leaves. Turning it on its side, helps limit anything falling back into the soil.
After you shower it down, use Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap or make a solution of 1 tablespoon dishwashing liquid (preferably unscented castile, but not mandatory) to a quart of water and spray the entire plant down, including the top of the soil.
Check the leaves as soon as it dries and for the next few days. If still sticky, repeat the application. PLEASE, do NOT use neem oil.
An all around organic spray insecticide, such as Safer Brand Soap will work. (Don't buy the concentrate - it clogs sprayers and is as thick as toothpaste.)
Or, you can make your own with liquid unscented castile soap and water. Definitely more economical and just as effective. You can mix a few tablespoons to a quart of water r if you have a garden sprayer, can use a more concentrated mix.
Make sure to hose down and water the plants before any treatment and best time to spray is around dusk.
Looks like a mimosa. Yes, the best thing to do is cut off any branches that are infested. Mimosas do not mind being pruned at all and new branches will replace them.
Don't know what you used (mimosa has mealybugs, not mold), but I've used Safer Soap Insect Killing Soap on my older mimosas, for a minor thrip problem and it didn't harm the leaves at all. Sprayed them every day for several days.
If you have a liquid unscented dish-soap, you can add a tablespoon to water, mix and spray. Wouldn't use anything stronger on the tender leaves.
Nope! As long as it’s safe for plants. this is what I use. It’s been great. I’ve had to use it to get rid of aphids, gnats, and spider mites. All were gone within a matter of days within spraying.
You can make your own, but I've started keeping a bottle of "safer" soap on hand. Cheap enough, it works, and has yet to hurt any of my plants. Ive used it in just about everything with no adverse effects (inclusing plants it says not to use it on)
Since you're flowering you need to be careful of what you spray. I was going to recommend neem oil, but I don't recommend inhaling or ingesting. Don't spray your buds as it will leave residual after taste. If you're fully sealed you can use lady bugs.
Safer Brand 5110-6 Insect Killing Soap, 32 Oz. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BQL8UY/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_J76R9QY0D2QHFCHM7WVT?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Says it's OMRI and safe to use until harvest, but still kind of weary about residuals.
Dr. Zymes is another product you could spray.
Whatever you do....spray when the lights go out. This gives it time to fully dissipate. I just learned this the hard way by phototoxicizing my plants.
They will be inside your flower hiding and laying eggs in there. Along with all the other scars/hidey holes they make. They will also shit so you will need to 3 part wash your bud once harvest comes.
After you harvest I'd still fully sanitize your grow tent and use any of the methods I've mentioned or ones you find effective to prevent it for future grows.
Goodluck!
Ahhh! Makes my skin crawl. :( I ordered this:
Safer Brand 5110-6 Insect Killing Soap, 32 oz. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BQL8UY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_44oyCbE9KN2TW
on amazon just now. Should be here by Wednesday. I wish I lived somewhere warm where I can put all my plants outside. All of them are in my bedroom right now.
Those are the nymphs of leaf footed bugs you should spray them with insecticidal soap, and you do have to get it on them for it to work, as it has no residual effect. https://www.amazon.com/Safer-Brand-5110-6-Insect-Killing/dp/B000BQL8UY/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=insecticidal+soap+saver&qid=1598240901&sr=8-2
Aphids. https://www.succulentgrowingtips.com/aphids-on-succulents-how-to-treat-them
Safer Soap Insect Killing SPRAY, will easily get rid of them, without harming the plant. Do NOT use neem oil. It will clog the pores of the leaves and cause pitting. Anything stronger will be overkill and damage the leaves.
Definitely not thrips, but looks more like Soft Brown Scale.
You will need to check the entire plant, not missing a single leaf. Please use <strong>Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap,</strong> to get rid of them.
Do NOT use neem oil or anything harsher, since succulents are extremely sensitive to insecticides. Neem oil will clog the pores of the leaves, causing them to rot.
Grandma would have used unscented liquid castile soap, mixed 2-3 tablespoons to a quart of water. That will also work, but Safer Soap will work more efficiently.
Mealybugs. A type of soft bodied scale: https://greenmethods.com/scale-mealybugs/
Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap is all you need. Don't go wild with other remedies. Safer Soap works and does no harm to the plants.
IS THIS STRONG ENOUGH? to keep my other plants safe?
Damn things will be the death of me... https://getbusygardening.com/control-thrips-on-houseplants/
Cut that leaf off the Birkin (carefully) and destroy it. I run scalding hot water over any leaves I find and cut off with these creatures, then down the garbage disposal.
Get yourself some Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap- works great and gentle on all plants. If the infestation is bad, shower the plant very well, then find a clear plastic bag large enough to contain the entire plant without crushing the leaves (I use dry cleaning bags), fold the sides down, spray the entire plant, bring up the sides and tie off the top pf the bag. Let it sit in the bag for 24 hours, then cut the bag off, carefully dispose of it and let the plant dry off.
Once dry inspect VERY closely and cut off any and all affected leaves.
ISOLATE and make sure to check ALL your plants for the next couple of months.
Where they come from is anyone's guess. I have over 400 indoor plants and in 8 years never had anything worse than the occasional fungus gnat, until these little bastards made an appearance.
Now, I have to check every plant, every day and if I see one thrip or thrip poop or thrip scarring or a deformed leaf - it's cut off and the entire plant gets the suffocation routine.
Something worse... thrips: https://getbusygardening.com/control-thrips-on-houseplants/
That is the pattern they leave after sucking the sap from the leaves. A real bitch to get rid of as well. Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap works VERY well, but these things spread to other plants and gets very tiresome trying to kill them off.
Isolate that plant and if you have any other plants, check them thoroughly and keep checking week after week. They are insidious and you may only find one or two at a time, but it's imperative to keep a close watch and treat immediately.
Neem oil was not the wisest solution and the reason I linked you to <strong>Safer Soap</strong>. Neem oil is not the best remedy by a long shot and I wish the internet would remove it from search for thrips and other pests. Peroxide will do nothing except oxygenate the soil and kill off any possible mold in the soil.
As suggested above, all the affected plants need to be completely showered down, turned on their sides, BEFORE treating with an insecticide.
When you move, you are going to have to wrap all the affected plants in plastic. <strong>Long dry cleaning bags</strong> work best, since they are light weight and will not damage plants. They will need to be sealed off with tape. You can also use the bags as a treatment tent. After showering and then spraying, put the plants in the bags and let them sit overnight. Open the tops after at least 12 hours have passed.
No, not spider mites; they are worse: thrips. https://getbusygardening.com/control-thrips-on-houseplants/
If yo have other plants nearby, please isolate the infested one. Thrips are very destructive and can spread quickly. They don't fly far, but the do fly and hop, skip and jump to other plants. You can also spread them by brushing against the plant and carrying to others.
I suggest using Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap. It is very gentle on plants, but deadly for thrips. Shower the plant on its side (so thrips don't fall into the soil) BEFORE treating. Make sure to get under the leaves as well. After a good showering, with the plant still on its side, start spraying until the spray runs off the leaves.
You will need to keep a very close eye on all plants for the next several weeks. If you spot any more repeat the treatment.
I had a problem with thrips that started on a pepper plant, then moved on to my wisteria, mimosas and spider plants. The pepper, wisteria and mimosa are all close to each other, so not unexpected.
There are over 400 plants in my house and this was the biggest problem I had in 8 years. Had some fungus gnats last year, but they are easy to get rid of with GNATROL.
Every last plant is checked every single day, some more than once a day, so the thrips were caught very early on and never saw more than a couple at a time, except on multiple spider plants.
The first thing I did was shower the affected plants - pots on the side, so as not to have thrips land in the soil and to get to the undersides of leaves. One showered down, I used Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap and nothing else.
The peppers, wisterias and mimosas were completely under control within a week. Found a couple single thrips, but with a second shower and Safer treatment, that was the end of them.
The spider plants were slightly different. Because of the large size of the spiders and because they are all hanging, I realized I would not be able to check every single leaf. Into the bathroom they went, hanging from a hook, checked and treated one by one.
After treating and allowing to dry, I took them out of their pots, discarding all the affected leaves and saving only what was completely unaffected. If I saw one drop of thrip poop, the leaf was discarded. Out of six huge spider plants, only one was a complete loss and only because my patience was at an end. I was spending too much time on the spiders, while the rest of my collection was being neglected.
All in all, it took two weeks to get rid of the thrips and thankfully stayed contained in one room. I did find a stray thrip in one other room and likely carried that in there by brushing against one of the spider plants.
No systemic drenches were needed. Keeping the plants showered on a regular basis and keeping Safer Soap within easy reach, is all it took.
Now, I walk around with a magnifying glass, looking for any changes or deformities in the leaves. Any deformed leaf, one were sap is visible or where bumps (eggs) are visible, is immediately cut off and discarded.
Most certainly not a death warrant for your plants, as long as you remain diligent in keeping a close eye over the next several weeks.
Don't go crazy with treatments. Safer Soap works perfectly well and the least harmful.
Dump the neem oil and use Safer Soap Insect Killing Spray or make your own solution of unscented liquid castile soap mixed with water (1-3 tablespoons per quart) in a spray bottle.
With either the Safer Soap or castile spray, you need to drench the entire plant - tops and bottoms of leaves, stems and soil. You want the spray to drip off the leaves.
Turn the pot on its side and shower the entire plant down BEFORE treating. Turning it on its side prevents anything from falling into the soil.
And yes, if the leaves are badly damaged, cut them off. Make sure to put the discarded leaves in a plastic bag and tie it off so the thrips do not escape.
Please look very closely at photo 4/4.
Do you see those little tiny black dots? That is black scale: https://gardenerspath.com/how-to/disease-and-pests/scale-insects/
Some of them can be just the size of a pin prick, so check carefully, since that is likely what is affecting your plants.
I suggest Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap - you don't need anything stronger, but you will need to treat every plant, top, bottom and sides.
Major need to worry: https://getbusygardening.com/control-thrips-on-houseplants/
Thrips are horrendous little monsters that spread quickly and are very destructive. ISOLATE that plant immediately - get it away from your other plants and be careful moving it, so the thrips don't fall off onto plants below it.
The first thing you want to do is shower that plant down, then treat with Safer Insect Killing Soap. In a pinch, you can use regular dishwashing liquid at 2 - 3 tablespoons to a quart, then spray the plant until it is completely saturated and running off the leaves.
Keep a very close eye over the next several weeks on ALL your plants. Males are very tiny white dots and very easy to miss.
Please do NOT use neem oil.
Use something like Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap or liquid unscented liquid castile soap, with 2-3 tablespoons soap to a quart of water.
Neem oil is an oil and can clog pores of leaves, since it is not water soluable. Neem is only needed for hard bodied insects. Thrips are soft bodied and can be eliminated will safer remedies than neem.
This neem oil craze really needs to stop. Personally find it very frustrating that this "cure all" has gone viral.
No, thrips: https://getbusygardening.com/control-thrips-on-houseplants/
Please use Safer Soap Insect SPRAY (not concentrate - it's horrible). This is the most effective and safest way to get rid of them.
First, shower or hose the plant down, turning it on its side away from other plants. Make sure to flush both sides of the leaves and the stems. Turning it on its side prevents the thrips from landing in the soil.
They MAY be thrip nymphs: https://getbusygardening.com/control-thrips-on-houseplants/ - honestly hope I'm wrong, but if not, please use Safer Soap: https://www.amazon.com/Safer-Brand-5110-6-Insect-Killing/dp/B000BQL8UY - by far the most gentle, organic and effective solution for many pests.
This is what thrips look like: https://getbusygardening.com/control-thrips-on-houseplants/
They tend to leave white or grayish scraggly lines, disfigured leaves and honeydew. Any leaf that is sticky, even if you cannot see anything, is likely affected.
Best and safest solution: https://www.amazon.com/Safer-Brand-5110-6-Insect-Killing/dp/B000BQL8UY
Shower the plant down ASAP, making sure to get the undersides of the leaves as well. You will rarely see thrips flying. The hop, skip, jump and crawl, a great deal more than they fly.
100% you have thrips: https://getbusygardening.com/control-thrips-on-houseplants/
Make sure to isolate that plant from any others as they spread quickly and are very destructive.
Shower the plant down thoroughly - turn the pot on its side and make sure to hose it down underneath as well as on top.
The best solution is a simple one: Safer Brand Soap Insecticide. Do NOT buy the concentrated - it's horrible, but the sprays are fantastic, organic and very safe for all plants.
You may need to treat more than once and make sure to check every, single day. Look for disfigured leaves, honeydew, and striping as in your first photo. The nymphs are even smaller, so you need to really look closely.
Not a "little dude" - that's a mini-monster thrip and lucky you caught it early - they spread like wildfire and very destructive: https://getbusygardening.com/control-thrips-on-houseplants/
I used Safer Soap https://www.amazon.com/Safer-Brand-5110-6-Insect-Killing/dp/B000BQL8UY?th=1 and it got rid of them very quickly.
Isolate that plant and check all other plants very carefully.
I use this since it only kills bugs that are not beneficial (supposedly)
Not sure, but likely aphids.
The best remedy is Safer Insect Killing Soap: https://www.amazon.com/Safer-Brand-5110-6-Insect-Killing/dp/B000BQL8UY or Safer 3 in 1: https://www.amazon.com/Safer-Brand-32-Ounce-Ready-Garden/dp/B002ITKYRK or Safer End-All: https://www.amazon.com/Safer-Brand-5102-6-Ready-Insect/dp/B00314DYNW
Instead of playing around with household remedies, any one of the above sprays solve a multitude of problems, safely and effectively.
Best guess, mealybugs: https://greenmethods.com/scale-mealybugs/
See if you can get Safer Insect Killing Soap - this is the SAFEST insecticide to use for soft leaved succulents such as jades.
That is cochineal scale. Different remedy than usual scale. Directions here: https://debraleebaldwin.com/pests/cochineal-scale-on-paddle-cactus-what-to-do/
I also highly recommend using Safer Insecticidal Soap. No neem, no alcohol. Safer IS safe for cacti and succulents.
Plant looks terribly dry and not well cared for. Sorry.
Please use Safer Soap which is sufficient for spider mites. Don't make the cure worse than the problem.
Safer Brand 5110-6 Insect Killing Soap, 32 Oz. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BQL8UY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_NK37PK2SS512ZXXQ75AD?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 not sure if this link will work
I took a clearer picture below! and no ants, just lots of small black bugs
I tried using some home remedies like oil or soap and then bought Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap. I tried the insect killing soap 3-4 times, spread over a couple weeks, but no use.
thanks, I think the bugs on the stems are called 'scales'.
Anyone recommend any of these two products? Or is a home made concoction of water+soap+cayenne pepper+garlic good enough?
I had luck with insecticidal soap - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQL8UY?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage