We are under attack – Red Spider Mite Invasion of 2014! (a how to for battling against these pesky critters)
To Whom It Should Concern:
I will not tolerate your invasion and destruction of all things green and bean like. You took my beautiful, perfect & flourishing beans plants & in a flash — turned them into shriveled, spotted, crisp, diseased plants. What was once a utopia of green beans – where hundreds (both large and small) once lived peaceably, you quietly & systematically wagged war. Leaves have fallen, beans have turned yellow & dropped — all for what?? A little plant nectar???
Do you not know, or care in the least?? I grew the plants from SEED!!
I watched as they dropped their seed coat, sprouted out their very first embryonic root. I remember when their cotyledons shriveled and the very first true leaves opened. Then I carefully placed each new plant in a mini greenhouse, regularly watered and waited for just the right time to release them to the outside. I thoughtfully created the perfect growing environment, built a trellis with my very own hands & meticulously spaced each delicate bean plant within the confines of the trellis.
Each plant was perfectly positioned to receive the best morning sun and sheltered from the harsh afternoon sun. The beans were watered regularly, with careful attention to keep from over-watering. I spared no expense when it came to fertilizers for my beans, only the best organic nutrients for them!
And just when I began to see the fruits of all my care and attentiveness — you little red devils invade my secret garden, with one mission: seek nectar and destroy life.
I am gathering all available resources and even some not so readily available…and I will see the last of you. (I hope, sniff, sniff). But, I don’t think they care!
Isn’t this just horrific? They are winning the battle for sure. I tried spraying them with a dawn, vinegar & water mixture. It didn’t deter them. I just cannot bring myself to spray them with chemical pesticides (as much as I want to see these red pests shrivel and die!!). My last move is to keep the leaves wet, especially the undersides. Word on the street is they hate being wet…But I am afeared it may be too late.
But, as any gardener knows, if at first you don’t succeed…fry, fry a hen:
A second generation of newly sprouted bean plants are waiting in the wings, undefiled by the bothersome red spider mites. I just hope the red spider mites don’t find out about this.
I have never experienced a red spider mite invasion before. Looking back on this saga, I can see several early warning signs.
Early detection is key in combating this pest. Some tiny yellow spots started showing up about 10 days ago. I thought the beans were lacking a specific nutrient, so I fertilized. Within a few days, the spots had increased astronomically.
Most organic gardening sites recommend the ‘pick and kill’ method. These buggers are so tiny that this will not work. The next recommendation is to seek eggs and destroy them — that wont work for the same reason.
So what are my choices?
- regularly inspect the underside of leaves, looking for signs of infestation (droppings, bites, yellow spots, bugs etc)
- pick off and destroy any infested leaves
- spray plant with a water, dawn mixture ((1 t dawn to ½ gallon of water)) — paying special attention to the undersides of leaves
- My next step is to try mixing some vegetable oil in with the water ((again 1 t per ½ gallon of water))
- do not give up – as long as there is green, there is hope!
I hope these tips will help you wage war against red spider mites. Have you experienced this pest and come out on the winning end?? If so, please let me know the tricks you used to win the war!