The fight with mites in greenhouses

[Louis]

Hi all,

not too far from me is a large greenhouse that has some nice hibiscus varieties.
i purchased one, got home, blasted with the hose to rid it of the hitchhikers, re-potted it and
put it into quarantine.

about one week later leaves started to turn yellow. lo and behold there they were, the little buggers. i sprayed it with bayer 3 in 1 and thought it might do the job, again in about a week, they were back.

so, i took the plant out of the pot, hosed off all the soil from around the roots, and placed it into the tub with 90 degree water, with a lot of added detergent. i let it soak in the sudsy water for one hour, keeping the water at 90 degrees.

re-potted it with fresh soil and that was 2 weeks ago. they are gone and the plant seems to be refreshed, many new sprouts.


i hate the little buggers.

louis

[blupit007]

Wow!  That is quite extreme!  I have had mite problems throughout the summer.  It made me go MAD!!  Question, if we are in a cool dry climate, as CT is now, do mites post as much a problem as they do in the summer?  I seemed to have them over and over this summer, but nothing since I brought them in in Sept. 

Also, what new variety did you get?

[Charlie]

Mites, like most insect pests, reproduce faster the hotter the weather is. That is why the worst problems occur in the height of summer.

In Louis cas that he just described, the mites came from the greenhouse where he got the plants. Many nurseries stop spraying or greatly reduce spraying for mites at this time of year. It's expensive and sales slow so they don't do it. This is not fair to the customers of course but that's the way it is.

Bayer 3-in-1 is better than nothing but not really a satisfactory miticide. It kills some of them but not all and certainly not the eggs. So, back they come not long after spraying. Washing mites off with water sprays or baths seems to be the most reliable of mite controls based on what people have reported to us.

I'll have more to say about a new systemic mite killer before next summer. That is what we need and have never had available before. Just pour some into each pot as needed and no more worries.

Charlie

[nina]

Charlie,

You mean that the systemic miticide  has been produced? You will have it, sell it? If so, I would like to know it as soon as possible.

[Charlie]

Yes, Nina, we're testing it now along with a couple of people growing at home. It's very promising when used correctly and not only controls mites but also every other hibiscus pest except for thrips. Since flower thrips do not consume plant sap or leaf outside the flower bud they will still need to be sprayed for.

Charlie

[Louis]

Wow!  That is quite extreme!  I have had mite problems throughout the summer.  It made me go MAD!!  Question, if we are in a cool dry climate, as CT is now, do mites post as much a problem as they do in the summer?  I seemed to have them over and over this summer, but nothing since I brought them in in Sept. 

Also, what new variety did you get?

hi, i am not sure what your name is. tell me in a reply post.
when my plants were out this summer, i did not have any mites or other pests. there are a lot of daddy long leg spiders here and they do a super job of cleaning a  plant of bugs.


my only problem when they are outside are slugs. they devour everything. i have to put a band of copper around the top of the pot to shock them to keep them out.

my problem arises when i bring them, into a dryer environment. now that i have the greenhouse open, i am going to try running a humidifier during the dry times.

the new variety i got was madam dupont.

louis

[Charlie]

Louis, I'm glad to hear that Nature herself takes care of the hibiscus pests. It works that way in my home garden, too. We're surrounded by fields and avocado groves that provide a diverse population of insects that includes those insects, spiders, and mites that eat other insects and mites. I still have to spray for thrips a few times each summer but it's rare that I have to spray for spider mites. Pest problems are at their worst when a host like hibiscus is the main plant growing in an area and there are not a lot of other host plants for the predatory, beneficial insects to live on. Such as in a greenhouse or other area that houses a lot of hibiscus and little else.

BTW, Blupit007 is Kristen, who I think you exchanged some messages with about CT where you both live.

Charlie

[nina]

Hi, Charlie,
Thanks for the answer.