I was just doing a search to try to help JoanJ and found this site. I guess the big bucks for Avid are worth it. I had no idea I was using a weak miticide, which explains why I had to use it it over and over a gain!
Option 5: Chemical Control - Miticides Spider mites are usually not killed by regular insecticides, so be sure to check the pesticide label to see if "miticide" is present. Pesticides claiming "for mite suppression" are usually weak miticides and will not perform well. There are few products available to the homeowner. Dicofol (=Kelthane) is registered for over-the-counter use but is difficult to find. Acephate (=Orthene), dimethoate (=Cygon), chlorpyrifos (=Dursban), diazinon, disulfoton (=Di-syston), and malathion have over-the-counter product labels but are considered weak miticides.
Avermectin (=Avid), bifenthrin (=Talstar), dienochlor (=Pentac), fenbutatin-oxide (=Vendex), fluvalinate (=Mavrik), oxamyl (=Vydate), oxydemeton-methyl (Metasystox-R), oxythioquinox (Morestan), and propargite (=Omite) are restricted use pesticides available only to licensed applicators.
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2012.html
mites
Hmmmm - no mention of Cinnamaldehyde? ... the active ingrediant in Cinnamite. I just got my order yesterday. I hope it works - at least it smells good :) I also bought a "pocket microscope" from the same company. It magnifies up to 30x. It's pretty fun to play with. And YES ... I can see the nasty little critters. They look like teeny weenie crabs walking around under the leaves. I almost didn't want to spray them cuz I won't be able to look at them anymore - lol!
Poppysue, they do look like little crabs don't they?
So Cala were you able to get that Avid because you have an applicator license? I think mine are gone, I only had them on some babies. But I dread them spreading if they are not dead dead dead. I have never had mites before in the back yard. I have treated everyting wiht that rose food with systemic insecticide just to make the first bite taste so bad they decide not to colonize.
So what you folks are saying is that I won't be able to find the stuff I need to fix my brugs?
Sledder, why don't you take off the affected leaves carefully, throwing in a bag as you go, move them to some light shade and hose them down very good with a spray attachment several times a day, at least til you get some stuff. (they are in pots aren't they?) i would definitely pick off the affected leaves, new ones will grow.
Oh no Sledder, I am sure you can fix your brugs. Just get a handle on it early! Even the weak sprays will get them under more control. But I want them to be gone totally. On another thread people were talking about Avid which is very expensive but sounds like it is very good. There were even places to buy it posted. The article I found says it is restricted in sale to people who know what they are doing. Well, that stipulation always leaves me out. I have not tried to buy it yet so I was just asking Cala if that was true.
I also mist mine during the day and that discourages them. I have treated all my brugs with a systemic that last weeks even though I have no mites just to make sure I do not get them. I got a cutting that had them and I did not catch it till it went thru my baby brug table so I am taking preventive measures.
Do not be discouraged just proactive!
Kell - I used the Bayer rose systemic when I planted all mine too. It seemed like it was keeping the pest a bay ... but not now. Not all my plants have mites but a couple of them are damaged pretty badly now. I guess the stuff only last for so long. ... or maybe it doesn't work on the cyclamen mites.
I didn't have to have an applicators license to buy the Avid here in our state, but some states require it. Kelthane, believe it or not is restricted here, as is Pentac.