spider mites and ee's

I am dying the fight here. I have alocasia and colocasia and I am starting to get mites on them.
What do you all do for them. A couple of ee's I just cut the leaves off, out of frustration.

I have brugs and calla lilies and they got mites first, altho the ee's are in a different building I must of carried the mites over.

So close to spring.

Joyce, so sorry... it's THAT time of year.... EVERYTHING wants to go outside but it is too early here. If you get a nice day, I'd take them outside and hose them down good, use a little water force to knock any out of crevaces. (they don't like moisture/humidity-or I've heard anyway) If it's really nice, let them set out for a few hours (not in direct sun). I've sprayed most of my ee's with the dish soap/water solution before.... Not sure if it spots the leaves, but if so, it's better than providing a feast for them, and the bulbs are still good... My aphid battle continues, but I've depleated some of their forces and I anxiously await May 1st, so Mother Nature can end the war (for this winter, anyway). I have a huge amorphophallas about to bloom, the biggest it's ever been, I'm excited about that... it's in a different part of the basement... Spring may be here (maybe not), but I always wait until May 1st to bring stuff out.

I take plants out individually and do as AuntB suggests, only I use a Fogg-It nozzle and "pressure clean" the mites off each individual leaf. You need to hold the leaf in one hand and the nozzle in the other and do both upper and lower surfaces of each leaf. If there is a lots of spiderwebbing, you need to rub the leaf gently to dislodge both the webbing and the associated mites.

Then you need to repeat the procedure within a week to catch all those newly hatched ones from the eggs you couldn't get off the leaves.

This works well if you don't have a huge number of plants.

LariAnn
Aroidia Research

Thanks everyone. I took them all outside Sunday late and sprayed like crazy. Then bleach mopped the floor. First time I have ever had these, but this is the first time for ee's and brugs!

AuntB, the Monster White I want to bring to you at the RU (not sure you will want now) has the darn things also. I sprayed it outside Sunday. Looks good right now. I would hate to send the mites home with you. It was a long day dragging everything out and putting it back and cleaning up afterwards, but I feel better.

I will start spraying with soap tonight non-stop and see what happens.

Thanks
Joyce

Joyce, you poor woman. I feel for you. Sunday, we finished up limb removal from the ice storm .. I feel better about how it looks, but the "ol bod" isn't quite at that "feel level", yet... lol I want, I want.... the MW... I'll just leave it outside w/ protection and pull it in the garage IF it gets below 40....It will be fine....how big is the plant? By then maybe the lady bugs will be here to help. They love to eat mites.. I do need to make some plans for RU, I'm just not "with it" lately. I'm wishin' for you to be rid of them mites... come on warm weather! I'll try to post a pic of the amorph bloom... it hasn't unfurled, yet...

I have lady bugs in the garden room and they are eating but unless it gets really warm in there I don't see them.
The MW is about 4 feet tall and y'd and it is yours. I have a pink one in bloom and the smell is amazing. The MW didn't smell as strong as the pink but the the blossoms on the MG were huge. I am sure waiting for spring like you said....

LOL...yesterday I screamed getting out of bed, muscle sore that I forgot I had and today was even worse! LOL, but it sure felt good to play outdoors.

I want to start some seeds but I don't know if it is worth the effort unless I can get these critters under control.....things looked better today I guess just knowing they had been sprayed off.