Fungus Gnats to Spider Mites

I had a major problem with fungus gnats on my indoor houseplants once I brought them in this fall. Yes, I know, water less. In an effort to eradicate the buggers, of which I see here and there still, I allowed all the plants to dry out. Even the plants that require moisture, giving me 3 less plants to worry about now.

Problem is I started finding small spider webs everywhere. After doing some research and determining it’s an infestation of spider mites, I have to laugh because they thrive in dry arid conditions. (I think I want the gnats back.) I’ve spent my holiday in the bathroom bent over the tub washing my plants twice a day.
Because I travel a lot for work I put all the plants together to make maintaining them easier. Guess that was a rookie move as now I see every plant I own is potentially affected.

So- Am I wasting my time? Most of the info I found online says once you can see them it’s very, very bad.
I originally started treating with pesticide, which burned the leaves of the plants. Then I read that pesticides can compound the problem because it fixes nitrogen for the mites to feed on, which cause them to reproduce faster. I’ve separated the plants and just keep washing with water. Is there anything else I can do and what are my odds for success? How long can spider mites live without a plant host (ex- do I need to worry about them in my carpet).

kagst29

This forum is for question relating to adding data to the BugFiles database.

We have a forum on Garden Pests and Diseases here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/pad/all/
and if you post your question there, you may get some help,

Kennedy
BugFiles Administrator