i have a slightly rooted cutting of imperialis in S/H (5-6 one inch long fat roots), this afternoon i found a small red spider looking thing on it. ARGHHH i've never had spider mites i dont know what they look like, but this description pretty much summed up my research. i read that spraying with alchohol would get rid of them. and im not too opposed to taking it out of the s/h and spraying the whole thing. the cutting developed all kinds of dark colored spots, which i suppose are the "bruises" left from the little pests. can you guys suggest what i might try and if all else fails what i should try as a last resort. this cutting is far from being infested or past the point of rescue. I'ld really like to nip this one in the bud so to say. any suggestions are very appreciated.
jaci
hoya cutting crisis (spider mites?)
jaci... I believe spiders and spider mites are different (one is a spider and one is a mite)... can you ID it (the bug) any better? Usually mites will leave a web like thingy on the backs of the leaves along the main costa...a good indication of spider mites and/or white fly. Mites are a bugger to get rid of and each particular mite has a protocol to kill it and get the babies at the same time (actually eggs)...so, identification of your pest is important. Looking at the backs of the leaves can tell you alot....and if they have spread, check your other plants.
s/h = shade house?
Are the brown spots soft? Hard? With a hole in the middle? Could be nibbles/could be fungus....can you spray your gh for fungi? But you are pretty dry there, no?
hi carol,
it looked like what a spider mite, might look like bright red small pinhead size. but like i said ive never seen them. other than photos. No webs to be seen on this particular cutting or any plant near it (thankfully!!) Everything looks rather clean. nothing crawling around anywhere except for that one. S/H = (semi hydro). the spots really do look like small bruises, hard, no bite marks, no hole, i thought it might be fungus too so i took it out of its bag/container sprayed with fungicide but they stayed. so led me to believe bugs were about. As for the weather its hot dry and arid, perfect for spider mites, thats what worried me. i mist twice a day and leave pebble trays everywhere. but i dont think this is the best deterrent. i spray with neem in the spring and fall, it has been a miracle serum since i found the stuff. i may just need to do some preventative spraying. do you suggest using anything else?
thanks for the help i really appreciate it
jaci
I had 4 or 5 of my thinner leaved Hoyas that got spidermites and like Carol said there will be fine webbing on the backs of the leaves near the center vein. Also, the leaves will be blotchy or yellow spotting from them sucking from underneath. After initial panic, I sprayed them a few times with a neem, dish soap mixture, and it looks like I beat them, because I see no new evidence of their evil deeds. I also really blasted them with jets of water.
Good luck with your fight.
Doug
well no webbing anywhere, hopefully this is a good sign. to those who have experience. do these look like spider webs or what mealys leave behind? i guess it really is time for a neem session lol :}
thanks everyone!
jaci
Can you post a picture of your plant with the possible mite problem?
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.inra.fr/hyppz/IMAGES/7033192.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.inra.fr/hyppz/RAVAGEUR/6teturt.htm&usg=__ZbhoQmiyYKLlqWINMpy3SyKTR8U=&h=397&w=600&sz=59&hl=en&start=4&um=1&tbnid=woCf4HAcumyWEM:&tbnh=89&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dimages%2Bof%2Bspider%2Bmites%2Band%2Bwebs%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX
I haven't had a problem with mites very often thank goodness, but in the past I too have used a mixture of neem and liquid dish detergent, and it seems to eradicate the little buggers!
I've never actually seen the little mites, too tiny for my old eyes, but when I see anything that looks like fine webbing I take action.
Hmmmmmm-no webbing. Perhaps you got the bugger before it had a chance to do any populating!!!
When you spray with Neem oil or soapy water, you are in effect suffocating the adults and juvenile stages. It takes about 7 days for the eggs to hatch if there are any you haven't gotten...so your treatments are best done every 5-7 days for a couple of treatments. This is the low tech method and works really well with no major infestation.....
Good luck! Sometimes you have to use a strong loop to see the webs....
here are the links to my photobucket:
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj280/jsainz/IMG_1611.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj280/jsainz/IMG_1613.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj280/jsainz/IMG_1614.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj280/jsainz/IMG_1615.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj280/jsainz/IMG_1619.jpg
The plant you show looks fine...to my old eyes without a loop. The telltale signs are the stipling (how do you spell that?) on the leaves...you might just hit the one plant with water in a good jet!!!
Looks like you have good roots!!! Keep it warm...they hate cold!
thanks for the encouraging words carol!
i plan on taking them all out and spraying them this weekend. I hope keeping them on a heating mat is enough. its been cold, even here in the desert.
what do all of you keep your heating mats at in the winter for your hoyas/cuttings?
I keep mine at 73deg. But air circulation is important as well....it is the roots that need it more than the foliage.
Carol