by Susan Hollinger
Spider mites are microscopic arachnids that appear on the undersides of leaves and turn them yellow. Left unattended they can defoliate a rose bush in a few days. They like hot conditions and are the primary pest of summer.
If spider mites infest your roses, you will begin to notice a dull appearance to the leaves. The undersides will feel "sandy" or rough. Fine webbing will appear on the undersides of leaves and in leaf axils. Leaves will begin to lose their color and become dry and lifeless. The leaves soon die and dry up.
Spider mites make their living by sucking the fluids from the rose leaves. They are found on the lower side of the leaves. It is a good idea to have a magnifying glass handy to check the underside of your leaves to catch them early.
It is important that any spider mite control, whether a strong stream of water or a more powerful miticide, be applied directly to the underside of the leaves.
Spider mites start on the bottom leaves so it is a good idea to remove the leaves from your large roses within 12 inches or so from the ground. You should also remove the sprawling stems from your minis that are lying on the ground.
Mites reproduce every three days and lay thousands of eggs. In three days a new population will be on its way to becoming established. The key then to any attack on spider mites is to either attack the eggs with an ovicide and/or repeat spraying in three days to eliminate the newly emerging children. The resiliency of mites and their eggs to water washing is the reason that at some point water alone may not be enough to do the job. Therefore, it is best to spray with a miticide every three days to eliminate them completely.
Floramite is the best spider mite killer available. It is as effective at killing spider mites as Avid, at a fraction of the price. Floramite provides a quick knockdown of spider mites within 3 days of application and provides control for up to 28 days. The new chemistry of Floramite is effective on a variety of species and life stages of mites, including eggs. Floramite is easy on predator mites and other beneficial insects.
Application rate: ¼ to ½ teaspoon per gallon of spray. Repeat every 21 – 28 days. Since Floramite is expensive, you may want to go with others for the purchase. Floramite can be purchased at ProSource One which is located at 5387 Pleasant View Road, Memphis, TN. Their telephone number is (901) 383-2524.