Red spider Mite on a peach tree *EMERGENCY*

Hi Team,

I thought odd as the peach tree was not looing as green as it did ...

had good look .. then went and got my magnifying glass and seen very small insects on a cobweb thread ...

Any suggestions how to get rid as I also have a grapevine in the greenhouse I have checked the leaves on the vine they look fine for now ....

Spruce

 

If you find out let me know, they are a nightmare and I've actually stopped trying with some plants due to them.
Spraying with water is the usual advice but its never worked for me.

You could try predators, but they are expensive and they never wipe them out, you have to introduce them at intervals.

Do you know any farmers with access to pesticides we cant get?

 

Cypermethrine is the key. No idea if it's available in UK . Demon Max is a brand from USA. Works against all mites.

 

Pyrethroids, such as alpha-cypermethrin, have only a limited efficacy as the spidermites have often become resistant - this class of insecticide also kills everything else including the bees, and these products are gradually being withdrawn. I've been told a product called Dynamec, which contains abamectin, can be effective. It's a natural chemical produced by soil bacteria, and can still harm bees if directly sprayed onto them.

Predators do work, but the timing has to be perfect - they can both starve and be overwhelmed; they can die from cold and die from overheating.

However, cheap and safe - although labour-intensive - is garlic and chili spray. It requires continuous treatment, and spraying with water in between treatments to remove the inactive spidermites. This doesn't kill the mites effectively, but is an irritant and deterrent. Remember, the spidermites live on the underside of the leaves so spray from below.

 

As far as I know abermectin has been withdrawn in the UK.
Possibly Europe.

I've tried to buy it as I know it works but can't find it anymore. I think it's been taken out of sprays for pet bedding and hutches.

 

Is it available in the EU?
If not then probably not here either.
I was given something called Envidor by a farmer, but it's not really available to amateur growers

 

Quite a few pesticides are now only available to commercial growers and only for use in specific applications, so you won't find them down the local garden centre.

 

I think that has always been the case, mostly the ones that actually work are not available at the garden centre, we get just the stuff that kills a few greenfly mostly.

 

I've just ordered some from a French site, and there were équivalents on Amazon Spain and Germany. 'Nurelle' is available on Amazon UK (from USA). The dilution is so great ( the same as for ready-to-use insect barrier sprays...same ingredient) that it is still available, especially in a poultry/animal care context.

 

thanks.. I had a feeling all had been withdrawn...

I was looking at a green alternative , mixing soft soap with cooking oil and putting in a hand sprayer with water give a shake then spray...

we had a thread on here I think last year about mites on fuchsia and someone had used a chicken/ pigeon spray for mites which had worked ... so I will look into that

... I will keep you updated

 

It says on the site I was looking at that its for clearing lawns of leather jackets, no mention of mites.

Oh yeah it does mention sap sucking insects.

Wonder if it works on mealy bugs?

 

IME it works on everything! I've been using it for the last 10 years in my battle with the paper wasps.

 

Hi Spruce....cypermethrine and it's more recent derivatives work on any and all arachnids, as well as flying pests. Poultry mite, RSM, harvest mites, scabies (in cats).... we've had them all here, but a very weak solution of cypermethrine has sorted them all, as well as dissuading the wasps, flies and mosquitos. Oh and the cattle flies..the worst of the lot!

 

I have moved the peach out the greenhouse for now ....very useful info

Spruce, who will be mite free soon

 

I seem to remember that they like hot dry conditions, so increasing the humidity might help.
Last year I had RSM onthe Dahlia imperalis I keep in the greenhoue and I manouvered the pot and plant outside, then left it to the tender mercies of the Devonian summer, a week or so later the RSM were much reduced.