- 1). Spray the plants with the hose every morning. Spider mites don't like moisture, and can't hang onto the plants when they're sprayed with water. Once the mites are on the ground, they'll die.
- 2). Prune away any heavily infested leaves or stem. The spider mite colonies will be under leaves and on the sides of stems. Look specifically for areas that have spider web-like formations. Cut these away and throw them in the trash.
- 3). Spray the plants with horticultural soap or oil, like neem oil. These sprays don't harm beneficial insects but strip the protective coatings from pests like spider mites and leave them open to dehydration and predation. They will also kill the eggs. Saturate the plants with the oil, and repeat every two to three days until you see a lack of new mites.
- 4). Release 10 to 15 predator insects like ladybugs and lacewing moths. These insects, which are available at home and garden shops, eat spider mites and their larvae, and will disrupt the reproductive cycle of the pests. Ladybugs also attack aphids and their larvae, but will not damage any plants.
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