DIY insecticide for spider mites?

Trouble shoot problems you are having with your cactus.
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Zabbie
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2014 7:56 am

DIY insecticide for spider mites?

Post by Zabbie »

I just got my first cactus and succulent a few days ago from Ikea, and after bringing them home I realized they were severely under-watered. Since properly watering them I've noticed some spotty webbing here and there, mostly on the cactus, though I did see some kind of red bug in the succulent's pot upon close inspection. I read somewhere that watering/spraying with diluted hydrogen peroxide kills spider mites and is safe for the plants, is this true? If not, what are some other home remedies you can recommend?

Thank you.
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Steve Johnson
Posts: 4514
Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:44 am
Location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)

Re: DIY insecticide for spider mites?

Post by Steve Johnson »

Zabbie wrote:I just got my first cactus and succulent a few days ago from Ikea, and after bringing them home I realized they were severely under-watered. Since properly watering them I've noticed some spotty webbing here and there, mostly on the cactus, though I did see some kind of red bug in the succulent's pot upon close inspection. I read somewhere that watering/spraying with diluted hydrogen peroxide kills spider mites and is safe for the plants, is this true? If not, what are some other home remedies you can recommend?

Thank you.
Isopropyl alcohol spray. The 70% IPA you can get from the store is fine. Be sure to spray your plants away from direct sunlight. Spider mites are remarkably persistent, so you'll need to keep up with regular spraying -- once a week until you don't see any more signs of spider mites, then a few more times just to be extra sure. If you live in the US, I'd highly recommend Bayer 3-in-1 since it contains an effective miticide that'll knock spider mites down without having to constantly spray as required when we use IPA.
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
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