Need help keeping spider mites dead

[Facesunderwater]

I realized I had spider mites on a tephrocactus geometricus, my favorite plant. I am a novice indoor plant enthusiast, and I went over the top. I was so upset I sprayed it with a pesticide designed for spider mites, then a week later with apple cider vinegar. After doing this I realized that the skin of the cactus is very fragile, and I probably should not have sprayed it with vinegar. Does anyone know the best way to keep the mites away? I caught it very early, but I think it was already infested when I purchased it. I have read to spray every two weeks, one time with neem, then another with insecticidal soap. Will this hurt my geometricus? Did the vinegar? Should I look out for burning after spraying?

Thank you for your help.

[Steve Johnson]

See this:

viewtopic.php?t=42129

Call it "everything you wanted to know about cactus pests, but were afraid to ask". My presentation covers a lot of info, so if you don't want to go through the whole thing, scroll down to Part 2 -- pest mites. Then in the Part 4 - remedies section, you'll see the short-term and long-term solutions. If you live in the US, the long-term solution for pest mites will be right up your alley.

It would also be helpful if we know your geographical location, so I recommend that you follow through on this:

viewtopic.php?t=43819

I definitely wouldn't recommend Neem oil, especially since it has a phototoxic reaction when it's exposed to direct sunlight. You'll be a lot happier if you can implement the long-term solution.

[Facesunderwater]

Thank you so much. I agree that long term solutions are what I need. I don't want to keep spraying my cacti withs soaps and neem. So I just purchased the Avid Miticide on the flytrapstore.com website. I definitely want to break the life cycle so I can move on. This definitely seems like the right place to purchase for a low price compared to Amazon. My cacti thank you for your knowledge.

[Steve Johnson]

Thank you so much. I agree that long term solutions are what I need. I don't want to keep spraying my cacti withs soaps and neem. So I just purchased the Avid Miticide on the flytrapstore.com website. I definitely want to break the life cycle so I can move on. This definitely seems like the right place to purchase for a low price compared to Amazon. My cacti thank you for your knowledge.

You're welcome! I'll expand on this by explaining why it's best to rotate between Avid and TetraSan because they have different modes of action. From flytrapstore.com:

Avid -- "Although slow acting, any mites treated with Avid are immobilized after exposure. Avid is active on the mobile life stages of mites, but inactive on eggs. Thus, multiple sprayings are recommend for maximum effectiveness. In our experience, Avid prevents infestations when used regularly, and can eradicate all generations of mites when used three times, three days apart."

TetraSan -- "TetraSan has both contact and translaminar activity, providing up to 28 days of control from a single application. The mode of action of TetraSan is as a chitin synthesis inhibitor. Chitin is the essential component of a mite's exoskeleton. TetraSan causes chitin to become brittle and thin and, as a result, mites die when attempting to molt from one life stage to the next. It is active on eggs, larvae, and nymphal stages of mites, but has minimal activity on adults. However, adult female mites that are treated will not produce viable eggs."

If we use the same miticide all the time, pest mites' resistance to the product could be a problem. I don't know how often that actually happens, but in the interest of being better safe than sorry, I'll recommend that you use Avid against pest mites first. If they come back again, use TetraSan. If you're inclined toward taking a preventative approach, rotate between Avid and TetraSan monthly at least in the growing season.