How to Get Rid of Spider Mites

Spider mites are a big problem in my garden. I had no experience with them until last year, when they covered the underside of my squash. I didn't even know what they were until I spent an afternoon Googling the tiny creatures and learned that these mites are teeny tiny spiders that suck the life out of plants en masse. Think of that episode of The Walking Dead where the zombies go after that one guy. You know the one I'm talking about.

Extreme closeup of a spider mite.

I was adamant last year that I would not use a pesticide. I tried spraying the plants with water in the early morning, but they just seemed to thank me for the much needed break and went right back to chomping away on the garden. I finally bought some Sevin, which killed them all immediately. When they came back a few weeks later, I Sevined them again. It was too late for my squash plants, but at least the mites were dead. However, a part of me was very upset as I prefer to have a garden that is free from chemicals. I am not adamant about it, but I'll try anything before resorting to using a miticide.


As I was pulling weeds from the garden recently, I noticed the tell-tale sign of spider mites to come: the spider mite egg.

Not a pretty site.

Again, I turned to my good friend Google to learn of the various ways to get rid of spider mites. Go ahead and Google it yourself - there are pages upon pages, entire web sites even, devoted to this tiny bug. Apparently, I'm not the only one troubled by them. Some of the sources I consulted are tried and true, including advice from university resources. Some are clearly dummy web sites tied to organic pesticides. There are also those from some random dude who read something in a book somewhere one time. Following is a concise breakdown of all of the information I have found.

• Spider mites like plants that are too dry, so keep your plants well watered. Consider misting leaves with a spray bottle once each day.
• Spider mites like plants that are very wet, but they don't like the cold. Use ice water to spray them from leaves.
• Mix one part rubbing alcohol with two parts water and either spray on leaves or apply directly with a cotton ball. Repeat daily for one week.
• Mix two tbsp of dish detergent with one cup of water. Spray plants with mixture and allow to dry, then water as usual. Repeat daily for one week.
• Mix one part rubbing alcohol, one part water, and two drops of dishwashing soap together, then spray on the plants in the early morning, then repeat 20 minutes later.
• Quarantine plants with spider mite damage. Yeah, I don't know either. Maybe you put up a sign? Use police tape?
• Introduce insects that feed on spider mites, like lacewings and ladybugs.
• Soak cotton balls in essential orange oil. Apply to the underside of leaves, then bury the cotton balls next to the plant as a warning to other spider mites. It's much easier than putting their tiny little heads on skewers.
• Same things as above, except with rosemary oil.
• Shade plants on very hot days.
• Pick the most heavily infested leaves off of plants and dispose of them in plastic bags.
• Just kill them with Sevin and wash your food before you eat it.

I have to make note of a particular phrase that I found more than a little amusing. This comes from www.howtogetridofspidermites.net:

"Pesticides are safe to use but they can poison birds, bees, fish and humans."

So you're saying that pesticides are a safe way to poision people?

As you can tell, practically every expert has a method of getting rid of spider mites. The most commonly suggested ones I found are introducing ladybugs and spraying with isopropyl alcohol and water. If and when I find the bugs on my plants, I'll let you now which method works the best. Until then, I'll be stocking up on ladybugs and rubbing alcohol.

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