Is it ok to use something other than Malathion to kill spider mites on JMs. I was told years ago that it is the least toxic, and to never use insecticidal soap on them. The smell is horrible, stays with you, and my family hates it. I'm wondering about Pyrethrin or Neem oil. I just transplanted one and noticed them on the trunk. My other maples had them last year and are just starting to bud out, (Northern California) so I want to be prepared and arrest the first wave. I'm wondering if there is anything new on the market.
If you're interested in non-chemical methods, you can use a dusting of diatomaceous earth, or you can make your own soap with a few drops neutral liquid dish soap in a sprayer of water (this will have almost no smell). Equally, if you've got a lot of trees to disinfect, you can order lady beetles of the genus Stethorus, as well as Geocorus (big-eye) bugs, and mites of the genus Phytoseiidae, all of which are predatory insects that specifically feed on mites. Neem oil will also do the trick - be sure to buy a low concentration and spray in the evening so that the trees don't sunburn. Pyrethrin is in the class of more mite-specific chemicals, and will also kill them. Also, if you're in an area without water restrictions, hosing the trees down each night with plain old water will help to control and prevent mites - they flourish in conditions of low humidity, and often a good soaking will cause them to abandon ship. In any case, the most important thing about treating mites is that you have to do it once a week for about a month to be sure you've killed all the hatchlings - none of these solutions deals with the eggs.