I just recently discovered that all my citrus trees inside the house have spider mites. I am just wondering if anyone has used horticultural oil to get rid of spider mites successfully. Please help. Amy
Hi Amy, You can use a horticultural oil on spider mites for citrus, but you will may find damage to the fruit from phototoxicity from the oil. You could also use insecticidal soap. You will need to do repeat sprays according to label instructions. Newt
Hi Amy, I have a home made recipe for spider mites that I have used for years that seems to work very well. It is much cheaper than otc insecticidal soap and the ingredients are in most households. Mix in a 200 ml spray bottle; 1 tsp Sunlight liquid dishsoap, 1 tsp Listerine antiseptic mouthwash and fill with water. Spray affected plants liberally paying close attention to new growth and undersides of leaves. You will want to check back a few days after applying, sometimes, depending on the degree of infestation, the plant will require more than one application. I'm not sure why this works. Maybe someone could explain it? Regards, and good luck, plantluver
it could be partly the alcohol in the mouth wash. i was told by a good plant guy to completely defoliate my datura and using cotton balls soaked in alcohol wipe down the entire plant. the plant is still alive and i havn't see any evidence of the mites yet. i'm keeping my fingers crossed. its probably a good idea to treat all your indoor plants as the mites spread very quikly.
