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How to Get Rid of Spider Mites Using Chemicals

Spider mites are common plant pests. They are small and hard to detect with the naked eye, but they can cause damage to your plants, such as flecking or discoloration of foliage, and even death of some plants. Spider mites range in color from red to brown to yellow to green, depending on the species and season, and they are usually found on the underside of leaves. One way to rid your plants of spider mites is through chemical control, including miticides and insecticidal soaps.

Things You'll Need

Paper
Insecticidal soap and/or
Miticide

Instructions

- 1
  Inspect your plants to see if they are infected. The best way to do this is to check the undersides of the leaves for flecking or discoloration. Hold a piece of white paper under a leaf and lightly tap the leaf. If tiny, usually reddish-colored, insects fall onto the paper, then the plant is infected.
- 2
  Try insecticidal soap. To effectively use these soaps you must completely cover the infected plant; the soap suffocates the insects. Dunking the foliage may be the best way to treat some plants.
- 3
  Another option is to spray the infected plants with a miticide, available at garden centers and home improvement stores. Miticides are chemical sprays specifically designed to target mites. However, they can be dangerous to plants, so spray a leaf or two as a tester and then wait 3 days to see if there is any damage.
- 4
  Repeat the procedure in 14 days. Insecticidal soaps and insecticides do not kill spider mite eggs, so a repeat application is necessary to make sure you have rid your plants completely of spider mites,

Insects & Science