Spider mites are small bugs found on both indoor and outdoor plants. The spider mite is common and the damage can lead to an ugly, disheveled plant. It might also cause the plant to die. The sooner you find a treatment that works to take care of the problem, the better the plant will fare. The proper treatment restores the plant to health and keeps it looking good. Your first step is to identify the problem and make sure this is really what you are dealing with. Once you know the problem, you can move onto finding an adequate treatment that will cure the affected plant and prevent other plants from becoming inflicted.

At first, you are likely to see brown or yellow spots on the leaves of the plant. This is the damage caused by the bugs. If the plant has a bad infestation, its health will begin to suffer. The spots will worse and the leaves will eventually be entirely yellow. Basically, the damage spreads and takes over the entire plant. It will eventually stop growing. Another way to tell if you have the problem is when you see the webbing on your plant. The webs are small, but they are still visible. They are created to protect their eggs and to provide a place for them to live safely on the plant. You are unlikely to see the actual bug, so look closely at the plant for symptoms of damage, instead of looking for movement.

There are natural remedies you can use to remove the problem without hurting the plant or causing damage to your pets or anyone in your home. Take the plant outdoors and spray the leaves with a garden hose. For a small plant, you can do this in the kitchen sink or sanitary tub. The force of the water knocks the majority of the bugs off of the plant.

There are also insecticide oils that kill the bugs. Neem oil or a special kind of horticultural or dormant oil will also take care of the problem. Miticide is another way to kill the bugs. Obviously, if you can remedy the problem with only water, it will be the cheapest and easiest option. However, if other plants are affected without your realizing it, the problem can reoccur. You might need something stronger to take care of the eggs and prevent the return of the bugs.

It is important not to use a traditional pesticide because in this case, it will not work. What happens is the good pests on the plant die off, but nothing happens to the problem you are trying to fix. Many of the good pests take care of eating the problem bugs, so you want to keep them around as best you can. The problem is annoying and it makes your plants look bad, but the problem is not uncontrollable. With a little knowledge and effort, you can have your plants looking healthy and happy again in no time at all.

Author Bio: Ellie Lewis is interested in finding a spider mite treatment that is available for commercial locations. She has an infestation of spider mites in her downtown hotel.

Category: Home Management
Keywords: spider mite,spider mites