Juniper & spider mites

[james]

For those of you who have juniper, any suggestions for early season prevention of spider mites? I’m familiar with what they do to foliage, how to test for them and how to treat after they arrive. Had good luck with Neem.

Does anyone treat preventively? What do you use? Does systemic insecticide work? Use Neem before I find them?

 

[Paradox]

A systemic should work for them if its a compound that is listed to kill them. However a systemic takes time to work so if you have an immediate problem, its best to treat it with something that works faster. Systemics might be good as a preventative though.

I dont treat preventatively in the spring, but I do spray all my pines and junipers with neem oil before I put them away in the fall.
Neem oil works by coating and smothering the scale rather than directly killing them. You need to check the plant a couple of weeks after treatment to make sure you got all the life stages taken care of. You need to be careful with neem oil in the warmer months. It is not recommended to apply in the heat and when the plant is going to be in the sun. It has been known to burn plants that way as it is an oil.

Most dont treat preventatively as we prefer not to use insecticides unless necessary. They are easily enough dealt with when they pop up.
You just need to be vigilent, inspect your trees closely often and take care of them once you see them.

I use Sevin to kill them when I see them and it seems to take care of them quickly enough.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I never had issues with neem oil in the sun. I think the negative effects people mention are caused by themselves through making the wrong mixture. To get neem oil emulsified in water, you'd need some kind of soap. If people use too much soap, it'll destroy the cuticle and burn the foliage. Neem oil can go solid after a while, tricking people into thinking they need more soap. If one would heat the neem oil under a hot running tap, it'll go liquid again and there's no need for the extra soap.
Neem oil and a good water hose are usually enough to combat spider mites on my indoor plants. Outdoors spider mites are rarely an issue here. But I do spray my trees with neem oil in spring, summer and fall every couple (3-4) of weeks to keep the aphids away.

 

[sorce]

The other day I was looking at my Juniper for Scale, noting how it is physically impossible for neem oil, or any spray, to come in contact with every nook and cranny a juniper provides.
Therefore, it is foolish to think these things will eradicate an infestation every time.

Good Husbandry is THE preventative.

No touching, good air flow, quarantining new plants(can't forget that ).....

But there is a beginninger beginning.
Don't over prune or prune late.
Feed well.
Don't otherwise confuse them by dancing them in and outdoors.

Daily inspection is also important, and required. It is hard to look for every pest if you've been having a problem with one. Being conscious to look for every type of pest is important.

Also Check yard trees. Say every day you go to your garden, you brush passed a shrub always infested with mites, and every day you replace the pests. We should be conscious of these things too.

Keep an eye for the predators as well.
Usually a pest isn't located till the larger predators are seen.
And EVERY time you see a predator, or ants farming them, you will find the associated pest.

Sorce

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

I like to completely ignore any preventative issues and then fly into the new to bonsai forum with an "oh shit!" post.

Seriously though, there is a good resource here on preventative overwintering techniques by Markyscott. I'm not sure what that regimen would do for spider mites - they're a weird one, but I have seen a big improvement in the pest and fungal situation for my trees since I started following it last year - I've had very few pest problems this spring and I'm usually treating for aphids by now.

 

[Paradox]

You know, the OP says "Spider mites"

I somehow translated that into "Scale"

what I posted was for scale, NOT spider mites

Spider mites are a different beast.
A lot of commercial pesticides dont control them and there is some evidence that some might actaully enhance them.
There is a treatment that @Dav4 told me about that is organic, only targets bad mites and seems to work as a good control, but I cant think of the name of it right now.

 

[Pitoon]

I only treat when there's an issue. No need to waste product if the tree is healthy.

 

[Dav4]

You know, the OP says "Spider mites"

I somehow translated that into "Scale"

what I posted was for scale, NOT spider mites

Spider mites are a different beast.
A lot of commercial pesticides dont control them and there is some evidence that some might actaully enhance them.
There is a treatment that @Dav4 told me about that is organic, only targets bad mites and seems to work as a good control, but I cant think of the name of it right now.

Sultan® Miticide

Sultan miticide provides fast, powerful control and lasting protection against all life stages of spider mites in greenhouse and nursery production.

betterplants.basf.us

Expensive but so far very effective for me.

 

[PiñonJ]

I’m planning to try some mite predators from Arbico Organics. I’m not sure how well they’ll do in my dry climate, which I assume might be an issue for you, as well, but I’ll choose a species that’s more tolerant of lower humidity.

 

[SouthernMaple]

Anyone know a natural way other than neem to get rid of them?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Anyone know a natural way other than neem to get rid of them?

Predatory mites or decreased temperatures and lots of rain.

 

[bwaynef]

Anyone know a natural way other than neem to get rid of them?

Blasts of water from above and below will provide some knockdown effect which MIGHT be enough for predation to control them.
Horticultural oil provides the smothering that neem does, but neem is an anti-feedant as well.
Purchased predators can be expensive and the efficacy is up in the air due to their propensity to scatter. In a greenhouse or other captive environment, it definitely makes sense. Unsure of outdoors.
Spinosad is natural and lists spider mites as a pest it controls.
I've just seen Diatomaceous earth listed as a control for spider mites. I'm a bit surprised by that, but may have to give that a try myself.

 

[GGB]

Anyone know a natural way other than neem to get rid of them?

I put mine in the shade for a few days and water the foliage and ground around the pot. It's not that the mites "hate" the damp shade, it's that it kills them fairly instantly. A host of fungi that occur in those conditions kill the mites off. I know a lot of folks probably don't believe me but try it for yourself. You'll see the results quickly.

 

[Japonicus]

I've just seen Diatomaceous earth listed as a control for spider mites. I'm a bit surprised by that, but may have to give that a try myself.

Generally speaking, diatomaceous earth can kill bees, butterflies, and any other beneficial insects that come into direct contact with it. DE is quite abrasive, and it’ll damage bees’ and butterflies’ exoskeletons, increasing the chances of their dehydration and eventual death.

Will Diatomaceous Earth Harm Bees or Butterflies?

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a go-to pest solution if you’re interested in controlling infestations naturally and organically. But you might be wondering: What will DE do to bees, butterflies, and other beneficial bugs? Will it

backyardgardengeek.com

Also someone mentioned using Sevin. I'm unsure of the liquid Sevin, which has a powdery residue when it dries,
but I know the label on powdered Sevin states that you are not to use it within 1 mile of a bee hive.
It kills the queen.

 

[bwaynef]

Generally speaking, diatomaceous earth can kill bees, butterflies, and any other beneficial insects that come into direct contact with it. DE is quite abrasive, and it’ll damage bees’ and butterflies’ exoskeletons, increasing the chances of their dehydration and eventual death.

I think that the impact on bees, butterflies, and beneficials (here I am alliterating again) won't be terribly significant assuming we're still talking about a juniper.

 

[Japonicus]

LOL@ alliteration
All 3 visit my junipers
Yellow jackets more than honey bees, but they do come.
Wasps too. They're beneficial mite predators. May be a bad thing, but I see more white moths than I like on my trees. IDK.

As for the OPs ? 3.5 yrs ago I use neem in Dec and scatter insecticide and mole granules on the ground before placing my trees in their Winter storage spot, then hose off in March followed by insecticidal soap.
I skipped that preventative last year and had the worst case of mites this Spring I've ever had. Proactive or prophylactically, goes a long way towards keeping trees healthy.
@james how'd it go?

 

[yenling83]

My go to sprays are Avid, Captin Jack's Dead Bug and Clean Green Miticide-Insecticide which I rotate and spray every 1-1.5 months. Then if I actually see spider mites, i'll break out the Floramite or Sultan. If I find spider mites on a plant, i'll make sure to come back and spray 2-4 times about a week apart to make sure the newly hatched offspring die as well.

 

[Paradox]

Also someone mentioned using Sevin. I'm unsure of the liquid Sevin, which has a powdery residue when it dries,
but I know the label on powdered Sevin states that you are not to use it within 1 mile of a bee hive.
It kills the queen.

I mentioned Sevin when I was mistakenly thinking of scale not mites.

I have the stuff Dav4 mentioned, Sultan for mites. I've never had to use it. I do treat my pines and junipers with neem oil before putting them in the cold frame which might help knock them back if there are any at that time.

 

[SouthernMaple]

I have a friend who has not used chemicals in 8 years and he has the best collection of junipers/pines and deciduous i have ever seen. He claims bugs and disease only go after unhealthy trees, he uses a lot of organic fertilizer.

 

[Dav4]

I have a friend who has not used chemicals in 8 years and he has the best collection of junipers/pines and deciduous i have ever seen. He claims bugs and disease only go after unhealthy trees, he uses a lot of organic fertilizer.

That's an old gardening wives tale. Healthy trees deal with disease and pestilence much more effectively than their less healthy counterparts and aren't as likely to decline in health because of it. When I lived in GA, I experienced mite issues for the first time... never had a problem in MA. My garden in GA was literally carved out of the woods and I had lots of wild trees within spitting distance of my benches, which were stuffed with trees fighting for the limited sun exposure there, and after a few years there, I knew mites were going be a seasonal problem. Now, I'm in MI, and my issues with mites are almost completely gone. The difference... obviously location as I'm 700 miles north. Still, my benches aren't pushed right up against the woods, and I have MUCH more air movement and space between trees on the benches. Anyway, healthy trees should always be the goal, but it won't necessarily keep the bugs away... you just might not notice them as much.