My Current Collection

Redwood Ryan said:
Have you ever used systemic on your tropicals indoors?
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I have. I don't necessarily recommend it...but I'm very careful not to spill it. I use a large plastic bin, set the plants in the bin, and water there...collecting the drainage which is discarded.

If it's warm enough I'll take them to the garage or even outside but that is rarely the case around here from November through March. Looks like next week is going to get pretty warm, especially down there, so maybe you should hold off and do it then if you decide to use a systemic. You don't have many plants now, right?

Chris
 
Nah, I don't have many trees now. I'll probably hold off on the systemic for a while and just keep treating with oil. My trees are all close to 70 pounds, and lugging them in and out would be a bit of a pain.

Good luck with the mites, they are extremely obnoxious.
 
Half my trees are infested with mites, the other half have scale. Chris is right, it's time to go systemic and get serious about killing these b@$t@rds!
 
My experience with systemic pesticides is limited to the Bayer, and in particular the liquid form. I haven't used the granular. Would I apply it indoors? Maybe. I have used the liquid indoors, but I've been very careful not to spill.

Also, not sure that the Bayer is effective against mites. It seems to work on scale. For mites, I've found a combination of frequent spraying with water (especially under the leaves), and use of oil or soap, can work pretty well. But my tropicals are relatively small and easy to move to the bathtub or garage for spraying. With larger trees that would be more difficult.

Maybe others here have experience with treatment options for mites, and can share what works for them. Maybe Neem would work? I haven't tried that.

Chris
 
coh said:
My experience with systemic pesticides is limited to the Bayer, and in particular the liquid form. I haven't used the granular. Would I apply it indoors? Maybe. I have used the liquid indoors, but I've been very careful not to spill.

Also, not sure that the Bayer is effective against mites. It seems to work on scale. For mites, I've found a combination of frequent spraying with water (especially under the leaves), and use of oil or soap, can work pretty well. But my tropicals are relatively small and easy to move to the bathtub or garage for spraying. With larger trees that would be more difficult.

Maybe others here have experience with treatment options for mites, and can share what works for them. Maybe Neem would work? I haven't tried that.

Chris
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I have found good overall chewing sucking pest control by using Bayers Advanced 12 month tree and shrub insect control II
at the rate of 4-5 tsp per gallon (some use up to 6) and place potted tree in tub of mixture to soak thoroughly. There is a granular product also. It says it lasts 12 months but that is in the ground. In a pot expect 3 months of full control or less. I think the stuff prevent mites but IMO the only way to rid if mites in a indoors situation is a real miticide. I use a generic version of Avid(abamectin)--not too spendy but not cheap. Intense pretection sanitation and being thorough is required to do the job--mites suck.
 
crust said:
I have found good overall chewing sucking pest control by using Bayers Advanced 12 month tree and shrub insect control II
at the rate of 4-5 tsp per gallon (some use up to 6) and place potted tree in tub of mixture to soak thoroughly. There is a granular product also. It says it lasts 12 months but that is in the ground. In a pot expect 3 months of full control or less. I think the stuff prevent mites but IMO the only way to rid if mites in a indoors situation is a real miticide. I use a generic version of Avid(abamectin)--not too spendy but not cheap. Intense pretection sanitation and being thorough is required to do the job--mites suck.
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Is that a liquid or solid? I've got the Bayer "feed and protect" which is a liquid...container doesn't really give clear dilution directions for container growing...instead refers to trunk size for plants in the ground.
 
Indoors why not hang a no pest strip. Had an infestation of snake mites when I had reptiles. Hung a no pest strip in the room and 3 days later there wasn't a bug alive in there. The animals were fine. I also hear marijuana growers use these to kill off a mite infestation.
 
coh said:
Is that a liquid or solid? I've got the Bayer "feed and protect" which is a liquid...container doesn't really give clear dilution directions for container growing...instead refers to trunk size for plants in the ground.
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Very specifically" Bayers Advanced 12 month tree and shrub insect control II" there are many iterations of the product that are weaker or different but if you Google/Amazon this specifically you will get the right product--it has 2.94% Imidacloprid. It is a liquid, and yes the directions are useless for containerize trees--after much research and practice I have found the rate I suggested works.
 
M. Frary said:
Indoors why not hang a no pest strip. Had an infestation of snake mites when I had reptiles. Hung a no pest strip in the room and 3 days later there wasn't a bug alive in there. The animals were fine. I also hear marijuana growers use these to kill off a mite infestation.
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Check your weed growers threads thoroughly---some claim all kinds of things work (mighty wash, rosemary oil, no pest strips, aerosol bombs) but for serious reliable chemical control the most reliable forum participants will concede that pro-style miticides like Avid and Florimite are the ultimate. The other way is biological which means managing with predatory mites or other bugs and that whole thing. That said, I have never tried to manage mites inside--just read about it. I have managed them outside and after trying various box store grade pesticides ended up getting control with generic Avid--blam--done.
 
I feel I'll never get rid of them, to be honest. I can take the trees outdoors and spray them and oil them up and all that, but once I bring them back indoors, the mites that are on the actual setup itself, in the room, will just crawl back onto the tree. That's why I'm hoping a systemic works, make the tree poisonous to the buggers.
 
Avid works. I was dealing with some persistent mites all summer. Never widespread, but never eradicated using malathion all summer. One application of Avid, and I haven't seen another in weeks. It's also very expensive, but used in a very diluted mixture; like .5 mL to 1.5 qt. water (do your own calculation, I don't have mine in front of me) so a 2 oz bottle on eBay is effectively a lifetime supply...assuming it has a good shelf life. Split it with someone.
 
Right right, but once again it's the issue, for me at least, of mites left over in the room, crawling around and whatnot.
 
I really want to give Avid a try, as I've been thinking about it for years now, but at $100 a pop, I'm not so certain. Especially since the mites indoors, and not on my trees, would probably be unaffected.
 
If you get a systemic into your plants, it won't matter if there are still leftover mites...once they start feeding the insecticide will eliminate them.

Well, it should, anyway! I would probably bite the bullet and get the avid if I had a serious mite problem that I couldn't control. Have heard lots of good things about it.
 
Redwood Ryan said:
I feel I'll never get rid of them, to be honest. I can take the trees outdoors and spray them and oil them up and all that, but once I bring them back indoors, the mites that are on the actual setup itself, in the room, will just crawl back onto the tree. That's why I'm hoping a systemic works, make the tree poisonous to the buggers.
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If you are really bored like I was spend so time reading about weed growers (weed grower forums) that disinfect their hydro set ups and grow rooms. It can be done. One has to be completely anal and spray and bleach-water everything and sterilize everything. Some have russet mites which are really a bitch to get rid of. Keep in mind that even if you use a systemic the mites may linger. I would do a clean sweep--spray everything down with a wash like bleach mix or alcohol mix (see forums) eliminate trash, spray with room and plants etc. with miticide then start treating with a systemic like Merit or maybe try Kontos (heard about but never used). Most info on systemics will state the products can not eliminate heavy populations and should be used with a initial miticide (Avid, Floramite Judo etc.). Another populate toxic solution is to use Tetrasan combined with a Pyrethrums TR fogger which is a full 4% Pyrethrins.
 
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Yes, sorta funny, guess they're trying to get around a resale restriction or something, but it was sealed and well packaged. It's a foliar spray. In the grand scheme, $30 for pest control on trees that would cost much more than that to replace is worth it to me.
 
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