Spidermites On Your Indoor And Outdoor Plants?

The spidermite is a very common garden pest that can cause serious damage to your indoor or outdoor vegetable garden. These microscopic spiders are found on the underside of leaves. They extract fluids vital to your plants’ survival from the leaves, leaving noticeable traces of yellowish white spots, known as stippling, on the top side of the leaves. Further inspection of your plants should reveal tiny spider webs on stems and leaves. If you mist your plants, before inspection, it will make the webs easier to detect.
With very simple, preventative measures you can spidermite proof your indoor garden by making the living conditions inhospitable. Spidermites thrive in dry (20%-30% humidity), warm (70-80 degrees F) conditions. In temperatures above 80 degrees F, spidermites can reproduce in as little as 5 days, making early detection a necessity.
In order to make the environment uncomfortable for them, before and during the onset of an infestation, use a humidifier to raise the humidity in the room to around 50%-60% humidity and cool the room, with an air conditioner, to below 60 degrees F. This cool, moist air should drive away any spidermites. Outdoors, it is impossible to control the environment, so in case of an infestation insecticidal soaps, pyrethrum sprays and pyrethrin(all described later) should be used to keep an outdoor spidermite infestation in check. Always remember the best preventative measure you can take is checking your plants on a regular basis(every 2-3 days).