My goodness, I couldn't agree more with Rhizo about the Ivy being a spider mite magnet. I don't have English Ivy - or any type of Ivy - in my home either for that reason. And like Rhizo, I will also suggest commercial insecticidal soap, which will be much more effective. You can repeat the application over a period of time and check your plant to make sure that there is no more mite presence. You will appreciate having used the insecticidal soap; it really works well with spider mites. I have made a conscious choice not to have Ivy in my home anymore because I'm not in the mood to deal with mites but theyÂre such beautiful little plants that you canÂt blame one for wanting to own them. And it doesnÂt have to be a constant battle with mites. A friend of mine who loves those little plants has a whole collection of them and she hasnÂt had to deal with spider mites for ages. But she is very persistent about keeping the mites at bay...misting, rinsing the plants under her sink, maintaining humidity levels at healthy levels, etc, etc... She wants to have those plants in her home and will do whatever is necessary to keep them healthy and pest-free. I guess IÂm just not in the mood to put all that required effort or maybe I donÂt like Ivy enough to want to :) Maybe that's why mine in the past would get infested often...not enough effort!

I only use soapy water for aphids,and i check for them every other day or so. Anyone have any tried and true remedies for skunks?? About 5 years ago we had new sod laid in the backyard and it has done real well til this year.This year the skunks have destroyed it.We put down stuff for grubs and that been over a week ago and they are still digging everynight.The yard looks like HE** We've been in this house over forty years and this is the first time we've had this problem. I"ve been over to the lawn forums as well and think i also posted there, Kathi

Oh my goodness aruzinsky, apparently I've offended you - you're so upset you published your objections twice. Seriously, though, "people like me?" I'm not presuming to "speak" for anyone - simply using the word we in a general sense, like "we take care of plants," or "we work hard;" like a chemist might say of him/her self and others in the same profession, "we do experiments to learn about the effects of chemical substances." In that sense, "we" aren't likely to talk about eradicating insects, because eradicating is defined as "to get rid of completely," and "we" know that is impossible, and control is the best "we" can do. As in the article you site, where the researchers repeatedly use the word "control." However, to be more precise, "we," be we growers, plantcare companies, or even retail stores, generally just talk about "killing" mites, and what products and processes kill them best. If people want to use chemical controls, fine by me. I thought all the discussions of chemicals might be a little off-putting for some people, so I merely wanted to throw in my experience of success using a simple, inexpensive, easy to acquire, and safe treatment. I don't think it's a "fault in my thinking" to say I never observed damage to a plant. The point with interior landscaping is not to grow plants as big as they can be, but to keep them looking beautiful. Spots, discolorations, stunted leaves, and so on, would not be beautiful, and these things I did not see. Some of these plants were in my care for several years, and did not show any negative effects. Informal observation has value, too. After all, I don't need to conduct detailed astronomical observations to be able to say with reasonable certainty that the sun will come up tomorrow. Spider mites, as well as other pests commonly found on indoor plants, are a fact of life. (Of course, if you live in an area where the winter temperatures are regularly below freezing, you're not going to be seeing bugs floating in from outside. Thanks for clarifying that.) That doesn't change the fact that they do float around when temps are warm, and they can infect anyone's plants at any time. Some people might appreciate knowing they have alternatives other than chemical insecticides for dealing with them, call it what you will - eradicate, exterminate, eliminate, extirpate - the point is to get the little buggers off your plants.

Sara, schefflera are infamous for being spider mite magnets, though perhaps not as bad as as their close relatives, English Ivy. I am also a fan of using an alcohol mist. Do you have any horticultural oils besides the Neem? Any of them are effective in the on going battle against spider mites, as long as you concentrate on getting the mist to the underside of the leaves. You do NOT need to spray every day! Whatever you use, read and follow the directions on the container! You can damage the plant 'skin' by using any product too often or making it too strong. That includes the rubbing alcohol. By the way, your best hope is to gain the upper hand over the mites, rather than eradicate them. You must have X-Ray eyes if you can spot one or two sitting on the leaves, lol! Once you get to the point that you have to search for them, you can work with a preventative schedule, rather than a curative.