They are just fertilizer inside a semi-permeable polymer shell/coating.

Al

Usually I take Al's opinions very seriously. I used a systemic for cyclamen mites in my AVs quite a few years ago. I'd tried everything less dangerous but understood the 'systemic' would be taken up by the plant and only the bugs that bit the plant would die, which seemed highly appropriate. Well--it did a great job on the AVs. It did a very bad job on me. They thought I had a brain tumore for a time, and in the research I did found that the 'systemic' action was very weak and the main action was because it gave off a NERVE GAS which pretty well disconnected my entire nervous system. Now, there are other systemics as I understand, and they may just be fertilizer in a shell, which seems like false advertising to me, but the one I used was di-Syston. It is definitely not just fertilizer.

grice, I'm guessing you are referring to pesticide granules. di-syston is pretty strong stuff.

In the interiorscaping industry, we use Marathon granules, which contain imidacloprid. It does not work on mites, only insects, pretty much any sucking insect, like whitefly, aphids, thrips, mealy, scale, etc. It doesn't have much of an odor and it is labelled as safe to use indoors if you follow the directions. It is one of the few chemicals I will use indoors at home, for control of whitefly on my tropical hibiscus over the winter. Unfortunately, it is hard to find retail and expensive. If you google "marathon granules", you can find a 4 or 5 lb jug for about $130, but it will last you a very long time.

I like the ability to use something indoors that is not a spray (too messy).

I did use a miticide years ago, I believe the same one greenelbows is referring to. It stank to high heaven and had so many warnings on it that I only used it once.

I thank the three of you for your respones.
Green when I read your reply about Brain Tumors and Nerve Gas it stiffled my desire to attempt to use the granules. That sounds like an awful thing to have to go through. I want to free my plants of pests but don't want to sacrifice myself in the process.
Watergal I was looking for a way to fight off spider mites. DenverPlants suggests using granules after spraying the infected plant with Safer's insecticidal soap. They don't say which granules to use. I am glad I asked here before tying to buy them and use them in the home. Is there anything else that you can recommend that I use. I have sprayed the plants with a homeade remedy of dish liquid and water but I'm not as consistant with the misting as I should be I guess. I was looking for something more potent . Something that I could apply once and awhile that would kill the mites and wouldn't require me to spray every few days.
Talpa thanks so much .
Grice

I'm very sorry - I misread your post & thought you were inquiring about a slow-release fertilizer. Please disregard my comment.

Al

I used Marathon systemic on my Hoya collection (abt 30 plants) in '02 to get rid of mealy bugs on a couple & as preventative on the rest. I used it indoors & followed the directions EXACTLY. I was fine, but I was also careful. I still have the Marathon but have never needed to use it again.

I'm on the Board of my Indoor Gardening Society & at a recent mtg earlier this year, we learned that NY state is no longer allowing Marathon for sale among amateur gardening folks like us.

May I suggest you do some reading on Grapefruit Seed Extract, which I've read is an amazingly effective, yet natural way of eliminating insects.

Marathon is one of the reasons that I can't purchase greenhouse grown plants anymore.

rhizo 1

Could you explain your statement further please?
Does that mean that we are all being exposed to chemicals by buying greenhouse grown houseplants? I've always wondered whats in the soil of some of those plants. Some, when I water them, have a strange odor. Just wondering how all this is really affecting our health. Sometimes I feel like I should just stick to outdoor gardening. I never use insecticides, I would rather throw the plant away. TIA

cyberdancer

Greenhouse growers often have to resort to a variety of chemicals (mostly fungicides, insecticides, and miticides) to control the wide assortment of pest issues that they have to deal with. Greenhouses are a perfect environment for year-round populations of many kinds of insects and plant diseases. These plants are also grown quickly, using lots of fertilizer, optimum lighting, etc.

The same is true for cut flowers, by the way.

grice, unfortunately, there isn't a good strong magic potion to keep spider mites away. What kind of houseplants are you finding the mites on?

In general, a spraying every month or two or three with some sort of appropriate soap or oil should be pretty good for maintenance. For sprays, I like Neem oil, but it is a bit smelly (some people claim it smells oniony; I like onions so that doesn't bother me).

If your plant has large, sturdy leaves (like a kentia palm), take paper towels and dip them in a bucket of warm water with a little Ivory liquid soap in it. Wipe down the top and bottom sides of the leaves, paying special attention to the undersides where mites like to hang out.

Some plants are just so mite prone that it will make your life easier if you just don't try to grow them inside. My list of the evil three includes croton, ivy, and palms. But if you really want them, you can make it work.

Watergal the mites are attacking my Calamondin,Parlor Palm, Homolemena,and now, one of my weeping ficus. I threw out my Meyer due to mites. I had to cut all the leaves off of the Calamondin and place it outside a few weeks ago. It has now grown new leaves and looks good. It's outside but I live in Michigan. The tree can't stay outside all year through. I have tried Safer on all of my plants as a prevenative measure but I still see evidence of mites.
What can I use that will be efective against the dang creatures? I'm looking for something potent yet safe to use on my indoor plants.
I hear good things about Neem Oil. Is that very effective against mites? Where does one buy Neem? Is available in the box stores(Home Depot,Lowes,Walmart,etc..)? I'd like to find something that is safe yet effective.
Grice

I just used a granule systemic pesticide on all of the plants in my sun-room (about 25 houseplants). It seems to have worked on the flying bugs that were breeding in the dirt. However, the smell is so bad, it could choke you - so I can't open the doors to the room. Even with them closed, the smell is permeating the entire downstairs of my house.

Does anyone know how long this odor lasts? Do I need to re-pot the plants to get fresh dirt or will this simply go away? Thanks to anyone who replies...