skip to main content

How do I prevent spider mites on rosemary?

18 years ago

I lost my last plant to an infestation of these buggars. It's been 4 months and I have not seen them on any of my other herbs, and now I have a new rosemary plant. What's the best preventative method?

I had a garlic spray recipe to try to deal with them last time, but would that spray be for an active presence of them, or could it also prevent them from showing up? I also suppose keeping the plant washed off regularly could wash them away? What else/something different?

Thanks,

Anne : )

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

martieinct
18 years ago
Anne: I'm not in Z10, but I know from overwintering rosemarys inside that good circulation is crucial to overall health. Perhaps they need a bit more room?

Also, it could be that your old plant came with the critters. Since nothing else was effected it could've been just bad luck.

Martie
oldroser
18 years ago
Cold water is the best medicine. Those little buggers hate being cold and wet so a good hard spray from a nozzle at frequent intervals will discourage them completely. They probably lap up garlic.
There are some excellent chemical controls (Avid) but these are fairly pricy and if you are only worried about rosemary, totally unnecessary. I use Avid because I bring roses indoors and they are very prone to spider mite. I haven't found rosemary very susceptible and feel sure that cold water will do the trick.
Related Discussions
preventing return of white flies and spider mites
Q
Comments (2)
Horticultural oil can be extremely helpful in slowing down the cycle of many overwintering plant pests, but only if it is applied properly. The oil needs to coat the location of the eggs and nymphs, which in the case of whitefly, is on the bottom surface of the foliage. Hort. oils can also help with spider mite control, too. Neem oil is one you might try, too. I'm not clear on the soil question. If you are wondering about a soil drench systemic pesticide, that is not something I would personally recommend for flowering plants likely to be visited by bees, butterflies, other pollinating insects, and birds. The toxins end up in nectar and pollen. I'd advise that you make sure that you are not over fertilizing your plants, a practice that can make them more appealing to certain pest insects. Certain plants are known 'magnets' for specific pests. Hibiscus, for example, is a favorite feeding ground for spider mites AND whitefly.
...See More
Preventing Spider Mites?
Q
Comments (5)
throw the old potting media into the compost bin ... NOT away ... its always a good idea to start fresh with potting media.. especially on production crops .. and what you put in the pot is just as important.. regarding media ... BTW.. why werent all these things in the ground.. if you have space for a pot.. etc... i have gardened for 35 years.. and i still have trouble with pots.. you are kinda starting with the hard way .... last summers heat and drought and may cold ..... were not great for tomato ... especially a potted one ... over the years.. i gave up on watermelon ... jsut too big.. and too yuck ... not to mention.. its growing season to ripe.. may not be long enough for you .. its a plant that just isnt worth it.. and all that space.. that you could have used for other stuff ... and frankly ... IT might have been the whole problem.. once it took over the whole yard ... giving a few pests.. time to hide.. until the population exploded ... you cant really prevent the fluid suckers .... aphids.. mites.. etc .. you notice them early.. and react ... chipmonk .. rat trap with peanut butter.. under a large upsidedown pot.. tipped on a rock to allow access .. if you cant get rid of it.. you are not allowed to complain... even better if you can find its hole.. and cover that ... good luck ken
...See More
Spider mite prevention?
Q
Comments (7)
Spider Mite adults can be dormant for a fairly long time and then when conditions are right move to plants and lay eggs that become even more Spider Mites. If your seedling starting area has wooden benches and look something like tree bark, with cracks and crevices, then a good cleanup will help in the future. This link may help provide more information. Here is a link that might be useful: Spider Mites
...See More
What are Spider mites or mites, and what should I do about them?
Q
Comments (0)
Mites damage orchids quickly and quietlyoften their presence is not noticed until significant damage has occurred. Mites are visible, but their presence is easily determined by rubbing a white cloth over the area that is damaged. If mites or their eggs are present, a brownish residue will be left on the leaf. This will come off and be visible on the towel. Some spin light webs which are visible on the plant or at the base of the plant. A very good natural remedy is an oil/soap treatment. Dr. Martin Motes recommends using a light oil--such as vegetable oil. Olive oil is very heavy and could potentially damage plants. Using 2 TBS oil/gallon is sufficient, you can add a teaspoon of baking soda for a bit of antifungal. Remember to keep shaking the solution in the container to keep the oil mixed with the water. Spray thoroughly on all sides of the leaves. FOLLOW UP with a soap solution about 7 days later. Using 2 tsp/gallon of Joy or Dawn (dog shampoo is great too) not only does a number on the pests, it helps clean off the oil treatment. I actually follow up with a third treatment in another week with the same soap solution. The soap/oil mixture remedy has been shared in the past, but the University of Florida recently discounted it as the two agents act in direct opposition of each other and essentially decrease the effectiveness of the effort. Just like the TV ads say, the dishsoap is designed to cut grease (oil) in its tracks! :) AOS recommends Malathion, or Volk Oil/Sunspray for scale. Also Knox Out 2 FM or Orthene Turf, Tree and Ornamental Spray. Mites are nasty buggers to get control over. If the infestation is confined to one plant, isolate it to prevent spreading--watch for that carefully. Be careful to follow the label on preparations TO THE LETTER to avoid damage to plants. One tip for success is to make sure you do TWO treatments of your selected poison about 7-10 days apart in order to catch newly hatched pests. Submitted by Rhonda Heide
...See More
Heathen1
18 years ago
You have the rosemary outside? And it still gets spider mites? spider mite around here, outside, are usually gone during the winter. I almost never get spider mites on stuff outside, unless it is not doing well for some reason. There is no reason for you to have rosemary indoors in zone 10. It would be much happier outside.
kris
18 years ago
LMBO...prevent them, not in my world. They take something down every year-usually mums like this year-almost my tagetes lucida. I think the best thing is spraying them with water every so often. Spray during the day or morning when the plant will have time to dry so they don't turn around and get powdery mildew. People say that spider mites don't like humidity so that's why spraying helps...but they grow fine in FL which is the most humid place I've ever lived-sheesh, towels mold in the closets.

This may have been luck, but I was treating some other plants for powdery mildew the other day and my marjoram had spider mites so I hit it with the same baking soda/oil/ivory dish soap solution I was using for the PM. Now the spider mites are totally gone, and I had been trying to fight them with just water. I don't know if I stumbled on something but it seemed to work better than pure water and it is the P.M. cure so maybe that would be a good idea for rosemary, I know that this mixture is fine for rosemary.

You know your area best Heathen1 but her in Tx I had spider mites within the last few weeks. Here it hasn't been consistently cold enough, but they are better than during the deep summer.

Oh, watch how hard you spray, I broke 1/2 a mum plant by spraying too hard. And get that rosemary outside, it will love you for it, Heathen is right.

Related Stories

HEALTHY HOME What You Need to Know About Dust and How to Fight It

By Mitchell Parker

Breathe easier with these 10 tips for busting mites, dander and other microscopic undesirables

EARTH DAY How to Help Your Town’s Beneficial Birds and Bugs

By Annie Thornton

Make a habitat using local materials to provide a home to the creatures that help our gardens

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Gardening for the Bees, and Why It’s a Good Thing

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

When you discover how hard bees work for our food supply, you may never garden without them in mind again

GARDENING GUIDES New Ways to Think About All That Mulch in the Garden

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Before you go making a mountain out of a mulch hill, learn the facts about what your plants and soil really want

GARDENING GUIDES How to Get Your Landscape Ready for Summer Storms

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Don’t let high winds, dust storms and torrential rainfall catch you or your landscape by surprise

GARDENING GUIDES Pacific Northwest Gardener's August Checklist

By Genevieve Schmidt

Deadheading perennials, cutting raspberry canes and preparing for the onion harvest keeps Northwest gardeners busy in August

DECORATING GUIDES Meet a Houseplant That Doesn't Mind Neglect

By creative jewish mom.com

Got better things to do than remember to water your houseplants on schedule? Schefflera will forgive and forget

REMODELING GUIDES 15 Ways to Design an Easy-Clean Home

By Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR

Spend more time doing what you love with these pointers for minimizing cleaning needs throughout the entire house

FEEL-GOOD HOME The Pros and Cons of Making Your Bed Every Day

By Leonora Sartori

Houzz readers around the world share their preferences, while sleep and housekeeping experts weigh in with advice

GARDENING GUIDES Top 12 Summer-Blooming Perennials for Deer-Resistant Drama

Can you have garden color, fragrance and exciting foliage with hungry deer afoot? These beauties say yes

Sponsored

MCR ROMERO WORK LLC

Innovative & Creative General Contractors Servicing Franklin County

More Discussions

list the problems with my pineapple sage

6

Mystery herb / plant

14

Cistus Incanus and Hormones

0

Herb Marigold 'Dropshot', a nice texture in the landscape.

21

Perennial Rosemary in zone 7a?

10