No one single thing will get rid of two-spot spider mites.

I use a no-pest strip and pyrethrin spray.

By the time you see the webs your infestation is brutal. The yellowing of the leaves is from the mites sucking on the underside of the leaf.

Persistence helps, but at your advanced stage of infestation, you're going to be fighting them for a while. Good thing we only have a week or two before we can plant in the ground...

Good luck.

Thanks for the info. The critters are so incredibly tiny it took me awhile to even see them and there were ALOT when I finally figured out what was happening. Guess it is time to go continue the battle.

You mention it is good that the plants can soon go into the ground. Does that help get rid of the mites? Are they mostly an indoor problem? Do natural predators help outside? Or was the plant out comment referring to some other benefit?

It was referring to the lack of natural predators that we have indoors in the winter time. I grow indoors over the winter under grow lights, and I've had to fight the green peach aphid, the two spot spider mite, the red spider mite, the white spider mite, and thrips.

I do agree with the idea that a good hosing down helps. However, it only displaces the insects temporarily. They eventually go somewhere.

Its gotten to the point where I basically allow one 'sacrificial lamb' plant to be a host plant for the pests I get over the winter, if that makes sense.

Natural predators are my friend. Ladybugs, braconid wasps, praying mantis, whatever ya got. Its all good. Even spiders (sorry, ladies)

LOL, I was just checking all the ceiling corners for spiders I could move onto my plants. Usually I can find a few in the house if I look around some. I don't admit to befriending them to my nongardening aquaintances.

Sounds like you have had quite a few unwelcome visitors. I hope no other kinds find my plants. Maybe my spdier tolerance has already kept some under control without me realizing it. I wonder if a mantis would be a good houseguest, also. It probably would really freak out some of my friends.

Here's a little trick for diagnosing a spider mite infestation without using magnification.

Hold a plant or branch of a plant over a sheet of plain paper. Tap the plants leaves to dislodge some mites if there are any. Infestation or not, you will probably find some nearly invisible specks on the paper.

Here's the clever part. Draw small circles around a few of the specks. Watch the specks for a minute or so to see if any of the specks move out of their circles. If so, voila, they are alive.

Jim

Raising the humidity and weekly showers do wonders...not a spider mite all winter :)

then i get to fight fungus gnats. no thanks.

I would try green lacewing larvae. They're like little alligators. They eat all kinds of little pests. I'm thinking of releasing some in the garden, as I've noticed a few aphids. Also going to release some praying mantids in hopes they will decimate the motherf--king walking stick population. I doubt I can kill every last one, but I'm going to try.

I'm waging a war on bugs, but I can't do it alone. I need some bugs on my side. =)

Here's a link.
http://www.thebeneficialinsectco.com/green-lacewing-larvae.htm

I've been told insecticidal soap will help to get rid of them, but I must say I've never had to deal with them, so I couldn't tell you from experience whether that actually works or not.

I used Safer's insect spray to effectively control some on a citrus. It's an organic product they may be available where you live. I also have heard of using dishwashing soap with some water and spray the entire plant out side.

Good luck,
Dean