Thanks. Can I rid my apartment of the infestation of the mites if I get rid of the 2 pepper plants? They are my only indoor plants now, but I want to start a ton of vegetables and flowers indoors next month. It sounds like getting rid of the pepper plants is the best option? I really like how pretty one of them is, but I don't even like it's peppers. I would really like to ensure no spider mites for the new peppers even if it means getting rid of the old ones. What do I need to do to get rid of spider mites in my apartment? Is dusting and vacuuming enough if I get rid of the pepper plants? What can I do to avoid a spider mite infestation in the future? Last summer was my first attempt to grow anything from seed, so this is all a big learning experience for me. Thanks!

Suspect your 'cotton balls' are mealybugs. Dabbing them, or wiping them off gently with a dilute water/alcohol swab should take care of the problem. If you have a shower, or can take your ficus outside, spray it with water. It will help wash away spider mites. They do seem to burst forth in hot/dry situations, but just keeping them humid might not be the panacea it's purported to be. Spider mites aren't always red, btw and so tiny you can barely see them with the naked eye. The tiny grey specks on the ivy were likely immature mealy bug. They and spider mites are real nuisances on ivies. You may wish to spring for a bottle or real insecticidal soap, instead of making up your own brew.

_addendum_ I have done some specific research on these mites, mainly because one correspondent mentioned they do not like watering/humidity; however using the same increases likelihood of fungal or mildew problems ... plus some solutions are not helpful for people living in flats/units. Spider Mites die-off or go dormant in winter, when rains are heavy and day time temperatures dip under 10' celcius (centigrade)or night time 4' c. Unfortunately that means moving you/your plants to Jandakot airport or Albany. The garden gnomes might like the holiday, but otherwise it is not practical. For indoor plants, you might try putting them outside at night, if the forecast minimums are around 5'~6' and/or rain. That will slow/retard the infestation. Better still (great idea), either: i). Make a space in your refrigerator and place the plant/pot in there for an hour or two (general space, not the freezer). The spider mites will never know what hit them, because the temperature drop - followed by rise once removed - will be too great for their metabolisms to handle; or, ii). Put your plant/plants immediately in front of the air conditioning outlet, or an air conditioner (not evaporative types). The chill factor at the outlet is usually around the 3'~ 5' mark, even if set for a (BTU) room temp around 20'. As the air stream is more general, you'll need to keep the plant/plants there for four or five hours, part rotating them (cover all sides/undersides) every hour or so. Credit (inspiration) for both these ideas should go to Mike (Trees). In his response he mentioned 'jet sprayers' - usually used on orchards (look a bit like a Bofors gun), or non aerial emergency crop spraying in the wheat belt. Fun to play with, but generate about 130 db (plus) and cost mega bucks. You won't find them at Coates Hire (not suitable for urban use). The inspiration was his comment about the jet-sprayer (watering with) being very effective, in part because it got under the leaves. I thought about it and realized the venturi effect (they are not just pumps spraying water, rather more genuine 'jets' or water turbines ... thus the noise they make) would also be chilling the spray, so both wetting the mites and chilling them at the same time. That made me think air conditioners would do the same trick, albeit without the need for water ... then I realised your refrigerator was the perfect 'reverse incubator', providing you can fit the plant/pot in ... plus have a fast get-away car - in case the better half catches you doing it. As a former PM once said (paraphrased): "life wasn't meant to be easy - for spider mites..." Fighting them requires risks (like getting caught by your spouse) ... but remember you're fighting the good fight. Anyway - its technically very environmentally friendly* and an option for flat/unit dwellers, with fast (over night) success likelihood. [*: Domestic bliss environment,...

Im lucky to have avoided spider mites, just a few thrips that I seem to have got rid of. And some fungus gnats. But, I discovered a LOT of little bastards in the soil of mine Ficus elastica. I did some research and diagnosed them as some sort of soil mites. Fast moving buggers. What Ive red they eat organic matter and are sort of predators(actually I saw couple of those catch springtails after 30min of watching their behaviour), but Im still worried. Do they eat roots?