Fluffy, spider mites are not a type of spider. They get their name from the fact that they usually create some very fine/thin web strands on the plants they are feeding upon. Spider webbing tends to be more robust and may be sticky (for obvious reasons as they use webbing to catch bugs). All spiders are "carnivores" (assuming you consider bugs as "meat" -- a more proper term would be arthropodivores). Spiders are good guys. Some mites feed on plants, some are parasites on animals and still others are predators. (If you happen to see any bright "screaming red" mites, leave them be ... they are beneficial predatory mites.) Webbing on plants -- especially outdoor webbing could be either spiders or spider mites. Unless your plants are displaying pest damage (and if you "Google" you can find images of spidermite damage) then it most likely is webbing from regular spiders. Also if you clean off the webbing and its back again the next day, most likely regular spiders. Leave them be to do their job.

Definitely sounds like spider mites. Hose down the tree really well every day, focusing on the undersides of the leaves using a strong stream. And then spray as you've been doing, just take care not to spray any soapy solution or oils on days that you'll be having temps over 85 degrees, to avoid burning the leaves. Seems to be the year for spider mites, sigh. I am having some issues at my place on a Star Jasmine (the culprit - was sick when I brought it home from the nursery), which has spread to my two junipers (particularly susceptible), and I just noticed one of my citrus - my new Oro Blanco grapefruit - all have spider mites. Very frustrated as I cannot spray right now, since our temps have been over 90. As far as seeing damage, it can be very subtle. Are the tops of your leaves looking faintly speckled? That's usually the first sign of spider mites. Patty S.

I found the best weapon for spider mites....ice! I had roses with spider mites, very bad, I took a half bucket of ice cubes and put it around the base of the plant, did this for 3 days in a row. My rose plants are clean of spider mites now. For inside plants I would take an ice cube and rub it on the underside of the leaves for 3 days.

..... that all makes so much sense. I try hard to stay within the limits of my knowledge, which is the only way to maintain your credibility. That way, if something doesn't make sense I can make sense of it. I would love to know why it's your fertilizer of choice. The average plant uses about about 6x as much N[itrogen] as P[hosphorous] and about 3/5 as much K (potassium) as as N. 3:1:2 ratio fertilizers like 9-3-6, 12-4-8, and 24-8-16 are all designed to provide nutrients in that approximate ratio. This is important for several reasons. 1) it ensures you can fertilize at the lowest possible amount of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil solution w/o deficiencies. 2) in cases where the fertilizer ratio is skewed, say when using a "bloom booster" fertilizers high in phosphorous like 10-52-10 or 10-30-10, the nutrient present at multiples of what the plant actually wants/needs, the excess can cause an antagonistic deficiency of other nutrients. If the grower isn't habitually flushing the soil when watering, P can build up very quickly and cause a deficiency of Fe (iron). The plant turns yellow, the grower thinks it needs more fertilizer and gives it another dose which only compounds the problem. 3) nutrients compete with dissolved O2 in the soil solution. The more nutrients you provide, the less dissolved O2 the water can hold, which brings us back to the fact you can fertilize at a lower level of total dissolved solids w/o experiencing a deficiency. Foliage-Pro 9-3-6 and other Dyna-Gro products do not derive their N from urea, like Miracle-Gro, Jacks, and most other synthetic soluble fertilizers. This is a significant consideration because N from urea promotes coarse growth, i.e., large leaves and long internodes. This is a particular advantage for plants grown indoors because it helps to keep growth tight and compact. Most soluble fertilizers do not contain all nutrients essential for normal growth. Often absent are calcium, magnesium, and several micronutrients. Foliage-Pro 9-3-6 contains all nutrients essential to normal growth. It's a soluble synthetic, which gives the grower full control over what his/her plants get (in terms of nutrition) and when they'll get it. Ammonium toxicity is a significant problem for containerized plants if they're fertilized when temps are below 55*, or soggy/compacted soil conditions are the norm. Avoiding urea and using ingredients that provide N in nitrate form (like Foliage-Pro) helps to avoid that condition. I water Frank when ever he's between 0 and 1 on the moisture meter. the box recommend that this plant be watered until it's between around 1 and 3, so basically every 2 1/2 weeks. he's still in his nursery pot so I have no information on his soil or it's drainage, but he leaks Everytime I water him (I never give him more than 2 cups of water). Moisture meters are notoriously inaccurate. Clean the probe and put it in a fresh cup of distilled water and note the meter will be telling you the water is dry. Add some salt or fertilizer and it will decide the water is wet. That's because it doesn't measure moisture levels - it measures electrical conductivity. Using a wooden "tell" would more accurately reveal moisture conditions deep in the pot. It will allow you to withhold water until the soil is appropriately dry ..... which would be when you can barely detect moisture on the tip of the "tell". Watering in sips ensures the dissolved solids in tap water and fertilizer solutions remain in the soil and accumulate. This is a decidedly bad arrangement. It would be best if you had your plant in a medium that allows you to flush the soil at will without concern the soil will remain soggy for extended periods, thereby limiting root function and or wreaking havoc on root health. There are also methods you can use to put some simple science to work, limiting the amount of excess water the soil is capable of holding. ..... also what do you recommend if the mites come back?? I'm kind of afraid to use that mixture again, even though it seemed to get the job done. You can mix 70% rubbing/isopropyl alcohol with 1 or 2 parts of water in a hand spritzer. Wet the plant thoroughly. Use particular care to ensure you wet leaf undersides and saturate leaf axils, The leaf axil is the crotch formed by the leaf stem and the branch or stem it's attached to. Insecticidal soap also works, but I would do 2 applications of the 2:1/ water:alcohol then 1 application of insecticidal soap. If you can move the plant outdoors to a shady spot, the mites will likely be resolved w/o further action from you. A sharp stream of water every few days, concentrating on the leaf undersides would likely be all you need (+ you'll have natural mite predators outdoors) to get rid of them - at least until the plant comes back indoors come fall. Al