You're already using a number of toxic ingredients. Did you know: most dish soaps have as many as a dozen ingredients that are phytotoxic (poison to plants)? detergents in these products destroy cuticular waxes (protective wax in leaves' outermost layer) and root lipid membranes? many "neem" products have little or none of the product (azadiractin) that makes neem oil effective? you definitely do not want vegetable oil in the soil, forming a barrier between roots and their oxygen supply, and alcohol in the soil will also destroy roots' lipid membranes?

If you don't want to use anything toxic, I would suggest you make sure you're not providing (soil) conditions that ensure large populations of soil pests. Small soil particles that are high in materials that break down quickly (like cellulose) are particularly attractive to soil pests that feed on rotting vegetation, so avoiding things like leaf litter, unfinished compost, or the meals from which organic fertilizers often derive nutrients. Also, avoid fish or seaweed emulsions.

For the most part, insect soil pests can be avoided by choosing a medium they find unfavorable and watering appropriately - only when the planting actually NEEDS watering. It's easy to determine when your plantings need water if you use a "tell".

Using a 'tell'

Over-watering saps vitality and is one of the most
common plant assassins, so learning to avoid it is worth the small
effort. Plants make and store their own energy source –
photosynthate - (sugar/glucose). Functioning roots need energy to
drive their metabolic processes, and in order to get it, they use
oxygen to burn (oxidize) their food. From this, we can see that
terrestrial plants need air (oxygen) in the soil to drive root
function. Many off-the-shelf soils hold too much water and not enough
air to support good root health, which is a prerequisite to a healthy
plant. Watering in small sips leads to a build-up of dissolved solids
(salts) in the soil, which limits a plant's ability to absorb water –
so watering in sips simply moves us to the other horn of a dilemma.
It creates another problem that requires resolution. Better, would be
to simply adopt a soil that drains well enough to allow watering to
beyond the saturation point, so we're flushing the soil of
accumulating dissolved solids whenever we water; this, w/o the plant
being forced to pay a tax in the form of reduced vitality, due to
prolong periods of soil saturation. Sometimes, though, that's not a
course we can immediately steer, which makes controlling how often we
water a very important factor.

In many cases, we can judge whether or not a
planting needs watering by hefting the pot. This is especially true
if the pot is made from light material, like plastic, but doesn't
work (as) well when the pot is made from heavier material, like clay,
or when the size/weight of the pot precludes grabbing it with one
hand to judge its weight and gauge the need for water.

Fingers stuck an inch or two into the soil work ok
for shallow pots, but not for deep pots. Deep pots might have 3 or
more inches of soil that feels totally dry, while the lower several
inches of the soil is 100% saturated. Obviously, the lack of oxygen
in the root zone situation can wreak havoc with root health and
cause the loss of a very notable measure of your plant's potential.
Inexpensive watering meters don't even measure moisture levels, they
measure electrical conductivity. Clean the tip and insert it into a
cup of distilled water and witness the fact it reads 'DRY'.

One of the most reliable methods of checking a
planting's need for water is using a 'tell'. You can use a bamboo
skewer in a pinch, but a wooden dowel rod with a diameter of 1/4 or 5/16” (75-85mm)
would work better. They're most commonly sold in 48” (120cm) lengths and can
usually be cut in half and serve as a pair. Sharpen all 4 ends in a
pencil sharpener and slightly blunt the tip so it's about the
diameter of the head on a straight pin. Push the wooden tell deep
into the soil. Don't worry, it won't harm the root system. If the
plant is quite root-bound, you might need to try several places until
you find one where you can push it all the way to the pot's bottom.
Leave it a few seconds, then withdraw it and inspect the tip for
moisture. For most plantings, withhold water until the tell comes out
dry or nearly so. If you see signs of wilting, adjust the interval
between waterings so drought stress isn't a recurring issue.

Al

Thank you, you hit the nail on the head with the note about fish emulsion. A successful plant owner who uses 60% peat, 20% pumice, 20% worm castings uses fish emulsion with success. I know you don't believe that soil is ideal. Just referencing where how I heard about fish emulsion.
I looked for the least toxic dish soap I could find. Seventh Generation no dyes, plant based soap. I mixed it with some cornstarch in water and did a spray. It seems to be taking effect. The alcohol I only sprayed on the pot surface and was surprised it didn't kill the mites especially when many say diluted it's an effective killer. It is a gritty mix that has some bark, that's decaying material that will attract bugs. I just don't want to have to water often when I'm not always home long enough so I don't feel comfortable in a complete bonsai mix. Im not saying this to be annoying. I'm sure it's not as ideal. I appreciate your expertise and I've learned about the gritty mix from you. Thank you for taking time to reply.

Have you heard of diatomaceous earth (DE) ? It's sold in the garden center area reserved for the organic products. Apply it as a dust rather generously to the surface of the growing medium, once per week or so. It's very useful for soil borne critters like this.

Do not use the pool filter DE....it won't work. The label should mention horticultural grade or food grade.

There is a root knot nematode that can be in houseplants. I had some decades ago. i knew something was wrong but could not get any diagnosis. One day as I watered it, i thought I saw something move in the soil. I shined a strong flashlight on the soil and could see the whole pot of soil was sort of moving like it was alive. These nematodes are not visible to the naked eye. If I had had a magnifying glass I could have likely seen them. I took the plant to a nursery for their advice. They could id the nematodes by looking at the roots that were knotted and deformed. I was sold beneficial nematodes at the nursery that were in water, I poured them on the soil

and they gobbled the problem right up. The plant recovered in time

Hey Lisa

I have been fighting soil mites for months! It's all started when I noticed these small bugs on my potted plants. I'm a plant lover and I always take care of my plants, so I was surprised when I noticed them. I don't like to use anything toxic too. Home plants are quite sensitive. Usually, I buy good quality fertilizer, but it didn't help to get rid of soil mites... Ones my auntie visited me. We were talking about her garden. She has such a lovely garden. When I was a child I loved to walk there and pick some fruits from trees. However, I told her about my problem with soil mites. She has much more experience with fighting the pests than I do. Auntie said that I shouldn't worry so much, because it's not such a serious problem. She recommended me to read this bumpercroptimes.com and choose which insecticide I need. Thanks to my auntie's advice my plants look much better, and I am so happy I finally got rid of soil mites.