I have an indoor lemon tree and I sprayed it for spider mites. I still see thier webs. Are they dead?

Question

How do I know they are dead? They are to small for me to see. I do see their webs though. Are these old webs or cob webs or what?

I shower it a while ago -- you know. In the tub. But the webs remain.

The tree seems to be much healthier. Less dried out but when I shake it I still get a few leaves still falling off.

I hate to spray it again. It lost a lot of leaves but these webs drive me nuts.

Answer 1

use a blow torch.

Answer 2

If you get a magnifying glass, you should be able to see them if they are still alive. Spider mites are difficult to completely get rid of. An insecticidal soap is a safe way to help control them. You can buy it at most garden centers (Home Depot, etc), or you can make it yourself. Look it up on the web for instructions on how to make it. It may take several applications to do the trick, but with good coverage, it will destroy the eggs, and prevent future hatching. Make sure you get the underside of each leaf as well as the tops. Remember that there will probably be some eggs in the surrounding soil as well, so spray the ground around the tree also.

Spider mites like dry dusty conditions, so to prevent them in the future, you should spray down the tree on a regular basis.

Answer 3

I work in a greenhouse and deal with this daily. Showers are good - spider mites hate them. Keep spraying maybe 2 to 3 times. Also make sure you wipe all the webs down so next time you see one you know they are not dead. Spraying it is not why the leaves are falling-- it is really stressed. Also if you have any other plant by it move them and check them often for mites. these mites spread fast - once you spray they may move to other plants.

Answer 4

If you gently pinch on several leaves, you will see a reddish stain on your finger tips.

Spider mites are notorious to get completely rid of and will spread to other plants.

There is a systemic pesticide you water the plant with. This will make the entire plant toxic - to the mites and you as well, it you ingest any part of it.

You might consider this: make a soapy solution of a lemon base dishwashing liquid (sunlight for example) mixed with water. Not too sticky.

Wipe each leaf surface and underside, then all stem joints, rinsing the cloth or sponge frequently. Tedious to say the least. No, I'm not kidding.

This will help control them, but there will always be some around. Good humidity is essential. Mites prefer dry air.

Good luck.

Answer 5

I have an indoor lemon tree too... it does need a lot of water during the winter indoors... spider mites can be rid of just spraying with dish soap and water mixed... the shower will help too... just wipe or spray off the webs... if you need extra humidity around your tree, place a container with pebbles and water next to your tree... mine loses a lot of leaves during winter too... mostly cause i let it dry out too much sometimes

Answer 6

I like what geocache said. Now take it outside and give it a good spray with the hose. Spray it from all angles. The bottom too. Then it is back to wait and see. The odds are you won't get all the webs off unless you wipe the leaves one by one. Usually all the unhealthy ones will fall off soon. Good luck!

Answer 7

If you shake some of the leaves on a white piece of paper, and look at them through a magnifying glass, you might be able to tell if they are moving. If you doused them pretty good with the spray, they probably aren't going to survive very long. Keep in mind, you might need to re-spray in a couple of weeks because eggs may have been layed that the spray didn't penetrate.

Answer 8

Shower it again and then watch for webs. I suggest you spray for the mites a few times to ensure you got rid of all of them. They are trickey little buggers.

Answer 9

ive had a really hard time with spider mites too. try spraying it with kelp water (use a mister) it worked really well for me