How to get rid of mites on young herbs?

Question

I noticed many teeny white to whitish-green mites on the undersides of my sage, basil, catnip, and cilantro plants today. The plants are about a month old (from seed) so they are only about 1 inch and have only 1 or 2 sets of true leaves. Can I use Schulz Houseplant and Garden insect spray, or would that be too harsh? What are your experiences with mites on young plants?

Answer 1

Commercial companies like Safer make soap sprays.
Use with care to new transplants and seedlings.
http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/resourceguide/mfs/12soap.php
Another to look for is a pyrethrum based spray. Pyrethrins are the insecticidal chemicals extracted from the pyrethrum daisy. Do not confuse them with pyrethroids, the term for a new class of synthetic pesticides.
Pyrethrum are effective on many chewing and sucking insects, including most aphids, cabbage loopers, celery leaftiers, codling moth, Colarado potaotoe beetles, leafhoppers, Mexican bean beetles, spider mites, stink bugs, several species of thrips, tomato pinworms, and whiteflies. they are especially good against flies, gnats, mosquitoes, and stored products pests. Flea beetles are not affected, nor are imported cabbageworms, diamondback moths, pear psylla, and tarnished plant bugs.
http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/resourceguide/mfs/10pyrethrum.php

To make your own;
1 1⁄2 teaspoons of Dawn liquid detergent per one quart of water.
This mixture should assist you with the removal of mites, whiteflies, aphids, thrips small scales and leafhoppers.

If you have scale on the plants; Mix one cup of generic isopropyl alcohol, with one tablespoon of the above insecticidal soap recipe (11⁄2 teaspoons of Dawn to one quart of water). Mix those two ingredients with one quart of water and apply on your plant’s leaves (top and bottom) every three days for two weeks.

Garlic Oil Sprays:
Organic gardeners have long been familiar with the repellent or toxic affect of garlic oil on pests. when it is combined with mineral oil and pure soap,as it is in the recipe that follows, devised at the Henry Doubleday Research Association in England, it becomes an effective insecticide. Some studies also suggest that a garlic oil spray has fungicidal properties.
How to Make: Soak 3 ounces of finely minced garlic cloves in 2 teaspoons of mineral oil for at least 24 hours. Slowly add 1 pint of water that has 1/4 ounce liquid soap or commercial insecticide soap mixed into it. Stir thoroughly and strain into a glass jar for storage. use at a rate of 1 to 2 Tablespoons of mixture to a pint of water. If this is effective, try a more dilute solution in order to use as little as possible.
How to Use: Spray plants carefully to ensure thorough coverage. To check for possible leaf damage to sensitive ornamentals from the oil and soap in the spray, do a test spray on a few leaces or plants first. If no leaf damage occurs in 2 or 3 days, go ahead and spray more.

MILK AND FLOUR
Here's one for an insecticide against red spider mite and azalea lace bug. Mix together a quarter-of-a-cup of milk and four cups of flour. Add this to 20 litres of water and stir well and constantly. This makes enough to treat several plants. It should be sprayed on to all surfaces of the plants every two days, until the mites or bugs have gone. As with any milk-based recipe, it is best to make only as much as you need each day, for the storage life is very short.

Answer 2

Doesn't sound like red spider mites or 2 spotted spider mite

that stuff will kill those plants, read the directions

Answer 3

I like lady bugs.I grow Salvia Divinorum and I personaly use this little aphid hunters.Their is a lot of things you can use to get lady bugs to stay where you put them.I use wheast it's a lady bug food sorce.so when the lady bugs get done eating spider mites,scaly worms,aphids and many other soft bodied insects they will stay around.Their are plants you can put in your yard to get them to stick around too.alfalfa,coffeeberry,mexican tea,morning-glory's and many other's.Their are many other beneficial insects you can use.LOOK THEM UP..and ways to get them to patrol your garden.Some are green lacewing larvae,parasitic wasps,praying mantids,and soldger bug's and many more.hope i was able to help you.

Answer 4

Rubbing alcohol soaked into a q-tip then rubbed gently directly onto those tiny wooly guys will kill them.