# Mites?



## Marco (Oct 11, 2007)

I just noticed this on some of my paphs. (paphs only, they dont like my phals and neos) There were pitting on the leaves with little red dots in the middle of the pits. I took a soft tooth brush and scrubbed them off. Are these mites?

This is also a heads up to those folks I've sent some plants to recently. My apologies but please do inspect your paphs before sticking them into your collection.


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## kentuckiense (Oct 11, 2007)

Sounds like they could be false spider mites. On the undersides of the leaves, right?


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## Marco (Oct 11, 2007)

yeah mainly underside some on the upperside too. I sprayed with neem and brushed as much off as i can.

thanks zach


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## Hien (Oct 12, 2007)

Somewhere I read, one type of spider mites love the top of leaves, the other one undersides.


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## Marco (Oct 12, 2007)

Thanks Hien. I found some on my neos. This is war :fight:


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## Heather (Oct 12, 2007)

Get some of those alcohol pads (the ones that doctors use) and wipe both sides of the leaves with them. I found that helped me to see them, and also kill them!  

Am I wrong or are mites the ones that don't like humidity and thrives when it's dry?


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## kentuckiense (Oct 12, 2007)

Yep, that's how I understand it.


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## Hien (Oct 12, 2007)

I QUOTE THIS FROM ANOTHER WEBSITE, IT IS MIND BOGGLING TO SEE HOW FAST THE POPULATION EXPLOSION CAN BE:

Most spider mite activity peaks during the warmer months. They can develop rapidly during this time, becoming full-grown in as little as a week after eggs hatch. After mating, mature females may produce a dozen eggs daily for a couple of weeks. The fast development rate and high egg production can lead to extremely rapid increases in mite populations.

I SIMPLIFY IT BY ALLOWING THE ADULTING FEMALE ONLY ONE PRODUCTION INSTEAD OF EVERYDAY, ALSO DIVIDE HER DOZEN OFFSPRINGS TO 6 FEMALE.

WEEK 1=YOU HAVE ONE FEMALE AT THE BEGINNING
WEEK 2= 6 DAUGHTERS
WEEK 3=36 GRAND DAUGHTERS
WEEK 4= 216 GREAT GRAND DAUGHTERS
WEEK 5= 1,296
WEEK 6=7,776
WEEK 7=46,656
WEEK 8=279,936
WEEK 9=1,679,616
WEEK 10=10,077,696
WEEK 11=60 MILLIONS
WEEK 12=360 MILLIONS NASTY BUGS

THAT IS OUR SUMMER SEASON, OF COURSE AS NATURE INTENDED, SOME OF THEM DO FALL TO THE FLOOR AND DIE YOUNG, SOME DROWN WHILE TAKE A SWIM IN THE WATERFALL THAT WE CREAT EVERY COUPLE DAYS OF OUR WATER SCHEDULE.
BY THE WAY I ONLY COUNT THE FEMALES. & ASSUME THESE FEMALES TO BE VERY CHASTE.


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## Grandma M (Oct 12, 2007)

WOW!!!! Interesting chart. They multiply even faster than my great-grandchildren.


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## Marco (Oct 12, 2007)

Well I combed through my whole collection and seperated all the affected plants. I did find 2 possibly three spikes  one of which is on my very very fragrant phal schilly and a neo


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## MoreWater (Oct 13, 2007)

don't believe the humidity thing. I had a mite explosion in the summer when it's downright humid here. Both indoors and out. :evil:

Marco, if you have phal violacea and similar, keep a careful careful eye on them. Those were the first of my phals to get affected.

Just because a plant doesn't show symptoms doesn't mean it might not be riddled with eggs. [insert pretty picture here]


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## likespaphs (Oct 13, 2007)

MoreWater said:


> don't believe the humidity thing.




i don't either!



MoreWater said:


> Just because a plant doesn't show symptoms doesn't mean it might not be riddled with eggs. [insert pretty picture here]



what he said! if you can get access to a dissecting scope or a strong photographer's loop you can probably look closely for them. otherwise, those suckers can be tiny and impossible to see with the naked eye


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## Marco (Oct 13, 2007)

Thanks everyone. Every time I water I make sure to check for the little buggers. 

Ki - how did you curb the outbreak?

Unfortunately I don't have any sort of magnifying glass. I may have to go search for one somewhere.

Mr. President....I think Ki is a she oke:


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## likespaphs (Oct 13, 2007)

Marco said:


> ..Mr. President....I think Ki is a she oke:



d'oh!


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## MoreWater (Oct 13, 2007)

Marco said:


> Ki - how did you curb the outbreak?



"curb"? what's that 

I did, actually, knock them down significantly by doing 3 rounds of neem spray (with a spreader-sticker). All was fine for a while, until I saw symptoms again, by which time the population was exploding by the second. Now I know to be more careful with the inspections, and growing (from seed) a datura or morning glory can help (they are mite magnets, so if there are some hanging around, you'll know right away). 

This time I am getting ready to try a round of big guns miticide, and plan to follow with a round of neem sometime in the winter. Still haven't gotten to it though - every weekend seems to get filled with something else.... To use the miticide, I have to first clear the balcony so I can get the plants out there for the spraying. No way am I using that toxic stuff in the apartment. Not that all my plants will fit on the balcony in one round.... so it takes some logistical gymnastics. I also want to treat the trays and stuff, as well as the hydroton that's rolling around the bottom of some trays (doing double duty as drainage layer and extra medium).



Marco said:


> Unfortunately I don't have any sort of magnifying glass. I may have to go search for one somewhere.



Someone told me that there's an african violet place that sells 30x loupes for $5 (to check for cyclamen mites, I assume). I think she ordered one recently. Most jeweler's gear websites sell ones that cost a tad more..... from the upper teens to over $50. The thread at OSF says that 10x is enough magnification for the orchidy mites, which may be true. But... I *think* the bug loupe (with a LED light) I have (somewhere) is 10x and it didn't give a clear enough pic for IDing mites. It might have been lack of magnification or lack of clarity or lack of knowhow (to use a loupe), or I could be remembering the magnification wrong.



Marco said:


> Mr. President....I think Ki is a she



How does Marco know these things? :clap:


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## gore42 (Oct 13, 2007)

My understanding is that spider mites are controlled pretty well by humidity; false mites (especially the tropical species, obviously) are not. And unfortunately, miticides are expensive because mites become resistant so quickly. 

I had some red and black false spider mites come in on some plants from Hawaii, and luckily, they are pretty easy to kill. I generally rotate Avid, Floramite, and whatever else I have handy, including Neem oil. Neem actually worked really well on the adults, but didn't do anything to the eggs.

Good luck! Mites are a pain.

- Matt


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## goldenrose (Oct 14, 2007)

Friday I just recieved some pots & insulation from Charleys, with it was a free magnifying glass. Me have mites? Hein's post could have nothing to do with my plants!  well not for long!!! :fight:


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## NYEric (Oct 15, 2007)

Who's Hein? oke: Marco, you should post photos of the problem.


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