Miresmailli, Saber, and Murray B Isman. “Efficacy and persistence of rosemary oil as an acaricide against twospotted spider mite (Acari: Tetranychidae) on greenhouse tomato.” Journal of economic entomology vol. 99,6 (2006): 2015-23. doi:10.1603/0022-0493-99.6.2015
Efficacy of rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis L., essential oil was assessed against twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), as well as effects on the tomato, Lycopersicum esculatum Mill., host plant and biocontrol agents. Laboratory bioassay results indicated that pure rosemary oil and EcoTrol (a rosemary oil-based pesticide) caused complete mortality of spider mites at concentrations that are not phytotoxic to the host plant. The predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot is less susceptible to rosemary oil and EcoTrol than twospotted spider mite both in the laboratory and the greenhouse. Rosemary oil repels spider mites and can affect oviposition behavior. Moreover, rosemary oil and rosemary oil-based pesticides are nonpersistent in the environment, and their lethal and sublethal effects fade within 1 or 2 d. EcoTrol is safe to tomato foliage, flowers, and fruit even at double the recommended label rate. A greenhouse trial indicated that a single application of EcoTrol at its recommended label rate could reduce a twospotted spider mite population by 52%. At that rate, EcoTrol did not cause any mortality in P. persimilis nor did it affect their eggs. In general, EcoTrol was found to be a suitable option for small-scale integrated pest management programs for controlling twospotted spider mites on greenhouse tomato plants.
Everything You Need To Know About Getting Rid Of Spider Mite Pests With An Effective Solution –Method 1 pps
What are Spider Mites?
Spider mites are arachnids, and so as adults have eight legs, just like a regular spider. They are related to spiders, scorpions, ticks and more. They are arthropods, which means they have an exoskeleton. They cause damage to plants when they feed by penetrating the plants cells and sucking the sap out of them. Spider mites are very small and difficult to see with the naked eye. There are many (1200) different species but the most common are the Red Spider Mite and Two Spotted Spider Mite. For such small creatures, they are capable of inflicting a lot of damage on plants.
Where do spider mites come from?
Spider mites are virtually ubiquitous. They can live indoors or outdoors. Spider mites thrive in hot, dry conditions. Cooler, more humid conditions slow reproductive rates considerably. Outdoors, spider mites are active in the spring and go dormant over winter. Even their eggs can overwinter if somewhat protected and hatch when warm weather arrives. This is called ovipause. If you live in a region that does not freeze during the winter there is a higher risk of spider mites. Growing indoor, under lights can create ideal conditions for them and they can be active at all times.
How do you get spider mites?
They can be transported on your clothing, shoes, other plants, or surf on the wind. Since they are plentiful in nature it isn’t a matter of “if” but “when” they show up.
How do you know if you have spider mites?
Because spider mites are so small, they often aren’t noticed until their damage to the plant becomes apparent. Below are some pictures of spider mite damage. Usually, it shows up as small lighter colored spots on the leaves. More advanced damage causes leaves to look “sick” and pale in color. In extreme infestations you will see webs covering parts of the plant. Often, that is on the new growth or flowering areas. When webs are visible it indicates a very out of control infestation which can get worse quickly and result in the demise of the plant. It should be the goal to detect them early before their numbers multiply and to stop the reproduction process. Having a hand held microscope or magnifying device helps you see pests more clearly, it allows you to definitively identify the pest.
How to prevent, control, and eradicate spider mites.
Prevention is always the best first option that will save your plants from spider mite damage. The factors involved in prevention include environmental control, regular inspections, preventive treatments, and being careful about introducing new plants to the growing space, and restricting access to the area. Environmental control means controlling temperature, humidity, light intensity, etc. That is more of a possibility for indoor growing and in commercial growing conditions such as greenhouses. Unfortunately, ideal growing conditions for many plants are the same as ideal growing conditions for many pests including spider mites..
Controlling pests implies keeping pest numbers suppressed so the plant can successfully complete its growth cycle without excessive damage. The use of beneficial predatory insects such as ladybugs, predatory mites, and wasps are often used for this purpose. Generally, it is not a method that you can mix with application of pesticides since you will also kill the beneficial insects. Of course, you can use pesticide sprays to keep them down as well.
Eradication of spider mites is a sort of misnomer. We already stated that they are virtually ubiquitous. So when we speak of eradication we know that it can only be done in an limited area and it is at best, temporary. You will be able to eradicate them on a plant or from a room but not from nature. Outdoors, re-infestation is always a possibility. With that said, here is how to do it.
Control or Eradicate spider mites with Method 1 pps.
Mix up Method 1pps with water according to instructions. Either mix it or put the mixed product in a sprayer. There are many types of sprayers so do some homework and figure out which is appropriate for your use. Start by spraying lightly on the soil surface. Next, start at the base of the main stalk and spray every surface all the way around. Work your way up the stalk and follow each limb to its end, spraying the underside of the leaves. Work your way to the top of the plant and then spray the tops of the leaves. The idea is to get 100% coverage when spraying the plant. The reason is that Method 1 pps is a contact killer and needs to come in contact with the mites. When it does, it causes a neural disruption in the mite which somewhat immobilizes them. At the same time there are oils in the product that has a smothering effect. It will kill all of the living mites. It has a drying effect on their eggs.
This application should be followed up within 5 days with another treatment. This is to address any mites that may have been missed or eggs that may have hatched since the first treatment. The reason for doing it within 5 days is that this will interrupt the life cycle of the spider mite population. A newly hatched spider mite can be capable of laying eggs in a week. The reproduction cycle will accelerate under ideal (hot and dry) conditions and eradication becomes more difficult. Knowledge is your best tool for dealing with spider mites.
After each treatment it is a good idea to inspect the infested area, preferably with a scope or magnifying device. You are looking for anything that moves and any viable eggs. As long as they persist another treatment will be needed. How many times you treat depends on the degree of infestation and the environmental conditions.
Why Method 1 pps?
With Method 1 pps you will be applying ingredients that are generally regarded as safe (GRAS). It is formulated to leave minimal residues which ensures that your plants will be free of toxic volatile compounds found in many pesticides. Another consideration is that use of many pest control products can result in the pests developing immunity to the active ingredients. That is even true of some products that are considered safe for humans. Some of these products also become systemic. That means they are taken up into the plants system and become somewhat permanent. If said plant is then eaten, extracted, and/or concentrated then those ingredients also get processed along with it. That can effect the taste or consistency of the end product. Method 1 pps starts as a clean product and the active ingredients evaporate quickly. That allows you to use it throughout the growth cycle up to harvest. It is safe to use inside your home. Another reason that many people use Method 1 pps is that it smells amazing during use, unlike almost all pest control products.
Growth Efficiency Technologies is proud to introduceMethod 1-pps to the world. This initial offering is one of a series of products with ingredients that are generally considered harmless and non-toxic, targeted for use in Integrated Pest Management. By not incorporating any poisons into this product we are assuring that your plant products can be free of dangerous volatile chemical compounds for the protection of growers, processors and end users.
Method 1-pps is primarily intended to address the major pest and disease problems that are common, namely spider mites, thrips, whiteflies, aphids, mealy bugs, mold, and mildew. In coming articles we will discuss these specific issues and how they can be controlled without the use of dangerous chemicals.
In the US, each year close to five billion pounds of these dangerous compounds are dumped into our environment to control various pests. Yes, I said five billion. It has increased every year. Now, it stands to reason that if they actually worked then we wouldn’t need to increase that every year. While they do initially kill most of the pests in a specific location, there are always survivors and unhatched eggs. Beneficial insects and microbes are also destroyed at the same time. These pests develop resistance and without enemies will soon bloom into a bigger problem. This in turn necessitates new poisons and ever increasing frequency and quantity of applications, an undesirable spiral of events. At Growth Efficiency Technologies we are going in the other direction.
Method 1-pps is a plant protection system (pps) that is used via foliar application. It kills living spider mites on contact and will also kill some of the eggs. What’s that? you say. It only kills some of the eggs? Yes, that is the truth. The rest of the truth is that there is nothing that you would want to put on things humans consume that kills all of the eggs. So how does this work then? With a little knowledge of the pest you are dealing with it is not that hard. We can help.
Dangerous methods and materials don’t make any sense and present a clear danger to end consumers. In future articles we will address what can be done to deal with these problems in a way that is more safe and attuned to nature.
After using Method 1-pps as part of an IPM protocol during the last year and a half we felt it is time to assess and communicate to our users everything we have learned. First, let me say that we are still impressed at what can be accomplished with this product and how little effect it has on your plants during the entire grow cycle. The lack of ingredients with residual characteristics means there is no issue with buildup on leaves and flowers so the end product will have virtually no effect from use of this product.
Since Method 1-pps is meant to be used in an IPM system let’s review what IPM is and where our product fits into such a system. IPM (Integrated Pest Management) is focused on long term management and prevention of pests accomplished by managing their ecosystem. These IPM principles and practices are combined to create IPM programs. While each situation is different, five major components are common to all IPM programs:
Pest identification
Monitoring and assessing pest numbers and damage
Guidelines for when management action is needed
Preventing pest problems
Using a combination of biological, cultural, physical/mechanical and chemical management tools
Biological controls use natural enemies—predators, parasites, pathogens, and competitors—to control pests and their damage. Invertebrates, plant pathogens, nematodes, weeds, and vertebrates have many natural enemies.
Cultural controls are practices that reduce pest establishment, reproduction, dispersal, and survival. For example, changing irrigation practices since too much water can increase root disease and weeds.
Mechanical and physical controls kill a pest directly or make the environment unsuitable for it. Traps for pests, mulches for weed management, sterilization of the soil for disease management, or barriers such as screens to keep pests out.
Chemical control is the use of pesticides. In IPM, pesticides are used in combination with other approaches for more effective, long-term control. Also, pesticides are selected and applied in a way that minimizes their possible harm to people and the environment. With IPM you’ll use the most selective pesticide that will do the job and be the safest for other organisms and for air, soil, and water quality. That is the basis of Method 1-pps
It is in the first and last area (biological and chemical control) where Method 1-pps comes into play. We like to think of it as taking the chemicals out of chemical control and accomplishing the same thing with the most natural and safe ingredients possible. We do recommend using biological controls such as ladybugs to combat pests and Method 1-pps is minimally harmful to these beneficial bugs. But we do not recommend using chemicals on cannabis because of the possible harmful effects on the consumer as well as the environmental concerns. Just because it is on the shelf at your favorite grow store doesn’t mean it is a good thing to use on cannabis. A cursory survey of grow stores will expose many products that really shouldn’t be there.
IPM is a process that is not static but rather is constantly being redefined. It is fluid in that as environmental conditions change so does your IPM activities. A good example of what we mean is when the seasons change so does the life cycle of pests. My favorite, the Two Spotted Spider Mite, sharply accelerates its life cycle as the temperature increases and humidity decreases. Reproduction, feeding, population and damage all accelerate. So in response it becomes necessary to accelerate your IPM activities as well.
Following these lessons we have determined the following about Method 1-pps:
The weakest recommended dilution of Method 1-pps (2 0z per gallon) is adequate under all conditions. We no longer recommend stronger mixes. Experience has shown us that rather than increasing the strength of the mix it is more effective to increase the frequency of application. Therefore, when the pest activity accelerates during the hot months you would increase the frequency of application, matching pace with the pest. Living spider mites are killed by the application and their eggs are slowly eroded over several applications. Removing live spider mites before they lay eggs will eadicate the problem pest over time.This means Method 1-pps is even more cost effective than we thought previously.
To overcome an infestation of mites use the 2oz per gallon mixture every second day. Observe the eggs through a scope to determine when no viable eggs are left and you should then be free of pests. Then use method 1-pps once a week to maintain clean plants.
At the weakest dilution it will not kill Ladybugs so they are a good biological control to use with Method 1-pps especially for indoor or greenhouse growing.
While Method 1-pps is very effective, we do not recommend that you rely on it alone to control pests. Use all of the IPM strategies.
Method 1-pps is effective against all mites including Russet Mites and Broadmites. In the case of these pests, proactive treatment is a huge help since you will never know you have Broadmites until the damage has already started.
We will be changing the directions on our label to reflect these findings. In the meantime, stay informed, learn to identify your pest. Use a scope to make the positive identification of pests. They are far too small to tell what is going on with the naked eye.
