Spider mites pose a serious threat to fiddle leaf fig plants and can quickly wreak havoc on your plants if left unattended.
When these pesky critters invade your garden, it is important to deal with them before they spread out to attack the entire plant. Spider mites usually attach themselves to leaves and can cause leaf loss or leave discoloration, thus leaving your plants unpleasant.
To control spider mites, you first need to know what they look like. This way, you will easily spot them in your yard and treat them. Keep reading to learn more about spider mites and how to control them when they attack your fiddle leaf fig plants.
What are spider mites?
Spider mites are a type of arachnid that look like ticks and not actual spiders. They attack leafy plants like fiddle leaf figs and suck out juices from the leaves, leaving them discolored. Oftentimes, when spider mites attack your plants, they start damaging the younger leaves.
The spider mites are tiny brown, black, or red dots that move slowly when carefully inspected. The challenging part is that spider mites can accumulate on the fiddle leaf fig in large numbers before you notice them. It gets much harder to control the pests when they have accumulated on your plants in such huge tons.
When you notice that spider mites have attacked your plants, it is important to cover the unaffected plants. This is because spider mites move through the air by webbing to get to the nearby plants. Inspect any new plants you bring to your home or garden to see if they are infected but spider mites, and keep away any plant that shows signs of infection from your fiddle leaf fig because it is highly vulnerable to tinny pests.
Treating spider mites on fiddle leaf fig
You can easily choose from the wide range of readily available spider mites treatments whenever you want to keep them away from your fiddle leaf fig plant.
1. Spray cold water on the plant
Use a hose pipe to spray the affected plants with cold water regularly to knock off the spider mites from your plant. Check on the underside of all leaves to confirm if other mites are hiding. Thoroughly sprinkle water on both sides of the leaves to eliminate all the pests.
Spider mites do not like cold conditions; thus, pouring cold water on the plant will keep the mites away. If keen, you will notice the mites slowly detaching themselves and moving away from the plant and the nearby wet areas. Spaying water also clears dust particles, spider mite eggs, and other contaminants that can encourage infestation.
2. Apply Neem oil
Using insecticide on the fiddle leaf fig is a sure way to eradicate spider mites. You can opt for a chemical insecticide or natural organic solvent, Neem oil.
If you opt to spray Neem oil, all you will need is the essential Neem oil, emulsifying agent, and water. Mix one quart of water, a teaspoon of Neem oil, and about 3ml of an emulsifying agent. Shake well and add concentrated amounts of Neem oil.
For effective results, test the potency of the solution by applying it to a few leaves and waiting for about 10 hours before you continue spraying on other parts of the plant. Thoroughly spray the affected parts and ensure they are well coated with the solution. For effective results when using the chemical insecticides, make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Repeat the insecticidal treatment
Spider mites reproduce very fast. Therefore, you will need to follow up with the treatment sessions weekly until you destroy them. Give your plants at least four days before you assess their condition and determine if they have recovered. If you still suspect the presence of spider mites on the plant, repeat step 2 above. Afterward, try to separate the affected plants from the other healthy plants.
You can also opt for other techniques of dealing with spider mites like introducing natural predators like ladybirds or rubbing the leaves with alcohol. Essential oils like rosemary and spearmint can also help keep the spider mites away.
Conclusion
Spider mites can quickly damage your fiddle leaf fig plants if not controlled early. As if this is not enough, once they attack your fiddle leaf fig, they need repetitive action to eradicate. Consider the control methods above to keep these tiny yet dangerous parasites out of your plants, specifically fiddle leaf fig plants.