If there is one thing a garden hates, the title would fall upon spider mites. While these “bugs” are tiny, the damage they can cause to a garden is immense. It is estimated that spider mites cause roughly 5-7 percent of agricultural damage around the world. If you take a stroll through your garden or greenhouse, and you find that the leaves on some of your plants have tiny holes in them, chances are good that the damage was the work of spider mites. Luckily, while these obnoxious pests are intrusive, they do not have to be permanent fixtures in your garden.
Spider mites cause so much damage, ultimately, because they ruin the waterproof qualities of the leaf surface. The mite first pierces through the surface and begins taking in the fluid and cells of the leaf. A leaf that a mite has victimized, will no longer be able to control the amount of water that escapes, and will end up drying up, usually losing all of its typically green pigmentation. One would think that since a mite is so small that there would have to be a subsequently large infestation; however, even a small infestation can wreak havoc on a garden.
There are two fairly common ways to combat against an infestation of spider mites, and they are through pesticides and similar treatments, and, believe it or not, other insects. However, pesticides are becoming less and less popular because they are becoming less and less effective. The reason being is because spider mites can actually build up a resistance towards pesticides thereby rendering it useless. Still, some gardeners will swear by certain pesticides, chemicals, and specialized treatments, and if it works for them, then all power to them. The best way to find out what works and what does not, is to get out in your garden and actually find out.
While it seems a bit unorthodox to release even more insects into your garden, one of the very most popular ways to eliminate, or at the least, reduce a spider mite infestation, is by releasing insects that prey upon the mites. In all actuality, the best insect for getting rid of spider mites is another type of mite, simply referred to as predator mites. Predator mites take after their name and actually make supper out of spider mites, in effect, saving your garden. Even better is that it does not take a very large supply of predator mites to decimate a spider mite infestation because of reproduction. Predator mites tend to reproduce rapidly, creating even more mouths to feed.
Do not let your garden, the very same garden you sunk all your time, effort, and money into, go to waste because of pesky, little spider mites. Instead, fight back and take control of your garden and restore the natural beauty of your plants. A spider mite infestation can be fought against through the use of pesticides and even other insects. Although pesticides are not as highly favorable as the predator mite option, a lot of gardeners still find great success through them and other treatments. Regardless of what treatment you use, most options are available online.
© 2011 Andrew Brusnahan
