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Old May 21, 2018   #15
b54red
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Alabama
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I have used dog shampoo before and it is somewhat effective but if an infestation is bad it takes more than that to get them under control. I have found a mix of Permethrin, soapy water and food grade DE to be a superb mite killer. The only problem with it is it will kill the good with the bad insects. I only use it if the spider mites start in large numbers but it will bring them under control quickly. It is also very effective if you have a large infestation of aphids, stink bugs or leaf footed bugs. Since the Permethrin is what is used in most dog shampoos and has very low toxicity to mammals other than cats it is relatively safe. The DE dries on the plants in a fine white film that continues to kill the mites as they hatch out so it lessens the need for repeated sprays.

I have found that Neem is fairly effective for a very mild infestation as is just soapy water; but they must be used several times in quick succession otherwise the newly hatched mites will just continue to lay eggs and the population will explode. If it is really hot and it usually is when mites show up then I sometimes get some leaf damage from a Neem spray.

Bill
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