Looks like a bad year for stink bugs.

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Originally Posted by Starlight

Kinda of a crazy question Bill, but I wonder is the use of the DE killing off the predators too that would help keep the mites in check? I wonder have you looked real close at your mites? The reason I ask is with such a massive population as what you have do you have the predatory mite that eats the bad mite possibly too and why it seems like you over run with them?

In forty years of growing tomatoes and at least 15 years with some degree of spider mite problems I have never seen them like they are this year. The DE wasn't used until the mites were a devastating problem. I was delayed a couple of days in treating the plants due to some health issues and in that time they went from bad to horrible. Another day or two and all my tomato plants would have died. As it is I have lost 90% or more of the foliage on over half my plants due to the damage. It isn't like I don't watch for spider mites every year and I rarely miss a day inspecting the garden for problems; but this was really unusual and I hope to never see it again. I had a year where Septoria did the same thing to my garden despite diligent use of fungicides because we got daily rains during the mid summer heat and it was almost impossible to stop before it ruined most of my plants.

The DE has been a true garden saver for me this year with the spider mites and last year with the stink bugs and leaf footed bugs. I am so happy to find a less lethal way of combating some of the more problematic pests. The last time I had a really bad infestation of spider mites was about ten years ago and to keep them from totally destroying my garden I spent more than a month spraying every 2 to 3 days with alternating pesticides, soaps and oils. Sulfur is not an option in this heat down here.

Bill