Thread: Who knows about spider mites? (not how to kill)

Originally Posted by SayWord

i'm just wanting some info about spider mites. can they live without living on plants? like can they sustain themselves in a home? can they live on cats? what happens if my cats get them? etc. ive got tons of them but have now harvested all the major plants that had them.

also, my plants that have them are drying in my bathroom. will the mites just crawl up the stems and die in the bathroom or whats gonna happen with that?

thanks for any info. +rep for u.

Spider mites are members of the Acari (mite) family Tetranychidae, which includes about 1600 species. They generally live on the under sides of leaves of plants, where they may spin protective silk webs, and they can cause damage by puncturing the plant cells to feed.
Spider mites are less than 1 mm in size and vary in color. They lay small, spherical, initially transparent eggs and many species spin silk webbing to help protect the colony from predators; they get the 'spider' part of their common name from this webbing. Hot, dry conditions are often associated with population build-up of spider mites.
The best known member of the group is Tetranychus urticae (the glasshouse red spider mite, or two-spotted spider mite), which is common in tropical and warm temperate zones, and in glasshouses. Other species which can be important pests of commercial plants include Panonychus ulmi (fruit tree red spider mite) and Panonychus citri (citrus red mite).
Spider mites, like hymenopterans and some homopterous insects, are arrhenotochous: females are diploid and males are haploid. When mated, females avoid the fecundation of some eggs to produce males. Fertilized eggs produce diploid females. Unmated, unfertilized females still lay eggs, that originate exclusively haploid males.

[edit] Countermeasures

Chemical control of spider mites generally involves pesticides that are specifically developed for spider mite control (miticides or acaricides). Few insecticides are effective for spider mites and many even aggravate problems. Furthermore, strains of spider mites resistant to pesticides frequently develop, making control difficult. Because most miticides do not affect eggs, a repeat application at an approximately 10- to 14-day interval is usually needed for control.
Various insects and predatory mites feed on spider mites and provide a high level of natural control. One group of small, dark-colored lady beetles known as the "spider mite destroyers" (Stethorus species) are specialized predators of spider mites. Minute pirate bugs (family Anthocoridae), big-eyed bugs (Geocoris species) and predatory thrips can be important natural enemies.
A great many mites in the family Phytoseiidae are predators of spider mites. In addition to those that occur naturally, some of these are produced in commercial insectaries for release as biological controls. Among those most commonly sold via mail order are Galendromus occidentalis, Phytoseiulus persimilis, Mesoseiulus longipes, and Neoseiulus californicus.

As the bud dries the mites will leave. If you have already harvested, I would not do anything to kill the mites or you WILL be smoking mites. Once the food is gone (Wet Bud), the mites die off and go away.

avid...... and ive read a few places they are like hibernational (not sure thats a word) things. so they can hide out in your room for a few months and come back after a sleep.... and avid.. and thiers stirrup M and a spreader i dont remeber atm.. dont even have to spray the bottem sides of the leaves.

also for future reference,,, treat all people like they got stds... wither its mold or mites.. dont let other growers into your rooms.