I have tried a few different spider mite elimination concoctions including but not limited to Neem oil, dish washing detergent, bug bombs and SMC Leaf Wash. The neem oil had a bad smell and I did not feel safe using it while flowering, and let's face it, during flowering is when the little bastages come out in full force. I also don't like the idea of spraying store bought dish washing detergent full of who knows what.

Then I found a product called SMC Leaf Wash. That worked well, but it is made in Britain and the US distributer stop bringing it over to this side of the pond. After reading the ingredients on my now empty bottle, I found the following info:
1% Coriander Oil
94% Canola Oil
5% Triethanolamine

After reading the toxicity report on Triethanolamine I decided that the SMC could stay on the other side of the pond. But what to do about the spider mites? This is where I came up with my own home made NON_TOXIC spider mite control formula.

There are three steps that have helped me keep the spider mite situation under control.

Step 1 - Spray daily with a mister bottle full of sodium free seltzer water. I get mine from the wine and mixer area of Albertsons for 99 cents per 2 liter bottle. Not only is the CO2 good for the plants, but the mist will reveal any hidden spider webs that are normally hard to see. Kind of like blowing smoke through a laser beam

Step 2 - At first sign of spider mite infestation:
Add 3 ml Canola Oil, 2-3 drops of Simplicity hypoallergenic / non-toxic liquid dish soap to 1 Qt. seltzer water. I pour the water in the spray bottle last to help mix the ingredients without having to shake the bottle.

Spray plants generously, paying special attention to the underside of the fan leaves. Repeat in 24 hours.

Step 3 - Clean dead leaves from the growing medium. As the leaves turn brown and fall to the base of the plant, you can see small dots where the spiders have laid their eggs.

Now continue with spaying with pure seltzer water daily. All of these ingredients are safe and non-toxic. All of these ingredients are readily available. All of these ingredients are affordable.
Canola Oil available from any market for a couple of bucks.
Simplicity hypoallergenic / non-toxic liquid dish soap was obtained from Walmart for a couple more bucks.


Cheap, Safe, Readily available... What more could a gardener ask for?

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