How to get rid of spider mites on vegetables: this invisible pest can destroy the crop

Spider mites affect garden crops and spoil the harvest. Sometimes it can be difficult to determine whether the plant was attacked by a mite or whether the leaves turned yellow due to other diseases. The insects are so small that it is difficult to see them with the naked eye.

The presence of spider mites is determined by a set of external changes on plants. OBOZ.UA figured out how to get rid of spider mites.

Where spider mites appear

Spider mites like greenhouse conditions. It often appears where it is always warm and dry. In rainy summers, these pests are almost never found on vegetables, and dry, hot weather is ideal for active reproduction of mites.

Spider mites primarily attack eggplants and cucumbers. It can settle on peppers and move on to tomatoes if they grow in the neighborhood of eggplants or cucumbers.

Signs of damage

Spider mites reduce yields, slow down growth, and weaken the general condition of the plant.

You can determine that vegetables have been attacked by spider mites by the following signs:

• young leaves become lighter in the area of the main vein;

• many small light dots appear;
• the leaves begin to turn yellow;
• the plant becomes frail and weak;
• growth slowdown, shedding of flowers;
• lack of ovary.

How to get rid of pests

The easiest prevention is watering from above by sprinkling. Spray the plants with warm water using a wide watering can with many holes. This should be done in the morning or in the evening so that no burns are left on the leaves from water droplets. However, there are nuances: waterlogging can lead to fungal diseases.

To combat spider mites, gardeners advise safe biological products – they can be used even at the stage of crop ripening.

Choose products that contain the substance aversectin C. Such contact-intestinal agents affect only adults. After 72 hours, the substance is completely neutralized and you can harvest. The treatment can be repeated in a week when a new generation of pests appears from the eggs.

In case of massive pest damage, you can use a solution of phytoverm in a concentration of 8-10 ml per 1 liter. There are also smaller concentrations – 2 and 4 ml.

After treatment with Fitoverm, experts advise making another spraying with a longer-acting biological product – bitoxibacillin. The bacterial spores that make up the product destroy the digestive system of pests. At the same time, the product is safe for the environment, humans, and animals.

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