In this article, we'll cover how to get rid of spider mites on hibiscus! Spider mites are tiny creatures that feed by piercing the leaves of a plant and sucking out the sap.
They can be found on any variety of plants, including hibiscus plants. Mite infestations can lead to wilting, leaf drop, and even death in severe cases.
Spider mites are one of the most common and destructive pests for hibiscus plants. They often appear in warm, dry conditions and may damage or kill a plant in a short amount of time.
While spider mites remain a nuisance pest for many popular houseplants, they’re especially common with indoor hibiscus plants and we’re going to show you how to get rid of them shortly.
But first, what are these pesky insects?
What Are Spider Mites?
Spider mites are tiny, eight-legged creatures that feed on the fluids inside plants. Spider mites generally cannot be seen with the naked eye; they measure less than 0.25 inches in length when adults.
They’re usually light green or grayish in color and their coloration blends well with the plant they're infested on. Spider mites suck sap from leaves and flowers, causing them to turn brown or yellow prematurely.
It's a member of the Acari family of insects, which has about 1200 species and belongs to the (arachnid) class, which are arthropods that have four pairs of jointed limbs and a segmented body.
Spider mites are known to spin protective silk webs, just like other arachnids. The webs is basically the most noticeable sign of spider mite populations.
A single female of spider mite can lay up to 20 eggs per day and live for 2-4 weeks, producing hundreds of new mites.
Because of the short life cycle and rapid reproductive rate of these mites, their infestations often spread quickly.
And as with all pests, spider mites can be difficult to get rid of. However, there are some methods that may help your plant recover quicker than they would otherwise.
What Can Spider Mites Do to Hibiscus Plants?
Spider mites are usually what is known as a pest of the plant world. There are many types of spider mites, but this article will focus on hibiscus plants and their particular infestation with them.
Hibiscus plants have very delicate leaves which can be easily torn or punctured by these small pests, often doing extreme damage to the plant leaves as the mites reproduce and spread across the plant.
Spider mites are also able to cause damage by sucking the sap out of the hibiscus plants, reducing the amount of water and nutrients that can be absorbed.
This will often leave brown spots on leaves in a circular pattern which is an obvious sign for any experienced gardener or plant lover.
While spider mites may not kill the plant immediately, the leaves will start to turn yellow and one or two leaves may drop, followed by more leaves after the next two weeks or more.
And eventually, your precious hibiscus plant may give up to the pest and die.
Symptoms Of Spider Mite On Hibiscus Plants
There are a few ways to know that your hibiscus plant has been infested by spider mite. Some of the signs of spider mite infestation on hibiscus plant include:
- Leaves with silver speckles or yellow edges
- Small webs around the plant
- Holes in leaves or flowers
- Dropping of the leaves
- Stippled leaves
- Etc.
How To Get Rid Of Spider Mites On Hibiscus
Early detection helps minimize damage to hibiscus plants and increases the chances of successfully removing the insect pests.
Early detection is critical because spider mites usually go unrecognized until plants are heavily damaged.
Spider Mites on hibiscus can be difficult to detect since they often appear in small numbers and spread over a large area of the plant leaf surface.
Once the webs are detected, search for the spider mites with a magnifying glass. After detecting any of the signs of spider mite on your hibiscus plant, try to wash away the pests with warm water.
Now, let's look at how to get rid of spider mites on hibiscus plant.
Natural Way to Kill Spider Mites on Hibiscus
There are also a few natural ways to kill spider mites on hibiscus plants, some of the most common and simplest ways include:
- Diluting one teaspoon of horticultural oil in one quart water and spraying it on the plant
- Soaking a cloth with Vick's Vapor Rub and then wrapping the leaves of your hibiscus plant
- Cutting off any infested stems or branches from your plants
Other natural ways to kill spider mites on hibiscus plant are:
Using Insect Killer Sprays
I don’t usually use chemicals on my plants, but there are some strategies that are considered to be natural pest controls, such as using insecticidal soap, horticultural oil, and neem oil.
Most plants can be sprayed with these formulas. But you should check and make sure first before applying them on your hibiscus plant. You can do a little research and find out which will work for you.
Spraying Your Hibiscus With Water
This is one of the best ways to get rid of pests in your plants. With a hose, you want to spray and blast off the spider mites and their eggs.
If you do not have access to a hose outside, it will be okay if you use your kitchen or bathroom hose for this purpose.
It's worth noting that this method is a partial control as it’ll only work for getting rid of the juvenile spider mites and their eggs.
Home Remedy For Spider Mites On Hibiscus
For this method, you will be making use of insecticidal soap to get rid of the spider mites on your hibiscus.
Start off with a gallon of water. You can use either bottled or distilled water. I won't advice you to use tap water as it may have minerals that are not very good for the insecticidal soap.
Add 2 ½ tablespoons of liquid dish soap or hand soap to the water. Mix them together in a garden sprayer and you are ready to start the application.
Hibiscus plants are known for being quite tolerant of insecticide, but you might still want to spray it on a small test area first to be sure it's safe to use the solution on your plant. If the test area is not harmed after 24 hours, then it is safe to treat the whole plant.
Spray the tops and bottoms of the hibiscus plant's leaves with insecticidal soap. You can do it in the morning or late afternoon.
This time of day is best to kill these pests because the hot sun will dry out the solution faster, and you will kill less spider mites.
The spider mites need to have contact with the soap for it to get rid of them. Therefore, make sure you look for them when you putting the soap on, and then spray them with the soap.
Repeat this procedure every four to seven days until you notice zero mites on your hibiscus plants.
Conclusion
Learning how to get rid of spider mites on hibiscus is easy as you can see from this guide. Sadly, spider mites can be a pain to deal with, so it is important that you take care of them as quickly as possible.
By following the steps above and treating your plant as needed, you should get rid of these pesky critters within a few weeks.
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