Natural pest remedies

[paddles]

I don't know if there is already a thread about this, but I"m sure that someone will tell me if there is, I am, atm having awfull problems with mites on my trees, mainly the plums, but all trees are effected to some degree (even the large fruit trees) and In my research I came across a number of natural remedies, so I thought, why not start a thread, listing recipes, and warnings (ie, don't spray white oil in the middle of the day on a 35degree day) don't spray surface spray directly onto a tree etc.....


I will go first, I made up a white oil mix out of cheep vegetable oil, dishwashing detergent and boiled up garlic, 1 cup oil, 2/3 cup detergent, and prob 3 cups water of garlic water, threw this in a 6 litre spray bottle, topped up with water, and sprayed everything in sight (minus dogs and kids) nothing is dead yet, including the mites I guess... lol

However, it will work....

Any other suggestions??

[Damian Bee]

not sure that you should boil the garlic but rather press the juice out or crush it up and let it steep in water for a couple of days, then pour it out and mix with your other ingredients. Red spider mites can be a real tough one to control, from what I have read the strongest and nastiest of pesticides is required to knock them but even that is limited.
Your concoction should work on aphids, caterpillars and lacebug though.

[Mitchell]

Milk and water mix sprayed onto and under foliage, for dusty mildew.

Your mix looks good paddles, you can add some chilli powder also. Your mix will work on anything that "breaths" through its skin, though its effectiveness it determined, by how adequatley you are able to hit the lil' blighters and suffocate them.

Remember when deailing with oil based spray, you can indeed end up suffocating your plants also so don't go to heavy, rather several spaced interval treatments over a period..

[bodhidharma]

Now..isnt there a spider you can buy which rounds up the red spider mite and devours them. Sorta like ladybugs with Aphids.

[paddles]

I have heard/read that you can buy predatory mites, that eat bad mites, however no one seems to know how/where to buy them...