The beauty of a fiddle leaf plant is always when they are healthy and happy. Happy fiddle can outgrow some homes and are also impressive when they are all healthy.
Sad to say, pests and diseases often attack a fiddle leaf plant, causing the plant to look unhealthy.
One of such pests and diseases is spider mites. If you have noticed some tiny spiders on your fiddle leaf, you’re probably having a spider mite infestation and will most likely want to get rid of them.
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In this article, we are going to discuss what spider mites are, signs of spider mite infestation, and how to get rid of spider mites on your fiddle leaf.
What Are Spider Mites?
As one of the most common garden pests, spiders belong to the arachnid family; they are not considered insects because they possess 8 legs. They are related to spiders, ticks, and bugs.
These pests are of different types and they come in different colours ranging from red, orange, brown, and yellow.
Spider Mites reproduce quickly( female spider mites can reproduce up to 100 eggs), these pests travel through the air making it easy to spread around the fiddle leaf.
Signs Of Spider Mites On Fiddle Leaf
One of the most noticeable signs of spider mites on fiddle leaf plants is the appearance of small red dots on the leaves of the fiddle leaf fig plant. Other signs are discussed in detail below.
1.Webs On Leaves
After all, they are spiders, so they will spin spider webs on the leaves of the fiddle plant. Most spider mites love the underparts of leaves, so if you notice cottony clusters on parts of the fiddle leaf fig, it’s a sign of spider mites on the plant.
2. Leaves Curling
When pests and diseases attack the fiddle leaf fig, the plants will start to curl, turn brown or even fall off as a sign of unhealthy growth.
Spider mite infestation on fiddle leaf fig plants will lead to extreme damage to the plant, extreme damage will cause the plant to curl and have a bronzed look.
It is important to check for these symptoms and check for the pests before deciding on what treatment to apply to them.
3. Dark Pigmentation On Leaves
Pests feed on sap from leaves and chlorophyll, this enables them to reproduce faster. When there is an infestation on the plant, they will leave dark spots on the leaves. It is hard to notice these pests on the leaves when they are in small quantities but can be easily noticed when there is a massive infestation.
4. Little Holes
Having tiny holes on your fiddle leaf fig is another indication of pests. Spider mites invade your plants and attack the leaves, these pests suck the sap from the plants and leave tiny holes on the plants.
How To Get Rid Of Spider Mites On Fiddle Leaf Fig
Since we have identified the major signs of pests infestation on fiddle leaf, let’s consider in detail how best we can get rid of spider mites.
Spray Generous Amount Of Water
Spraying a Generous Amount of cold water from a hose helps to dislodge the pests quickly, spider mites detest cold water or cold climates. It’s important to move your plant outside and continue spraying with cold water focusing more on the most infected parts.
After watering the plant, they should be kept in a colder environment, the spider mites will have no option but to flee from the leaves, and in some cases, they will end up dying.
Use Neem Oil
Making use of insecticide spray is another effective way to get rid of pests and diseases in fiddle leaves. One such insecticide that can be used is Neem Oil.
Neem Oil contains an active ingredient known as Azadirachtin that acts as an insect repellent, it renders the pests unable to lay eggs and these pests will end up dying.
To make use of neem oil, mix neem oil, water, and an emulsifier (soap water). Spray the solution on the surface of the leaves and allow for about 10 hours. The solution will suffocate the pests and will force them to leave the fiddle plant
Quarantine Infected Plants
Spider mites move from one plant to another, so it is important to remove the affected plants from the good ones, this is done to prevent further spread and infestation of the pests to other plants.
Use Predator Pests
Did you know that you can effectively get rid of pests by making use of other Predator Pests? Predator mites that feed on spider mites are namely persimilis and fallacies.
Persimilis are other pests that thrive on eating spider mites, when introduced to a play that has spider mites, they immediately start eating the pests.
Fallacies are outstanding predators of spider mites. They feed on the bodies of the spider mites and will prevent any additional attacks.
The fallacies are usually introduced after the persimilis have done their job on the leaves.
Note that these predator pests need to survive, to help them do that, most of the plants keep the humidity above 50%.
What Is The Fastest Way To Get Rid Of Spider Mites?
Using rubbing alcohol is one of the fastest ways to get rid of spider mites. Make a solution by mixing water and alcohol, spray directly on the infested plants or leaves and wipe it clean with toilet paper after a while. The alcohol will kill the spider mites and prevent further infestation.
Can Plants Recover From Spider Mites?
If the pest infestation is few on the leaves, the spider mites will recover quickly and might not need any special care.
But if the infestation is much on the plant, the damage on the plants will become more significant and will require extra care from the owners to help them bounce back to life.
What Does A Spider Mite Infestation Look Like?
A spider mite infestation will have tiny white cottony webs in the leaves of fiddle leaf fig, clusters of brown or red spots will all be noticed on the plant. Little holes are also part of mite infestation.
In conclusion, having pests on fiddle leaf fig is not a bad thing, it becomes problematic when they are excessive and attacks the plant.
Following the tips above will help you to get rid of spider mites and ensure the healthy growth of plants.
