Identifying Spider Mites on your Hydroponically Grown
Produce
It is important to identify and get rid of any insects
living in your hydroponics system. Insects such as spider mites can destroy
your hydroponically grown produce. Spider mites like many pests can be
terminated in several ways. The best way to avoid a spider mite infestation is
by taking precautionary measures. Plants should be visually inspected weekly;
this will help determine if there are any in your garden. It's important to
check under leaves, around the stems and in the growing medium or soil for
signs of spider mites. If there are tiny holes in any of your plants or crops,
this could be a sign that spider mites are lurking. If there is a large
infestation then there will be webbing visible after a light misting of the
plants' leaves.
It's a good idea to take time, and find out how many of your
plants are affected. Determining the number of spider mites in your garden, the
size of the area they cover, and the size of the infestation will give you an
idea of how to eliminate them. Identifying the spider mites will be easier if
you use a garden microscope, which will give you a better view of the tiny
bugs. If you're not sure if the bugs in your garden are spider mites, it might
be helpful to use a reference book to aid the identification of the spider
mites. Most female spider mites are red, but male spider mites are hard to
identify. Once the spider mites have been identified, it is a good idea to
devise a plan of elimination. There are many affective ways to get rid of
spider mites that attack your hydroponically grown produce, including natural
preventive measures, and biological extermination.
Many think using pesticides to eliminate spider mites in
their hydroponic gardens is a good idea, but the use of pesticides in
hydroponic gardening is discouraged and usually not necessary. Hydroponically
grown plants are not immune to spider mites, but they are more pest resistant
than plant grown in soil. Plants grown in hydroponics are usually healthier
than soil grown plant, because hydroponic plants are fed their exact
nutritional requirements. The natural preventive measures against spider mites
are used in most hydroponics systems. Many hydroponic gardeners use a method of
natural prevention called "companion planting." In companion planting crops are
intermixed with plants that act as spider mite deterrents for the primary crop.
For example, marigolds may be planted between rows of herbs in a hydroponic
greenhouse. Spider mites will be turned off by the smell of the marigolds and
will leave the garden.
Biological insect control is another method of pest
management through the introduction of predator insects to eliminate spider
mites. Using enemy insects is a safe and poison free way of controlling spider
mites. Natural enemies will feast on the spider mites until there aren't enough
for the predator to survive, then they will die off or leave in search of more
food. Releasing predator insects into your hydroponics garden infestations of
spider mites can be eliminated or, they can be avoided. There's no need to
worry with predator insects, because most will not harm your crops.
Your garden should also be able to support the predator
insects. Many biological insects will not survive if the temperature is too
hot, or if there isn't a good source of water. Other ways to protect your
hydroponic produce against spider mites include using non-toxic yellow sticky
cards. The cards are useful for monitoring spider mites and many other small bugs.
The bright yellow color will attract the spider mites where they will adhere to
the sticky surface. The yellow cards are best for preventing the infestations
of spider mites, but can't act alone in eliminating them. It's best to identify
spider mites before their infestation grows too large, eliminating the spider
mites with early detection will save your hydroponically grown produce.
