Spider Mites on Mint (5+ Ways to get rid of them & prevent them)

Seeing spider mites on mint plants? Gosh, the nightmare for every gardener is that the vegetable, fruit, or herb plants get taken over by pests like mites. We understand it completely. But what to do now? In my gardening field, I used to face issues like spider mites on mint and I was clueless. But instead of worrying all the time, I came up with some solutions that helped me in getting rid of the spider mites on mint.

Quick takeaways:

• You can follow some of the ways out such as the use of a water jet at a high speed, making use of horticultural oil, rubbing some alcohol on the leaves of the plant, and pepper spray can even work great for preventing spider mites on mint.
• The helps that you would be looking for if your plants have been attacked by spider mites. But before digging into getting rid of these culprits, you should see what spider mites look like and what creatures they are, and how they cause damage, so you can identify them easily.

What are Spider mites and what do they look like? 

Spider mites are called spider mites due to the thinning web they produce just like spiders. Spider mites are a kind of arachnids that are tiny in size, red-orange colored, and many times need to be seen with a magnifying glass. The spider mites are green-colored when they are in the nymphal stage(nymphs). 

Spider mites are seen on the plats when the temperature is hot just like that during the summer season. Spider mites are so lightweight that they can be moved through wind, they are highly moveable, so you need a lot of energy to get rid of them. They are transferred via clothes as well. 

The leaves are usually seen taken over by the spider mites showing thin webs with tiny bugs inside them. The leaves start to turn brown, look lifeless, and then literally die! 

What does spider mites damage looks like? 

• The main identification of damage by spider mites includes the yellow speckling on the leaves which in some cases can appear white colored as well.
• The webs on the plant parts, especially the leaves. The leaves turning brown is another signal that spider mites are killing them.
• The leaves begin to fall and droop looking lifeless.
• Curling or falling off of the leaves happens when there is a large infestation of spider mites.
• Use Magnifying glasses to be sure that the pests are spider mites.

How to get rid of spider mites on mint effectively?

1. Use natural predators like why not!

The beneficial insects or predators can be used to get rid of the spider mites and create less mess around. They simply just eat them and vanish. You can buy some beneficial insects according to spider mites like ladybugs, thrips, lacewings, etc., and use them on the mint plants to get rid of these.

This is biological control. You can also plant some plants near the mites that may invite the beneficial insects near the plants so that they can hop on these spider mites.

2. Neem oil and essential oils

Another organic way to get rid of the epidermis from mint leaves includes using neem oil, spraying some onto the leaves, and mint plant parts. The neem oil will choke the spider mites and kill them. The spider mites also can not resist coming neem oil.

Other than this you can also make use of essential oils like peppermint, rosemary, etc that are effective in killing spider mites.

3. Pepper spray can be toxic to spider mites

Peppers like bell peppers, cayenne peppers, and jalapenos can be harmful to spider mites creating a tingly layer on the plant surface and irritating the adult spider mites.

Simply mix some extract of hot peppers and a little water, then spray onto parts as well as the webs of mites will threaten them and kill some as well.

Similarly, you can make garlic spray and use that on affected parts as garlic is also seen to be toxic to spider mites.

4. Water jet

A high speed of water can be released using the hose onto to prevent the spider mites on mint plants. The blast of water will throw the spider mites away as they cannot jump or fly and are light weighted.

Clean the garden well and make sure that the water is not falling on the other plants. Spider mites can be easy for those plants. Spray the water in the direction where there is no plant and the spider mites are thrown far away.

5. Insecticidal soap or horticultural oil

The insecticidal soap sprays kill the spider mites. You can use organic insecticidal soap according to your wish.

The horticultural oil should be applied on both surfaces of the leaves and left like that for hours to let the oil work. Make sure that the soap gets onto most spider mites so that they get killed.

6. Rubbing alcohol on the plants

Last but not least, another way to prevent spider mites on mint is to rub alcohol on the plants. The leaves where you see these spider mites and their infestations, rub those spots with alcohol using cotton balls or soft cotton cloth. Let the alcohol do the work and soon after that wash, the mint leaves with water.

How to Prevent spider mites on mint?

Now as you have gotten rid of the spider mites you might be worried about their coming back. So here are the preventive tips that you need to follow to keep spider mites away from mint plants.

1. Weeding

Don’t let the weeds grow near your vegetables or herb plants. Remove the weeds if you see any, and use the weeding tools so that work gets easy.

2. Check before you buy

Guess what! You went to the nursery, bought the infested plant for your home, and infected your other plants as well.

It is always beneficial to check the plants properly before bringing them home. Spider mites are easily moved, so bring the healthy mint plant to home only, for god’s sake! 

3. Investigate the plant parts regularly

Whether the mint plant is thriving or not, it is our task to check the mint plants regularly if there is an infestation of spider mites.

The spider mites on mint if in bulk can be seen only. Look for the signs if the plants are indicating any attack of spider mites on mint.

4. Prune off the affected leaves

In case a few parts of the mint plant are affected, cut them off from the pants so that the spider mites don’t travel to the other parts and the mint plant can be saved. Make sure that the part is destroyed properly. 

5. Keep the plant clean and hygienic

The mint plant should be kept lean and hygienic otherwise it will be really easy for spider mites to attack the plant. 

6. Watering

Don’t let the mint plant parts get dried, water them properly and regularly in a light manner. Don’t let the soil get dry, if it appears dry to you, water the plant as soon as possible, the soil should also have proper drainage. 

Final words

By now, we hope that you are a little relieved and less stressed than you were aware before because you now have understood what you have got to do. The pests that you see are the spider mites, the ways that you were using, and also the tips you would be following to not let that spider mites come near your mint plants. Follow these innovative and effective ways and let us know what method you tried.

Happy planting and enjoy your mints! 

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