How to get rid of broad mites may be one of your problems at home. And probably, you think that you might need to use miticides or other relative treatments to get rid of these pesky mites.
Well, some plant growers would increase the heat inside their greenhouse; Do you know that broad mites do not like heat above 32°C for an hour? However, too much heat may destroy your plant’s quality.
Therefore, it is better to use miticides or treatments meant to kill broad mites, as it is safer to use for your plants. In this article, we will know how to get rid of broad mites. But before that, let us discuss first what these are.
Broad Mites: What Are These?
Before we jump into ways or remedies on how to get rid of broad mites, let us know better what they are and why they dwell on your plants.
Polyphagotarsonemus latus (broad mites) are microscopic organisms that belong to mite’s family of Tarsonemidae, with diverse eating habits among any mite families.
Broad mites often feed off greenhouse plants. Young and growing plant tissues are usually their favorite meal. They strive for moderate climate regions since they are sensitive to heat and cold as well. Broad mites cannot survive a temperature below 50° F.
Despite it being sensitive, they still bring a lot of damage to your plants, either ornamental or vegetable. Broad mites love to feed on peppers, so if you have one of those, you might do something to avoid them from being eaten on.
Symptoms Caused By Broad Mites
Now that you are aware of what a broad mite is. You may ask, how will there be broad mites on my plants. It’s hard to identify if they are on your plants since broad mites are very small for the naked eye.
Here is a list of symptoms your plants would show infected by broad mites:
- new plant growth may be twisted or bent
- the leaf may be, blistered, or wet-looking
- in the flowering stage, its bud would be sickly and eventually dies
- turned up edges of the leaves
- the leaves may turn yellow and die
- scars on the surface of the fruit
Broad mite infections on plants are hard to identify since they don’t leave bite marks at all. You’d want to diagnose the leaves or your plants as broad mites always stay inside of it.
Most gardeners may confuse such symptoms to other kinds of causes. Nevertheless, if the leaves of your plant droops, starts to turn yellow, becomes wet-looking, and grows more blisters, then it’s safe to assume that it has broad mites on it.
How To Remove Broad Mites
Here are just some of the ways on how to get rid of broad mites:
#1 Immediately remove the infected part of the plant
However, if the plant tissues are damaged, you won’t save the buds anymore. Make sure that the infection won’t spread any longer.
#2 Treat often
You’d want to treat it every week, even every day if the infection is severe. Do use a chemical that is not too harsh to avoid damaging your plants.
#3 Spray before lights go off
If you’re using a spray, do it before the lights turn off to avoid your plants from getting burned.
#4 Repeat treatments after it’s gone at least five weeks more
Continue to treat the infected plants every week, even after the mites are gone. It will avoid broad mites from coming back and be more resistant to any treatments you’d use.
Remedies Or Treatments For Broad Mites
So, what treatments can you use to get rid of these pests? Well, here is a list of remedies you can use for your infected plants:
Miticides
Akari, Sanmite, Judo, and Pylon are commonly used brands of miticides for broad mites. Make sure that the miticide you’d be using is safe for you and your plants.
Always review the product contents, and don’t use it regularly as it could damage your plants. Avoid spraying miticides on the buds or during the plant’s flowering stage, for it could change its taste, making it harmful to consume.
There are also organic miticides available in the market; choose what’s best and cater to your needs.
Heat
As I have mentioned earlier in this article, broad mites are sensitive to heat. A temperature exceeding 90°F (32°C) is unlikable for the mites.
Some gardeners would clone some small plants and dunk it in hot water for 10-20 minutes to get rid of broad mites. Others would increase their growing space’s heat to 115°F (46°C) for an hour.
It will help you get rid of your problem but remember to take precautions. Please do not overdo it, as it could kill your plants as well.
Predatory mites
Most gardeners do this; they would release predatory mites such as Neoseiulus to feed on broad mites. It will help you lessen the number of broad mites destroying your crops.
However, it is not enough to eradicate all of them. You could probably kill predatory mites if you’d use miticides on them. Supplying predatory mites on your garden would be best as a preventive measure rather than a solution.
Conclusion
Having a pest on your garden is very frustrating for plant growers. To achieve a healthy and quality yield is somewhat expensive for some; you’d have to invest in certain products to maintain your plant’s growth and prevent pests.
There are still cheap alternatives available, as long as it’s safe. Know what’s best for your plants and never give up, for you’ll harvest a better yield anytime soon. Hopefully, you’ve learned the best way on how to get rid of broad mites.