FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hello everyone. I saw something odd while checking out my plants in dormancy. When I looked closely at its leaves, I saw orange-red dots. Later, when I photographed it with a macro lens, I thought it might be a red spider mite. This problem is only present in one flycatcher for now. I would like to state that when I looked at it 2 days ago, there was nothing. I did some research on the topic on the forum and, unfortunately, the recommended drugs are not sold in my country. (I live in Turkey). I have seen those who say to soak the plant in completely pure water as a solution suggestion. But I don't know how suitable it would be for a plant that is in dormancy. I saw that a site that sells carnivorous plants in my country sells a drug. Before using this drug, I would like to listen to your suggestion. Your help is very valuable to me. Thank you in advance.

Those look like mites to me, (as a bug nerd ) but is it actully doing damage to your plant?

Those look like mites to me, (as a bug nerd ) but is it actually doing damage to your plant?

Sorry i sent 2 posts, the Submit button wasnt working

Submerging the plant for a few days will be fine. A dormant plant would tolerate it even better than an actively growing plant.

Thank you for your quick answers. They don't seem to be doing any harm for now. In fact, they often seem to be dead. But I don't want to leave my job to chance. What are the methods of immersion in water? Should I also stay where it is after immersion in the water or take it to a warmer place? Finally, do I need to remove it from the pot before immersing it in water?

Put the whole pot in a bag or bucket, and cover it with water. You need to make sure the whole thing is submerged. You may need to use something to weigh it down. I would recommend against leaving it in direct sunlight while treating it, but as long as the water doesn't freeze, you should be fine leaving it where it is.

Thank you very much for your advice. I applied what they said and I intend to keep it like this for an average of 5-7 days. A small part of the soil remained on the water, but I think the moisture and wetness inside will compensate for this.

I have spider mites too and I am doing the same treatment. My plant was submerged for a week and then I didn’t see any mites or webs at all! But there might be some eggs that are hatching, so I submerged it again today. This submerging will last for less than a week. This method seems very effective and easy to do! Also nice photo of the mites

@Barlapipas 6, I'm definitely thinking of doing exactly the same thing that you did. At the end of 1 week, I will remove it from the water and let it dry for about 1-1.5 weeks. If I do not see any mites, I will still do a 3-day dip as a precaution. But if I suspect that there is a mite, I think about removing it from its soil and doing a 1-week dip naked. My only fear right now is that the mites may have infected other plants as well. Because my other plants are made up entirely of cactus and succulents. So I can not immerse them in water and wait for the mites to die. And I really hate to treat plants with any medication. I'm sure my plants agree with me. Also thank you for your comment on the photos.

Hello again. I put my flycatcher, which woke up early 4 days ago and took off flower stalks, under artificial light. And now I realize that spider mites have invaded this plant of mine as well. I grow it in a closed closet. The humidity level is generally quite high. 70%-80% when the light is on, 80%-90% when the light is off. Do you think this level of humidity will be enough to kill the mites? Or should I do immersion in water in this plant as well? By the way, there are plenty of Sphagnum Moss on the soil. And at regular intervals I spray water with a spray on the algae. Finally, I grow 3 kinds of drosera in the same environment. Can mites harm you these plants as well?

@Intheswamp, I agree with what he said. But if my problem can be solved by natural methods, I prefer it first. But if the problem is more serious or definitely requires medication, then drugs become my savior.

Unfortunately spider mites can easily infect droseras too. If the infestation is big I would not recommend the submerging method ( you have to use a lot of water, you have to do it 2 times for its plant, there is risk of rotting etc). The other natural ways is to put predatory mites or parasites. This is effective but they can be expensive or hard to find. Then the only option is mitisides etc. But if you have enough time and resources you can use the submerging method. If the submerging works for me I don’t think I will use other methods in the future, because this method is by far the easiest one. For small collections like mine ( only 4 pots ).

@Barlapipas 6, I got the flycatcher out of there. I hope I'm not too late to take it off. For now, the immersion method seems to be the easiest. But if it does not work, I found a few drugs that are produced only for mites. The descriptions and content of the drug, which I think is the most effective of them, are as follows:

Growth Technology Spider Mite Control is highly effective against mites and red spider mites. It is completely natural and safe for your health and environment. Since the harvest interval with the last application is quite short, it can be applied until the last weeks of flowering. SMC Spidermite Control is an outstanding product that can solve problems with red spiders and mites in crops.

This product contains natural oils and extracts such as cinnamon. It eliminates spiders and larvae easily and quickly, limiting the damage that can occur.

Mites can easily adapt to and become immune to the basic insecticides that are constantly used. This, in turn, can turn into a disaster when you produce a new generation of mites that are immune to pesticides that you unwittingly use in your growing room. This product can also be used in the advanced stages of flowering, but you should avoid spraying it on the buds, as it can change the taste of the products. It is also completely safe in spraying flowers and fruits, as it does not leave any toxic residues.

Spidermite Control Composition:
94% canola oil.
5% triethanolamine.
1% coriander oil

What are your thoughts on this product? Could it work?