Has your pest control company been struggling to reach prospects in dire need of professional spider mite infestation assistance? Use PestPac to transform how you interact with new and existing clients alike.
Spring and summer come as a welcome break from the cold winter and wet autumn. It’s a time for many to show some skin and bask in the sun. However, such weather creates conducive conditions for spider mites on plants to breed in their thousands.
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Without the slightest clue on how to hijack spider termite infestations, homeowners are left oblivious without a clue how to protect their indoor and outdoor plants.
These tiny mites can turn plants from shiny and vibrant to dry, dusty, and stressed. Spider mites can make anything their vacation spot. From full-grown trees, shrubs, flowers, vegetables, and fruit gardens, swift action is the only option to save plants from certain death.
PestPac is an innovative software that instantly transforms how you interact with your customers. Use PestPac to automate different pest control operations and grow your company. This software makes it easy to collect payments, schedule service visits, dispatch staff technicians, and collect payments.
The goal for any pest control company is to have a rich portfolio of satisfied clients, and the PestPac software promises just that.
Market Your Knowledge on How to Kill Spider Mites
PestPac by WorkWave can help build your customer base. How? By showing them how to get rid of spider mites on plants using chemical solutions, natural means, or home remedies. Using the software allows you to describe how clients can establish whether or not they have a spider mite infestation.
Offer advice on signs of spider mites on plants to look out for, such as:
- Yellowing or discoloration of the leaves
- Rough sand-like particles on the leaves upon touch
- Threadlike or webbing on the leaves and stems
- Leaves that look grayish and unhealthy
If a plant has suffered heavy spider mite infestation, there’s little they can do to salvage the situation. Instead, they may have to discard the plant and get a new one.
Keeping a heavily infested plant puts other existing plants at risk in their home or garden. However, if the gardening pest infestation is light or moderate, it can be treated using either one of the methods below.
Present Options for Eliminating Spider Mites on Plants
It’s not easy for a non-professional to get rid of spider mites. To help your clients avoid re-infestation, you could use the PestPac software to either furnish them with information on how to get rid of spider mites or your contacts for expert pest control services.
Some of the top suggestions you could offer clients who want to try to get rid of spider mites at home include:
List Ways to Kill Spider Mites Chemically
You can educate customers through posts and emails that spider mites are oval-shaped insects the size of a grain of sugar. In low numbers, spider mites’ issues resolve independently, but there are several chemical-based options to kill spider mites on plants if the problem persists. These include:
Special Insecticidal Soap
Also known as horticultural oil, insecticidal soap is an excellent solution to spider mite infestation. Most homeowners know that pesticides kill spider mites, but they don’t know that the same pesticides leave the plant weak and vulnerable.
Insecticidal soap is formulated to eliminate spider mites without adverse effects on the plants.
They can spray the insecticidal soap solution throughout the plant’s surface, including the top and bottom of the leaves, leaving no spot untouched. This method is effective on indoor plants as the conditions are mild compared to outdoor weather.
Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth is an organic pesticide that is not toxic to humans but is lethal against insects. Sprinkling spider mite diatomaceous earth all over the soil and on the surface of the infected plant kills the mites through dehydration.
Engage readers and ask them to avoid using pyrethrum-based pesticides to kill spider mites. Provide research showing facts on pesticide sprays’ infectivity against spider mites. These sprays can kill natural predators that feed on spider mites.
Using common pesticide sprays creates the perfect environment for spider mites to thrive in the long run.
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How to Get Rid of Spider Mites Naturally
Viable and environmentally friendly solutions to spider mite infestation exist. Consider detailing such natural methods including:
Hot Peppers
Extracts from pepper varieties like jalapenos, lemon drop, bell, bishop’s crown, cayenne, and chili peppers can efficiently repel spider mites. Studies prove that different hot peppers have a 45% success rate of killing spider mites.
Note that there are numerous ready-made pepper-based repellents available online. Alternatively, prompt DIY enthusiasts to create hot pepper repellents.
Biological Pest Controls
Highlight how ladybugs, lacewings, thrips, and predatory mites like Phytoseiulus persimilis love feasting on red spider mites and other destructive pests. Predatory mites can eat hundreds of spider mites every day without posing a danger to humans, pets, and other live plants sharing the same space.
Your clients should regularly water and mulch their flower beds, flower pots, or gardens to keep the good beneficial insects around. Ask them not to use pesticides as this would deter predatory insects and make the conditions difficult for them to flourish.
Essential Oil Based Repellents
This is a great chance to list rosemary oil, chamomile, spearmint, neem oil, and coriander as a few examples of essential oils that are effective at killing spider mites. Bring out the pro in you by showing readers how to make their essential oil repellent following these steps:
- Pouring clean water inside a bottle
- Adding a few drops of essential oil
- Spraying the solution generously on the surface of the plant leaves and stem
Point out that this unique solution effectively eliminates two-spotted spider mites and kills their eggs.
Using Home Remedies to Kill Spider Mites
Share information on practical solutions in this category, including;
Dish Soap Spider Mite Killer
This spider mite killer works by suffocating or drowning the tiny spider mites ravaging through plants. It is a favorite for people keen on making their own dish soap insect repellents.
To make their own Dawn dish soap spider mite repellent, they will need Dawn dish soap, a pair of gloves, scissors, water, a spray bottle, and paper towels.
A step-by-step procedure on making spider mites spray with a Dawn recipe includes:
- Add three tablespoons of Dawn dish soap to a gallon of water
- Pluck out all the leaves with severe spider mite damage due to infestation
- Pour the solution into a spray bottle and spray all over the infested areas of the plants
Depending on the extent of the infestation, they can spray their damaged and non-damaged plants daily, every couple of days, or weekly until the problem is gone. Dawn dish soap spider mite repellent is highly effective in eliminating spider mite infestation. In addition, it saves homeowners from ever dealing with any future infestation.
Alcohol-Based Spider Mite Repellent
Create exciting posts promoting alcohol as another home remedy effective in helping clients do away with spider mites fast. To make their own alcohol-based spider mite repellent, your clients can:
- Take a bit of alcohol and pour it into a clean bowl
- Soak several cotton balls inside the bowl containing the alcohol
- Take the soaked cotton balls and rub each leaf’s top and bottom areas and the stems too
- Allow the alcohol to sit for a couple of hours
- Thoroughly rinse the infested leaves with clean water
How to Keep Spider Mites off Plants
Instead of homeowners having to contend with spider mite infestation, they can take steps to keep these bothersome insects away altogether. Swing into action by offering valuable tips like:
Checking for Spider Mites Before Purchase
Advise prospects to check for spider mite presence when looking to buy a new plant. How? By conducting a “white paper test.” A white paper test is done by:
- Holding a white paper below a bunch of leaves.
- Vigorously shaking the leaves.
- If tiny particle-like insects drop on the white paper, the plant has mites.
Ask them to avoid purchasing plants that already have mites as it only puts other plants in their home or garden at risk of infestation. Remind them that spider mites breed at record-breaking speeds. It is easier to avoid the problem than deal with it later.
Keeping New Indoor Plants Away from the Window
Advise readers to choose a conducive location where house plants can complement their spaces without the risk of infestation. In addition, they should use a damp cloth to wipe the dust off their plants at least once every week.
Warn clients against displaying new plants close to open windows and vents as spider mites can access their home through the smallest spaces due to their tiny size. Mites thrive in warm, dusty, and dry areas.
If they introduce a new plant in their space, they should spray it lightly with water daily. Spider mites prefer living in dry conditions. Therefore, spraying plants with water keeps mites and bugs away.
Conclusion
Efforts to educate your audience via social media, emails, web chat, and specialized posts can attract more clients. By offering plenty of helpful advice on common pest control dilemmas, you will be the first company clients think of first, should they need spider mite elimination assistance.
PestPac can help consolidate and organize any information for your prospects. Contact us today and book a free demo.
