Has your pest control company been struggling to reach prospects in dire need of professional spider mite infestation assistance? Use PestPac by WorkWave 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.
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:
- Yellow spots 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 a heavy spider mite infestation, there’s little they can do to salvage the situation. Instead, they may have to discard the entire plant and get a new one.
Keeping a heavily infested outdoor 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 plants.
They can spray the insecticidal soap solution throughout the plant’s surface, including the top and the underside of 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.
Get Started With Pest Control Software!
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 natural enemies like 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 Control
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, or other live plants sharing the same space.
Your clients should regularly water and mulch their flower beds, flower pots, ornamental plants, or garden plants to keep the 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 two-spotted 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, stems, and undersides of leaves.
Point out that this unique solution effectively eliminates two-spotted spider mites and kills their eggs.
Using Home Remedies to Kill Spider Mite Populations
Share information on practical solutions in this category, including;
Dish Soap Spider Mite Species 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 a future heavy 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 piece of paper below a bunch of leaves.
- Vigorously shaking the leaves.
- If tiny, particle-like insects drop on the white sheet of 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 weather, dry weather, and dusty 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.
Streamlining Business Operations with Pest Control Software
Pest control software can revolutionize the way pest control experts manage their business operations. With features like scheduling, invoicing, customer management, and reporting capabilities, pest control software like PestPac can help streamline processes and improve efficiency.
Benefits of PestPac
1. Increased efficiency: Streamlines various aspects of pest control operations, such as scheduling, billing, and customer communication. This can help businesses save time and resources by automating repetitive tasks and allowing technicians to focus on providing quality service to customers.
2. Improved customer service: Businesses can easily access customer information, history, and preferences, allowing them to provide personalized service and build stronger relationships with their clients. This can lead to higher customer satisfaction and retention rates.
3. Enhanced accuracy: Keeps track of all treatments performed, products used, and scheduling information, reducing the risk of errors or oversights. This ensures that technicians are following proper protocols and providing effective pest control solutions.
4. Reporting and Analytics: Offers valuable reporting and analytics capabilities, allowing businesses to track key performance metrics, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions. By analyzing this data, companies can optimize their operations, improve efficiency, and ultimately increase their bottom line.
Closing Thoughts
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 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.
