These like eggs are poping up in our lettuce seedings (in peat moss pobs) and we can’t figure out what it is. And there are like little red mites as well. We keep seeing mixed answers online so I wanted to ask if anyone else got them in their greenhouse and if they figured out what they are.
(If there’s a better subreddit to post this in, let me know, but it was in our greenhouse so this is the only sub I’m in and know may have a possible answer)
by Uneclipceble
2 Comments
Those appear to be the eggs of red spider mites. Looks like you have a pretty nasty infestation getting started. You will want to get a handle on these asap or they will take over. It can be hard to kill mites since many of the chemicals require a private applicator’s license to purchase or if not, they are only supplied by greenhouse supply stores or some agricultural coops. They aren’t cheap either.
One good over the counter pesticide is bifenthrin. Talstar was the original spray brand that contained bifenthrin. There are a bunch of generic brands out there and they all work as good as the original and are much cheaper. Bifen is one generic brand, wisdom is another. I know I have seen several other brands, the main thing to look for is the active ingredient: bifenthrin 7.9 %. You can find it usually at an agricultural coop or like tractor supply or a similar place. You can buy it online as well. It is broad spectrum and will control almost every pest you would typically deal with in a greenhouse or outside.
Soak the leaves with the final spray solution to the point of the leaves dripping. The hard part about getting rid of spider mites is the fact that they prefer to live on the underside of the leaves. So, after spraying the tops of the leaves, you’ll need to put the spray nozzle down in the canopy, or to the side, and spray the underside of the leaves. It’s hard to get the undersides of every leaf sprayed, but try to get as many as you can. You will want to spray again in about 2 weeks. The second spray will kill the red spider that have hatched from the eggs.
For edible plants, you would want to wait at least 7 days after spraying with bifenthrin before eating, and thoroughly wash the food beforehand as well. There are “organic” treatments out there for red spider. Most of the organic treatments are useful as preventative treatments or when you have a very small number of mites that have just become established. Once you have quite a few and they are laying lots of eggs, your organic options are quite limited, especially in a greenhouse. I own greenhouses and deal with pests constantly. It’s a perfect environment for most insects. Red spider will reproduce exponentially once they get established. They will literally suck all of the plant’s nutrients out of the leaves as they feed. I hope this info is useful to you! Good luck!
That would be great!