5 Easy Ways To Get Rid Of Spider Mites On Tomato Plants

Like beetles, caterpillars, and aphids, spider mites leave no chance of harming your tomato plants.

The most worrying thing is that if it spreads in large quantities, it can cause the entire tomato crop failure.

That’s why a lot of measures are taken to save tomato plants from spider mites.

Here we’ll learn how you can get rid of spider mites on tomato plants organically. And how you can protect your tomato plants from dangerous pests like spider mites.

But before that, we want to tell you some important things so it will be much easier for you to get rid of them.

Why Spider Mites Attack Tomato Plants?

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Tomato plants top the menu for spider mites. Now you must be thinking that why is this so?

Spider mites are attracted by drought-stressed plants and since tomato plants need more and more water and if there is even a slight lapse in moisture, they quickly dry out and become victims of spider mites.

Because spider mats thrive mostly in hot and dry climates. Therefore, you have to take care that there is no shortage of moisture in tomato plants.

There are many other situations that attract spider mates to tomato plants. Such as overuse of nutrients and use of wrong pesticides.

How fast do spider mites spread infestation on tomato plants?

If you are seeing an infestation of spider mites on one or some of your tomato plants, then the question must be in your mind whether it can spread to all other plants?

Yes, spider mites infestation spreads very fast and can destroy all tomato plants at once.

In such a situation, the question arises how much time do you have to get control over it.

How quickly spider mites will infest your other plants depends on three things.

First, the health of your plants, second the distance between the plants, and third the seriousness of the infestation.

If your plants are very close to each other, the infestation can spread more easily from one plant to another.

We recommend that you isolate the infested plants if possible.

The second main reason is the health of your tomato plants. If your tomato plants are suffering from a lack of water during the summer or dry season, then the weakest plants will be more vulnerable to spider mites.

The third main reason is the severity of the infestation.

If the infestation is severe enough, there is a high chance that all of your other plants will be infested with spider mites very quickly.

So now let’s talk about how to get rid of spider mites on tomato plants with organic methods.

How To Get Rid of Spider Mites on Tomato Plants?

Here you will find out 5 organic methods that will help you kill spider mites on tomato plants effectively.

1. Neem Oil Spray:

Before using neem oil spray, you have to follow some important steps given below so that it can work more effectively.

Step 1: First of all, you have to spray neem oil on those plants which are completely adjacent to your tomato plants. So that the infestation does not spread on them quickly.

Step 2: Now you have to remove infested leaves with the help of garden shear before spraying neem oil on infested tomato plants. And they have to be disposed of away from the plants.

Step 3: After removing infested leaves, clean the plant gently with a damp cloth or wet sponge.

Step 4: By doing the above-mentioned 3 steps, you will get rid of 60% of spider mites easily, now you have to use a neem oil spray to get rid of spider mites eggs or hidden spider mites.

Now you will need 2 tbsp of concentrated neem oil and 1 gallon of lukewarm water to make neem oil spray. You have to take care that you have to spray more on the underside of the leaves.

After spraying neem oil, if the plants are in the pot, then move them indoors. But if the plants are in the garden, then cover them with the help of wet cotton cloth so that direct sunlight does not fall on them.

Neem oil spray works very quickly on spider mites. It has a strong odor that spider mites do not like at all.

2. Hot Cayenne Pepper Spray:

Like neem oil, cayenne pepper spray is also an instant and effective method in getting rid of spider mites on tomato plants.

First of all, you have to follow the first three steps mentioned under the Neem oil spray method.

Now you have to use hot cayenne pepper spray. To make a homemade hot cayenne pepper spray, you will need 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper flakes and 250 ml of lukewarm water.

Keep in mind that after adding cayenne flakes to the water, let it sit for 24 hours and shake well before spraying.

After spraying the plants, you can move them indoors or if you cannot move, cover them with a damp cotton cloth so that direct sunlight does not fall on them.

3. Use Of Predatory Mites:

By using predatory mites, you can not only keep spider mites away from tomato plants but also keep their population under control.

Predatory mits are used as a biological pest control method and are used in vegetable and cereal fields.

Lacewings, thrips, and ladybugs are the best predatory mites that work very effectively to get rid of spider mites on tomato plants.

To use them, all you have to do is release them around your potted plants or garden plants.

Using predatory mites combined with neem oil spray gives great results and kills spider mats completely.

4. Baking Soda Spray:

Because baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate, which is mild in nature and not harmful to plants. Many people use it to protect their plants from pests.

To make a baking soda spray, you will need 1 tsp of baking soda, a liter of water, and 2 to 3 drops of mild liquid soap. Take care not to use laundry detergent.

After mixing all the ingredients, leave it to sit for 2 to 3 hours and then spray on the plants.

This method is very helpful in getting rid of spider mites on tomato plants.

5. Garlic Clove Spray:

Similar to Hot Cayenne Pepper Spray, you can use Garlicky Clove Spray to kill spider mites on tomato plants.

Like I said spider mites hate strong odors and the odor of this garlic spray is too strong so these mites die quite instantly.

To make this type of garlic spray, you will need 1 liter of water and 2 to 3 garlic cloves.

Crush these garlic cloves well mix them in water and leave them to dissolve for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, take out the garlic pieces from the water and put that water in a spray bottle and spray it on the tomato plants.

One hour after spraying, wipe the plant with a damp cloth and if possible, keep it indoors or cover it with a damp cloth.

Keep in mind that you have to keep the plants away from direct sunlight until the spider meat infestation is over.

These 5 organic methods work very well on spider mites and can help you control even the largest infestations.

We learned how you can get rid of spider mites on your tomato plants. Now we will learn how you can protect your tomato plants from spider mites. So that in the future you will not have any harm from them.

How To Protect Tomato Plants From Spider Mites and Other Pests:

Here I will tell you some important points that will keep your tomato plants safe from spider mites.

Since tomato plants require a lot of moisture, in the summer and dry season, you should take special care that tomato plants do not come under water stress.
Water your tomato plants daily using a garden hose, and spray water especially on the undersides of the leaves.
Never use nutrients in excess quantity. Because using high amounts of proteins makes the sap of your tomato plants too sweet, which attracts spider mites.
You can use black mulch to keep your tomato plants hydrated during the hot or dry climate.
Never place your tomato plants in direct sunlight during hot summers or dry weather, keep them in the shade or even indoors if they are in pots.
Since spider mites are also attracted to dust, do not allow dust to settle on your plants and do not grow them in places where there is a lot of dust.
Be sure to use neem oil spray on your tomato plants once a week and you can release predatory mites into your tomato plants as well.
If you can afford it, definitely install a humidifier, this gives your tomato plants enough moisture in hot and dry weather conditions.
Keep Checking on the Health of your tomato plants If you see any early signs of spider mites, immediately follow the steps listed above.

If you follow these 9 things then believe that your tomato plants will never get infected by spider mites and will be safe not only from spider mites but also from other harmful pests.

FAQs:

Question 1: Should chemical methods be used to get rid of spider mites on tomato plants?

Answer: Pesticides should be avoided as much as possible on plants. Because pesticides also kill other beneficial insects.

Question 2: Does Vinegar Kill Spider Mites on tomato plants?

Answer: Many people recommend using vinegar to get rid of spider mites on tomato plants. But vinegar is not for sensitive plants like tomatoes because acetic acid is found in it, which is very harsh in nature and can harm the plant.

Question 3: What is the best spray to kill spider mites on tomato plants?

Answer: Neem oil spray and hot pepper spray works quite instantly and effectively on spider mites on tomato plants.

Question 4: Does a Humidifier protect tomato plants from spider mites?

Answer: Yes, using a humidifier does not allow your tomato plants to dry out in hot and dry weather so that spider mites cannot attack them.

Question 5: Can black mulch protect tomato plants from spider mites?

Answer: Black mulch is a great and economic way to keep tomato plants hydrated in hot climates.

Question 6: Do live predators help get rid of spider mites on tomato plants?

Answer: Since spider mites rapidly increase their population, live predators attack them and not only kill them, but also keep their population under control. Live predators are a great way to kill spider mites on tomato plants.

Conclusion:

I hope you now understand the methods to get rid of spider mites on tomato plants. And how to protect your tomato plants from them.

As I mentioned, tomato plants are very sensitive and tend to get water stressed more quickly in hot weather conditions. And dehydrated plants are no less than a five-star hotel for spider mites.

But if you follow the above-mentioned methods, you can easily protect your tomato plants from the attack of spider mites.

I hope you have got answers to all your questions. If you have any questions in your mind then you can ask us by commenting below.