I have a big spider plant in a pot that I keep in my bonsai area. (Most
of my indoor trees are tropicals and I keep them under lights.) For some
reason, I have a huge infestation of little translucent white spiders that
seem to be making their home in the spider plant, but they travel amongst
all my trees and spin little webs everywhere. They are about 1/2" long.
I'd estimate there are 1000+ of them in the area. I've removed literally
hundreds of them with my shop vac, but they keep coming back since they
seem to be prolific hatchers.

Obviously no one will be able to diagnose what kind of spiders they are
without a picture or more info, but I'm wondering if there is a
tree-friendly spider killing mixture that people can suggest? I have not
tried anything yet on these, but soapy water hasn't worked in the past on
other spiders I've had. I have some chrystanthemum-based pyrethrins
insecticide spray, but it has caused some defoliation and leaf darkening
when I've had to use it in the past for mites.

Thanks!

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Obviously no one will be able to diagnose what kind of spiders
they are
without a picture or more info, but I'm wondering if there is a
tree-friendly spider killing mixture that people can suggest?
I have not
tried anything yet on these, but soapy water hasn't worked in
the past on
other spiders I've had. I have some chrystanthemum-based
pyrethrins
insecticide spray, but it has caused some defoliation and leaf
darkening
when I've had to use it in the past for mites.

Thanks!

Well, the spiders are harmless. And, with them around, you're
unlikely to have problems with mites, aphids, mealybugs or
whiteflies.

Short of fumigating the room(s) you are unlikely to put a dent in
the spider population, anyway because they're "nesting" in some
dark, out-of-the way spot and what you are seeing is their
half-grown progeny.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Our life is
frittered away by detail . . . . Simplify! Simplify. -- Henry
David Thoreau - Walden

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++++Sponsored, in part, by Jerry Meislik++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

(Dave Stegink) writes about a spider infestation.

Have you considered what the spiders might be living upon?

assuming they are not the worlds first vegetarian spiders (ok, i don't
know this for sure), there must be a supply (and a good one at that)
of other critters in the "garden". you might have a little army of
natural pest destroyers at your beck and call.... eliminate the
spiders, and who knows what will surface.

whenever i find a spider in the house that i have to, for some reason,
move.... i try to relocate them to my plants...

on the other hand... i really need to do something about this scale
problem i have on some of my citrus mini-trees... I've been
manually removing them, and washing/lightly brushing the plants, and
making sure the sticky dew doesn't build up too much... but i keep
seeing them... might have to resort to something a little more
drastic... thoughts, keeping in mind that that we have cats that
might want to nibble the leaves?

--
be safe.
flip
^___^ Just on the border of your waking mind, There lies... Another time
\^.^/ Where darkness & light - are one. And as you tread the halls of sanity,
==u== You feel so glad to be, Unable to go beyond. ELO - Twilight Prologue

Have you tried an oscillating fan? My population of pests is quite
small if at all, since I have a fan blowing across my trees 24/7.

As a side note: I use rubbing alcohol in my soap solution if and when I
see Scale. That scale population has never enlarged their population,
since I spray the alcohol/soap solution at least three times with a
three day interval if and when I see scale or any other pest..

Carl L. Rosner

Philip Lewis wrote:

(Dave Stegink) writes about a spider infestation.

Have you considered what the spiders might be living upon?

assuming they are not the worlds first vegetarian spiders (ok, i don't
know this for sure), there must be a supply (and a good one at that)
of other critters in the "garden". you might have a little army of
natural pest destroyers at your beck and call.... eliminate the
spiders, and who knows what will surface.

whenever i find a spider in the house that i have to, for some reason,
move.... i try to relocate them to my plants...

on the other hand... i really need to do something about this scale
problem i have on some of my citrus mini-trees... I've been
manually removing them, and washing/lightly brushing the plants, and
making sure the sticky dew doesn't build up too much... but i keep
seeing them... might have to resort to something a little more
drastic... thoughts, keeping in mind that that we have cats that
might want to nibble the leaves?




************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Jerry Meislik++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++