Have you ever seen the creepy little red-orange colored little spiders on your orchids? (especially your Cymbidiums?) You may find small webs underneath the orchid leaves caused by these insects. Hence the name “spider” mites. When this insect inhabits your plant it can leave an light scar marks on the plant where the mites were living. Your orchids will be sad if this happens and so will you. Luckily there are ways to combat this little orchid spoiler.
To decrease the amount of red spider mites on your orchids you can try to increase the humidity in the room. Red Spider Mites like humidity and they weave their webs right under the plant to try to trap the humidity of the plant so they can live in it. If the entire area of the room or greenhouse is just as humid as underneath the plant leaves then there is no incentive for the Red Spider Mites to trap the humidity of the plant. They can go anywhere in the room and have the same amount of humidity. It is a psychological trick you can play on the Red Spider Mites that might keep them off your orchids.
For small infestations you can lightly blot or lightly rub (rather than spray) the plant with a mixture of rubbing isopropyl alcohol and a mild liquid dish soap (but not other types of alcohol which can damage the plant). Do not spray the alcohol on the flowers of the plant. Be careful using this method with expensive orchids because there is potential for bacterial or fungal infection. You can also treat an infestation with a specific type of miticide for Red Spider Mites.
Another way to fight spider mites is by spraying the plant with neem oil. Neem is mother-nature’s natural cure all. It solves so many different things in life that long books could be published on just neem oil and it’s benefits. In order to deal with Red Spider Mites infesting your orchids, you can mix up a solution of part neem oil, part water, and part mild detergent and spray it on the plants. However, avoid spraying on hot days or in direct sunlight as it can cause damage to your plants. Spray plants in the shade and let it dry before exposing the plants to heat or sunlight. You can also use mineral oil for this method.
