Last updated on September 26th, 2022 at 01:03 pm
Does your bamboo have mites? As an experienced gardener, I know quite well that bamboo mites are very dangerous and cause various issues for you. And getting rid of them can be a challenge most times.
So, from taking preventive measures to engaging in more practical steps to rapidly get rid of mites, such as disinfecting the bamboo, there are many ways to get rid of spider mites.
How to Get Rid of Bamboo Mites?
Below are 11 tips that will be of help to you when getting rid of Bamboo mites.
1. Take Appropriate Preventive Measures
You will very much agree with me that prevention is better than cure in the case of bamboo mites. This will save your plant the risk of ever coming in contact with a bamboo mite infestation. The following preventive measures will help you in preventing the outbreak of a bamboo mite infestation:
1. When bringing a newly acquired or purchased plant into the house or the one you took outside, probably to receive sunlight, it is necessary to conduct a detailed examination for any signs of infestation.
2. You should properly clean leaves and stems all over at least once a week.
3. Since mites are attracted to dehydrated plants, regular misting the leaves with water will prevent bamboo mites from coming close to your plants.
4. It would be best if you never let your plant become dehydrated.
5. Endeavor to apply neem oil on your plant, especially during spring and summer, as a preventive measure, since its smell serves as a strong repellent to bamboo mites and other insects.
6. The application of neem oil should be done at least twice a week on every part of the leaves and stem.
7. Schedule days for carrying out a check-up routine to see whether the plant has become infested with bamboo mites or not. It would be best if you did this at least once every 8-10 days.
2. Use Natural Measures If You Can
Natural measures can also help you get rid of bamboo mites. For instance, using the natural extracts from neem trees known as neem oil can serve as a pest repellent that chases away bamboo mites once you have applied it to your plant.
It can serve as a lasting solution. Apart from the oil, you can break the branches of the neem and soak it in water for a few days, after which it can be spread on plants infested with bamboo mites to serve as a repellent.
3. Employ Biological Measures to Tackle the Mites
In using the biological method to get rid of bamboo mites, you may decide to introduce predatory mites that will eat eggs, larva, and adults of bamboo mites.
Another way to get rid of bamboo mites through biological methods is by purchasing and introducing natural predators such as ladybugs, lacewings, or beetles. These will efficiently remove bamboo mites from your plant.
4. Resort to Chemical Measures When the Infestation is Serious
Spraying your plant with a mixture of 50-50 isopropyl alcohol and water will become toxic to bamboo mites, but one good thing about it is that it evaporates quickly and so cannot damage the plant’s foliage.
Buying and using a pyrethrin-based spray is also very effective in getting rid of bamboo mites. Using also very powerful chemical agents like miticides can kill bamboo mites.
Systemic miticides for bamboo are also good since it is absorbed into the plant and kill the bamboo mites as they feed on the plant.
5. Change Environment
To get rid of bamboo mites from your plants here, you need to provide an inhospitable environment for it. This includes increasing the humidity in the air and the plant’s moisture content, since, bamboo thrives best in dry conditions, washing the leaves will also result in washing off the mites from the plant. This will discourage and prevent them from coming back.
6. Quarantine Diseased Plants
In the case you spot bamboo mites on your plant, you must immediately separate them. Before you quarantine your plants, you must carry out the following activities:
- Thoroughly inspect every single part of your plant.
- Spray your plant with soap water.
- Your plant should be removed from the pot, inspected for infestation, and then repotted on new soil.
This will be followed by quarantining, where you would have to separate your plant and put it in a room for 40 days and away from other plants. You could also place them in a transparent plastic bag where they can still have access to sunlight.
It’s important to note that when bamboo mites get into the house, they not only attack your plants but also attack you sometimes by biting you or begin to behave like dust mites and destroy your properties.
The following ways will help you get rid of bamboo mites from your home:
7. Get Rid of Clutter
When you stack books, papers, or dirty clothes around the house, you are, in a sense giving them a place they can call home; they love dry and dusty places. So, to get rid of bamboo mites from your house, you will need to unclutter your house.
8. Use Dust-Proof Covers
Covering things like beds and pillows with dust-proof covers will help eliminate bamboo mites from such locations because these are where bamboo mites will become more concentrated, the reason being that they will come to love the pads of your mattress and pillows.
9. Wash Your Sheets with Hot Water
It would help if you washed all sheets at home with hot water every two weeks in 130-140 degrees of hot water. This is the best way to kill them or get rid of them from your sheet and mattresses, and you should also do this regularly.
10. Regularly Vacuum and Dust Your Home
Cleaning should be done regularly, especially, on blinds, carpets, and sofas. Since bamboo mites are good at clinging to such surfaces, regular vacuuming and dusting of fabrics should eliminate them.
11. Disinfect with Steri Fab
Treating all the affected areas with steri fab is also important after you may have uncluttered your home. This will kill the bamboo mites. The spraying is very efficient and can be used on various surfaces without any adverse effects.
Conclusion
Bamboo mites are insects that can cause a great deal of hazard to your plants, and if left unchecked, may also bring harm to you and your properties.
Yet you have come to know that there are many ways in which you can get rid of them. This article has discussed six ways to get rid of them from your plant and five ways to get rid of them from your surroundings.