Spider mites are tiny, orange-red arachnids that are almost impossible to see with the naked eye. They tend to attack roses in very hot and dry weather and appear to multiply explosively. In the event of an infestation - even if you only suspect it - you should act as soon as possible - because the larger the population, the more difficult it is to eliminate. Fortunately, spider mites can be repelled relatively quickly by natural means.
Spider mites can hardly be seen with the naked eye
How do you actually recognize spider mites?
You will not see the tiny spider mites themselves jumping around on your roses by accident, instead the infestation is indicated by the fine white cobweb-like webs on the undersides of the leaves, between the leaves and shoots and sometimes on the flowers themselves. The leaves are first slightly mottled grey-white, but quickly discolour and dry up and are then discarded. Small, yellowish to orange-colored eggs can often be seen on the underside of the leaves.
Effectively prevent a spider mite infestation
Spider mites love the heat, which is why they prefer to settle on plants that are in very sunny, dry and not very airy locations. In addition, roses that are already weakened are increasingly attacked, since - in contrast to healthy plants - they no longer have a strong defense system. An airy location that is not necessarily in the blazing sun is ideal for roses - spider mites will not settle here so quickly. If, for example, your potted rose is standing directly in front of a wall (possibly in front of a wall painted white), move it away and provide a cooling breeze. You can strengthen weakening roses with a regular horsetail treatment, the brew also disinfects the soil and plants and not only keeps annoying arachnids away, but also other vermin and various fungal pathogens.
Successfully combat spider mites
A remedy that is easy to produce and whose effectiveness against powdery mildew is well known often helps against spider mites: whole milk diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10. Fill this mixture into an atomizer and spray the spider mites with it extensively for several days in a row. It is best to do the treatment early in the morning when the beasts are still sluggish and slow. If you want to resort to stronger remedies, we recommend the various commercially available preparations based on rapeseed oil. Use chemicals as little as possible, because they not only kill unwanted pests, but also all kinds of useful insects.
tips
If your rose is in a pot, put it in the shower from time to time and give it a good shower - then arachnids and other pests don't even have a chance to settle. Make sure, however, that the plant dries quickly so that no fungi settle on it.