Okay, let’s talk about dealing with those tiny red terrors, the spider mites. It’s been a bit of a journey in my garden this year.
Finding the Little Guys
So, I went out to check on my beans one morning, like I usually do. Things looked okay from a distance. But then I got closer. Saw some weird yellow spots on the leaves. Flipped one over, and boom. Tiny little red dots scurrying around. And fine webbing, almost like a tiny spider web. Yep, red spider mites had moved in. Not happy about that, not one bit.
First thing I did was just stare at them for a bit. Annoying little things. They can really mess up your plants fast if you let them.
Trying Stuff Out – The Puttering Begins
Alright, couldn’t just leave them be. I grabbed the hose first. Gave the affected plants a good strong spray, especially under the leaves where they like to hide. That seemed to knock a bunch of them off. Felt pretty good about that for a day or two.
But, you know how it is. They came back. Not as many, maybe, but they were definitely still there. Hosing helps, but it’s not a magic fix. It’s more like, well, puttering around with them, keeping them slightly annoyed.
So, next step. I decided to try some soapy water. Read about it somewhere. Just mixed up some regular dish soap, nothing fancy, with water in a spray bottle. Not too much soap, just enough to make it a bit bubbly.
Here’s basically what I did:
- Got my spray bottle.
- Filled it mostly with water.
- Added a small squirt of dish soap.
- Shook it up gently.
Then, early the next morning, before the sun got too hot, I went out again. This time, I was more careful. Really focused on spraying the undersides of every leaf I could reach on the plants that had mites. Coated them pretty well. This felt more like proper puttering – taking the time, being methodical about it.
Did the Puttering Work?
Well, yes and no. The soapy water definitely seemed to bother them more than just plain water. I saw fewer mites after a couple of applications. It didn’t wipe them out completely, though. It’s like you knock them back, and then you have to keep at it.
I had to repeat the soapy water spray every few days for a while. It became part of my routine – go out, check the leaves, spray where needed. It’s a bit tedious, this constant puttering, but it seemed to keep the infestation from exploding. Some leaves still got damaged, sure, but the plants mostly survived and kept producing.
It’s not a perfect solution. You gotta be consistent. If you stop checking and spraying, they’ll just multiply again. So, the “red spider putter” for me is really just about being persistent, using simple stuff like water and soap, and just keeping on top of it. It’s ongoing work, part of gardening I guess.
