DIY Spider Mite Killer – Homemade Insecticide (Non Toxic)

As many growers will tell you spider mites are the enemy of cannabis plants. While these insects might be tiny, they can cause a lot of disruption and can breed until there are thousands of them on your leaves. These creatures feed by sucking out the sap from the leaves of your cannabis plants, this causes them to weaken severely and can even cause them to perish if you don’t control the infestation.
In this article, we will show you a few tried and tested homemade remedies to get rid of spider mites that you can make yourself. These natural and organic ways of treating such pests are popular amongst cannabis growers as they are less harsh than the chemical pesticides that are available to treat spider mite infestations. These are kinder both on your plants and the environment in general.

How to identify a spider mite

First things first, how to identify a spider mite. Unfortunately, as these pests are so small they are very difficult to see without a magnifying glass. However, there are other identifying features that you can look out for, to check if your plants have a spider mite infestation.
As already mentioned, spider mites feed off your plants by piercing the leaves to feed themselves. The effects of this can cause the leaves to become yellow and you might notice pale spots on your leaves also, leaves may also fall off completely. You might also notice that your plants’ growth is stilted and that it is showing signs of distress. Other tell-tale signs of spider mites are thin webs on the underside of the plant’s leaves and along its branches. If left untreated, these pests an even infect your bud areas which will have a disastrous effect on your yields.
Getting a handle on a spider mite infestation is crucial to ensure that your plants survive and produce a good harvest, read on to find out how you can get rid of these critters in a cheap and effective way.

How to make your own spider mite killer

Make your own Insecticidal Soap

One of the easiest methods of eradicating spider mites is through the use of an insecticidal soap as this is great for spot-treating specific areas of your plant where there is an infestation – it works by suffocating the spider mites.
You will need:

• Mild dish soap (non-detergent and non-degreaser)
• Water
• Jug to mix the solution in
• Spray bottle

To make the soap simply mix 1 teaspoon of the mild dish soap to 4 cups of water (you can adjust the quantities depending on how much insecticidal soap you need to make). Then transfer your solution to a spray bottle and you are ready to go. This solution can then be applied directly to areas of infestation, once sprayed leave for two to three hours and then wipe clean the soap from your leaves. Repeat this practice about once a week until those pesky spider mites are eradicated.

Make your own Neem Oil

Neem oil is an effective natural remedy for treating all manner of pests that are common to the marijuana plant and making your own batch up is incredibly simple.
You will need:

• Neem oil
• Water
• Spray bottle

Neem oil cannot be applied directly to plants so it needs to be added with a water solution in order to form an emulsion that can be sprayed onto your plants. Once you have created your Neem oil solution this can be poured into your spray bottle and then applied liberally to your plants. Neem oil is thought to be the most effective essential oil in treating spider mites but there are also other essential oils that growers recommend such as peppermint oil, lemon oil, eucalyptus oil, and cinnamon oil.

Make your own Garlic Spray

Garlic can be an effective natural remedy for targeting spider mites on your cannabis plants. What’s great about this recipe is that it is likely that you will have all the requirements already lying around the house!
You will need:

• 1 garlic clove
• Water
• Blender
• Whisk
• Container with a lid
• Strainer
• Spray bottle

Start by blending the whole garlic clove with 2 cups of water in your blender. Remove and whisk the mixture by hand until it resembles a smooth texture, then simply transfer the mixture to your container, cover, and store in a cool dry place for 24 hours. All you need to then is push the mixture through your strainer and then add another 12 cups of water to dilute it and transfer it to your spray bottle. Some growers recommend adding a few drops of insecticidal soap to the mixture as this helps the spray to cling to your leaves more so you might consider doing this also.

Make your own Rosemary Oil Spray

Rosemary is an effective ingredient for targeting spider mites as it attacks their nervous system. This spray can be used both if you have a spider mite infestation or if you want to prevent spider mites. This solution will also be good at targeting aphids, another common predator to the cannabis plant.
You will need:

• Rosemary oil
• Peppermint
• Thyme
• Clove
• Water
• Spray bottle

Simply create a solution by combining the rosemary oil with water, peppermint, clove, and thyme and transfer the solution to your spray bottle. Now you have a ready to use insecticide that is safe for your plants and effective at targeting your predators in a completely natural way.

Natural Remedies for getting rid of pests on cannabis plants

If you want to learn more about natural remedies for getting rid of pests on your cannabis plants, and ideas for keeping your plants as healthy as possible check out this video on how legal cannabis growers use natural pest control on their plants:

Conclusion

Making your own DIY spider mite killer couldn’t be easier – the ingredients are easy to get your hands on and are a cheap, natural and effective way of getting rid of those lethal spider mites. Get making one of these natural recipes and you will soon be enjoying healthier and pest free cannabis plants.