my indoor Hisbiscus - slender,about 6' tall has dropped 50% of leaves and has very small pests with tiny spider like filaments in proximity. Are these spider mites? - very small to see ( smaller than aphids) and they seem to move like spiders? Plant is desperate looking.........suggestion for killing pests? I had it in sunny warm window location with open window and breeze blowing through. Location in Parksville, B.C., Canada. Zone 6-7?
Katalina: thanks for the useful information. I used a magnifying lens and those little buggers are 2-spotted spider mites. thanks for the excellent site......much appreciated. cheers.... Glenn (Islandboy)
Lay the plant down in the bathtub, on it's side, and use a mist bottle filled with dishsoapy water to spray the plant down, and then give it a hard shower of water, making especially sure to get the undersides of the leaves, where mites live. You will have to shower the plant everyday, until you get rid of them, and then once or twice a week after that to prevent them from coming back. No need to buy expensive and sometimes harmful pesticides - I haven't in years. Regular plant showers will keep most bugs at bay. : )