Treatment Planner
Spider Mites Treatment Plan
Why one treatment never works: Spider mites reproduce fast in warm, dry indoor air, and contact sprays do not reliably kill eggs. Treatment has to repeat every five to seven days so each new hatch meets a fresh application before it can breed. They also travel on air currents and clothing, so an untreated neighbouring plant will simply re-infest the one you cleaned.
How bad is it?
Obvious stippling across several leaves, visible webbing on undersides and stem joints.
Expect this to take 3–4 weeks
Day 1
TodayIsolate and physically strip the population down.
Check for: Webbing should be visibly gone after the shower. If it reappears within two days, the population is larger than it looked.
Days 3–7
Week 1Keep knocking the population back while eggs hatch.
Check for: No new webbing between showers. Fresh stippling stops spreading to new leaves.
Week 2
Days 8–14Rotate to a second mode of action.
Check for: Tap a leaf over white paper — moving specks should be far fewer than on Day 1, or absent.
Weeks 3–4
Days 15–28Finish the last applications and confirm.
Check for: Two weeks with no new webbing and a clean paper-tap test means you're clear. New growth should come in unstippled.
Still not working?
Still finding mites after a month? Check the plants either side of the one you treated — mites almost always survive in an untreated neighbour and walk back. Treat every plant within reach at the same time, and raise humidity: a hot, dry spot beside a radiator or vent will keep re-seeding the problem no matter how well you spray.
Read the full spider mites guide →Other treatment plans
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