My 2 cents: That looks like a spider mite, and that’s the damage spider mites do. If you don’t want to use neem oil (many don’t) use this:
4 cloves of garlic
2 jalapenos
grate, boil and leave overnight to stew
mix 1 tablespoon per liter of water and bathe plant with spray bottle.
4 Likes
Or leave a plant sacrifice to the spiders as they are excellent for other crops/mosquitos.
1 Like
Sacrificing the one would be 25% of the crop :(. Actually i visited the plants today…all 4 of them seemed to have small white spots 
1 Like
Ugh. Spiders like it hot and dry, right? Or do I have it backwards?
1 Like
……and they are so close to the end of their lives :(. They look like they are maybe 2-3 weeks from harvest.
Have updated pictures?
1 Like
We’ve had a lot of rain lately and these plants are outside. The white spots have just been noticed today.
No…I should have taken some…darn!
White spots are egg sacks, normally, when you see evidence of spider mites. If soil is too wet, add something with silica, unless you think it will sort itself out since external environments seem easier to get back to balance from my limited experience? Being so close to harvest, I wouldn’t use anything chemical to kill them.
1 Like
Thank you! …and I agree about not wanting to use any sort of chemical to kill then. It seems in the past when I had spider mites on my Hibiscus I would spray with a solution of dish soap in water….what do you think about that idea?
2 Likes
Thank you! I hadn’t even noticed the bugs until you pointed it out!
I’ve done it, but I waited some extra time to make sure nothing was affected negatively. Of course, I only grew for myself, so… Some may say Neem, but, personally, I wouldn’t.
1 Like
You are the second person in this conversation to not recommend Neem oil. I do use it for outside flowering plants but would not want to use it on something I smoke. I’m curious about the mention of silica….do spider mites live in the soil and lay their eggs on the leaves?
I just found this!!
“ How do I get rid of spider mites in my soil?
Diatomaceous earth, which is made from fossils of aquatic organisms, is an organic pesticide that is lethal to arachnids and insects but non-toxic to humans. Sprinkle the food-grade version on infected plants and soil. It will dehydrate the spider mites’ exoskeletons, killing them.”
1 Like
I just went and looked it up as I wasn’t sure if they burrowed. I found this, though:
“Spider mites are one of the more difficult groups of landscape pests to control. Infestations are easiest to control when detected early, before the mite populations have reached very high levels. Twospotted spider mite infestations can often be traced to the purchase of infested plant material, especially bedding and houseplants. When buying new plants, it pays to inspect the lower leaf surfaces for evidence of mites. Spraying plants with a strong stream of water from a garden hose or faucet can dislodge many mites from leaf surfaces. The approach is generally more effective on smaller plants (e.g., houseplants), with non‑dense foliage and low mite populations. Water sprays should be directed upward against the lower leaf surfaces, and the technique will need to be repeated on regular intervals.”
1 Like
Right, but then you also wipe out other beneficial bugs and other foragers could be affected by breathing it in, like opposums, etc. Dogs/cats/small humans. If I use it, I’m always sure no one is home. I know others say you can use it as a tx on pets, but never on cats, which I’ve always had. Then, of course, you put it down, it rains, then it starts over, I would think?
1 Like
Use Azamax is natural and is very good , I use it preventative.
1 Like
Hummm….the household does have a dog that is outside near the plants. When I had a problem with fleas years ago, I did use 20 Mule team borax on the carpet (I believe it is a sort of non food grade D.E.) to help dry up the fleas. I had two Himalayan cats and it didn’t seem to bother them…maybe I was lucky it wasn’t on them, just on the carpet. Geeze…it doesn’t seem like any easy answers. What a bummer to have this problem weeks before harvest
1 Like
Hey, just discovered from reading spider mites love coniferous trees and plants. Are you covered up with pine? If so, there’s your local silica base right there. Test it out? You’re in Virginia, right?
1 Like
Thank you so much for your help. We and they don’t have any pine trees. We do live in Va. Beach, VA. Are you thinking that putting pine needles on top of the dirt would take care of the problem? That confuses me because I’ve read that they like pine trees?
1 Like
No. Using the same premise for infusion/decoction of horsetail. Put them in a pot, infuse 20 minutes, covered. Decoct two hours with cover. Pour into a container and let ferment ten/fourteen days, top slightly off for obvious reasons. No idea if it helps, I’ve tried horsetail and stinging nettles with positive effects, but not without trial and error. I wouldn’t recommend for beginners who aren’t okay with non-attachment. 
1 Like