Aaahh! Spider Mites

[Sentath]

Does anyone know a nontoxic non-soap solution?

Non toxic just because. Non-soap because there are fish involved.

[Major Nikon]

1. Horticultural oil spray

I use Volck Oil spray which uses emulsified non-toxic mineral oil. I'm not sure how well it will play with fish, but I don't think it will affect them. It works by smothering the bugs so it only works on the bugs you spray it on. There is no preventative effect.

[Sentath]

3. Volck, I will look into this.

Ty for the product name.

[Curmudgeoness]

2. I assume that these are outdoors?

I have only had them on plants in the house, and I have a tedious way of dealing with them. I don't know how well it would work outdoors or in large areas though. I use alcohol on a Q-tip to clean as many as I can off the plant, and repeat every few days until I don't find any.

That is the only non-toxic way I have dealt with them. The only other remedy I have is tobacco tea sprayed on the plants....really nasty stuff.

[Sentath]

4. I don't think I want to do it by hand

Besides, they're too small for me to see clearly.

Tobacco Tea sounds like it would work well. And I wouldn't mind using nicotine for it's intended purpose. If the Volck won't work with fish I'll look into that.

[Curmudgeoness]

5. The tea has helped me with serious insect problems,

but I use it very sparingly and locally because it is toxic. I have only used it twice, once to get rid of white fly on a bush, and the other on spider mites on some flowers. But I used it only on those plants. It probably would kill the fish. And if you get it on your skin, the skin dries and peels....ick.