Q: I have a bougainvillea that’s been growing in my big south-facing window for 45 years. Occasionally, it gets aphids and more recently red spider mites. Though I have used a systemic on occasion, my ...

One quite common houseplant pest that I just noticed on those lovely variegated ivies I'm overwintering is the spider mite. Mites have four pairs of legs so they're not true insects, but are placed in ...

Question: We always have spider mites on our flowering garden phlox and a few other perennials in the summer. The leaves look speckled with tiny pin-pricks of white, and we can see their webs on the ...

Spider mites are really bad this year, encouraged by our hot dry weather. We often see them indoors on houseplants in winter, when our homes are dry and warm. We don’t often see them on plants such as ...

Spider mites damage a wide range of plants in gardens and landscapes. When signs of spider mites appear, gardeners may reach for an insecticide to control them. Unfortunately, some insecticides ...

Q: My Italian cypress had spider mites, so I sprayed the trees with an insecticide about six weeks ago. Nearby Italian cypress trees are also full of spider mites. I was going to spray them with an ...

Nematodes and spider mites are among the most difficult pests to control in the garden. Nematodes are small animals that feed on plants by imbedding themselves in the roots. The damage is seen as a ...

This heat is tough on not only us, but also our plants. At this point in the season, it’s a challenge to provide enough water for them to survive, let alone thrive. It can also be a challenge to ...

The summer crop of tomatoes was subjected to very hot weather and the hot weather supported a large population of spider mites that sucked the juices from the plants and reduced fruit production.