red spider mites on Rex Begonia
Quick answer
If your Rex Begonia has red spider mites, the most likely cause is: Dry indoor air has encouraged an infestation of red spider mites on rex begonia, leaving fine white webs on the leaves and stems of the plant. The dry atmosphere around the plant is the trigger that allows the pest population to build up indoors and the webs appear around the foliage once the mites are established.
Start here:
- 1. Spray the plant with liquid derris and repeat the treatment every few days while signs of the insects persist on the leaves and stems.
- 2. Raise the humidity around the rex begonia by standing the pot on a tray of wet pebbles or surrounding it with moist peat so the air around the foliage is no longer dry.
Why Rex Begonia gets red spider mites
Begonia rex-cultorum
Dry indoor air has encouraged an infestation of red spider mites on rex begonia, leaving fine white webs on the leaves and stems of the plant. The dry atmosphere around the plant is the trigger that allows the pest population to build up indoors and the webs appear around the foliage once the mites are established.
How to reverse red spider mites on Rex Begonia
- 1
Spray the plant with liquid derris and repeat the treatment every few days while signs of the insects persist on the leaves and stems.
- 2
Raise the humidity around the rex begonia by standing the pot on a tray of wet pebbles or surrounding it with moist peat so the air around the foliage is no longer dry.
- 3
Remove any badly affected leaves from the plant and isolate the rex begonia from nearby houseplants until the red spider mite infestation has cleared.
Keep red spider mites off this Rex Begonia
Keep a humid atmosphere around the rex begonia at all times by standing the pot on a tray of wet pebbles or surrounding it with moist peat, and avoid hot dry rooms, because dry air is what draws red spider mites to the foliage in the first place.