Kitchen Garden Forum

My aubergines in the polytunnel are infested with red spider mite. I've only just worked out what it is or I would have done something sooner. My french beans went the same way and I got fed up with them and dug them all up yesterday but I'd really like to keep my 20 aubergine plants if possible.

I read that there's a natural predator you can buy as a biological control and wonder if I should bother this late in the season or whether the plants would be giving up the ghost around now anyway. Anyone have any suggestions?

You could try them - it's another little spider mite that you get so don't be alarmed when you receive a small tube of vermiculite with no visable beasties.

Biological controls sometimes struggle to contain a bad infestation. You are best introducing them early and I would recommend you do that next year as once red spider mite are in, they are almost impossible to get rid of

Try misting the plants to raise the humidity as well. Red spider likes hot dry conditions.

Sue

There's an organic spray you can buy that's immediately effective. I agree that if the infestation is already bad biological control is probably an expensive waste of time. The control I use is called Bio Organic Pest Control. It's in a small blue container and costs about £5 but mine lasted me 3 years. It's very effective.

thanks a lot, will try the spray. And next year, I'll get the biological control in early.

I'm sorry to say this but it is too late to do anything to increase the chances of a better crop as there won't be any more aubergines form although what is there mught fatten. I have grown aubergines for several years now. if you haven't got the crop by now you won't get any more.
Next time fix up a decent misting system, automatic if you can, to keep the humidity high. Manually it really means about 3 mistings a day in the hottest weather. Cucumbers like similar conditions.
Allan