- 1). Mix 1/2 tsp. of dish soap with 1 quart of warm water, according to the University of Minnesota. Dip a cotton ball into the solution and squeeze it to remove the excessive moisture and soap.
- 2). Wipe the top side and the under side of the ficus leaves with the moist cotton ball. As each cotton ball becomes discolored with the small spider mite bodies, throw that cotton ball away and clean the leaves with a new one. Repeat the leaf cleaning every three days.
- 3). Spray the ficus tree down with a forceful spray of water and an insecticidal soap that contains potassium fatty acids if the spider mite infestation is severe. Place the ficus in the shower and set the water to a lukewarm temperature. Allow the water to gently spray the tree. The tree can also be taken outside on a warm day and hosed off using a garden hose. Repeat the process every week until the spider mites are under control.
- 4). Apply an insecticide to the ficus tree if wiping, washing and hosing the spider mites away does not gain adequate control of the insect infestation. Use an insecticide that contains bifenthrin for best results. Apply according the insecticide according to the directions on the label.
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