Spider mites hit my indoor garden. Neem oil or predator bugs? I chose neem and fixed it, but wanna hear what you all think.

4 comments

4 Comments

My first hydroponic setup had a spider mite outbreak two years ago. I was totally convinced predator bugs were the only way to go for a clean fix. After buying ladybugs twice and watching them just escape or sit around, it felt like a waste. Switching to a simple neem oil mix and sticking to a schedule wiped them out in a week. That mess changed my whole view on quick control for indoor plants.

tessalane19d ago

Ladybugs are basically tiny, spotted houseguests who refuse to do the chores you invited them for. @the_julia, your neem oil discipline is way more reliable than those lazy bugs.

hill.susan1mo ago

Wait you bought ladybugs for a hydroponic setup inside your house? How did you even keep them contained, seriously? I tried that once in a regular houseplant and it was total chaos, they just flew to my windows. Doing it twice with a water-based system sounds like an expensive mess. I'd be so done after the first try.

burns.thomas1mo ago

Last season, my pepper plants in the hydro system were crawling with mites. I gave predatory mites a shot, but they were about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. Switched to spraying with a diluted alcohol solution twice a week, and that finally did the trick. Took about ten days, but no recurrence since.