Do Spider Mites Hate Humidity

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Mites thrive in hot, damp, and dark areas. They do not drink water and prefer to live in humid environments to absorb moisture from the environment. However, spider mites are common in hot and dry areas, which makes people think, do spider mites hate humidity?  

Yes. Spider mites hate humidity. They prefer to live in hot and dry environments instead of humid and wet places. Spider mite infestation is more common in in-house plants, especially during July and august. Spider mites fulfill their body water requirement by sucking the plant sap.  

Continue reading the article to find more detail on the environment in which spider mites thrive.

Do Spider Mites Like Humid Or Dry?

Spider mites like hot and dry environmental conditions. They absolutely hate to live in wet environments with high humidity levels. In fact, water can drown the spider mites and its egg by suffocating them.

Spider mites thrive in low humidity, high temperature, and less airflow. Their population increases in the humidity level below seventy percent and the temperature above seventy-five-degree Fahrenheits.

That is why the spider mite population is frequent in dead un-watered plants and areas with severe drought. Cold weather and rainy seasons will naturally kill the spider mites from the outdoor plants.

Spider mites prefer dry and dirty environments because they feed more in dry conditions, and low humidity makes it easier for them to expel excess water.  

What Humidity Kills Spider Mites?

The humidity above seventy percent kills spider mites. Constant exposure to humidity levels above ninety percent for an extended period can eliminate a serve spider mites infestation from indoor and outdoor plants.

Spider mites cannot survive in 100% humidity. To thrive in any place, they require low humidity levels and temperature.

Their population increases in a hot and dry environment at the temperature of at least 85 degrees Fahrenheit. They cannot even survive in extremely hot or cold weather.

Severe spider mites infestation can be discouraged by increasing humidity in the house plants and greenhouse. Spider mites infest greenhouses mainly in cold months because they search for a slightly warmer place to live.

To protect your plants, increase the temperature and water them regularly, which increases the humidity and consequently decreases the spider mites population.    

Can Low Moisture In Soil Causes Spider Mites

Low humidity or moisture and high-temperature cause spider mites infestation. In fact, drought, high temperatures, and low humidity all encourage the growth of spider mites.

Dry-out plants have dry soil with less moisture, which provides an ideal place for spider mites to grow. Spider mites are sensitive to the uplift in the moisture level of the plant soil.  

The watering plant increases the moisture in the soil and eventually increases the humidity around the plant. It directly impacts the growth of spider mites and other microorganisms.

Research on humidity level effects on spider mites infestation in cucumber plants concludes that the population of spider mites is three times high in plants with low humidity levels than in plants with high humidity levels.

Therefore, to prevent spider mites in plants’ look for methods to increase the plant’s humidity level.  

Do Humidifiers Prevent Spider Mites?

Humidifiers can help in preventing spider mites’ infestation in your plants. Maintaining humidity in house plants is necessary to keep the spider mites out.

Spider mites prefer to live on dry surfaces. Maintaining the humid air around the plant is the efficient and easiest way to prevent spider mites’ infestation.  

To maintain humidity in the house plants, you can either regularly spray water on all parts of the plant, including leaves, flowers, stems, and roots, or place a humidifier in the room with the plants.

Humidifiers introduce extra moisture in the air and increase the humidity level of the room environment. Using a humidifier will save you a lot of work and is equally effective.  

Do Misting Plants Keep Spider Mites Away?

Regularly misting plants keeps spider mites away. Use a spray bottle to lightly mist the plant to increase the humidity level around the plants.

Spraying water increases the humidity level around plants up to eighty-eight percent. However, the effect is temporary. Plus, avoid misting hairy plants.  

Spider mites hate wetness, moisture, and humidity. They thrive in dry environments. Spraying plant with water is the cheapest way to get rid of spider mites.

After misting, plant foliage must have light dew settled on them. Some plants will require daily misting to maintain humidity. While others require misting two or three days a week is good.

You can use a moisture meter to check the moisture level of plants. Remember misting plants is a precaution, not a treatment for severely infested plants.  

Does Rain Get Rid Of Spider Mites?

Yes, rain can get rid of spider mites. Water is cheap and one of the most effective ways to kill spider mites from the house plants. It can be slightly complicated to kill spider mites from many plants at one time.

So, check the weather forecast and place all your plants outdoors in the open area. The rain will wash off all the dirt and mites from the plants, making them alive again.

Plus, the rainy season has high humidity levels, so keep your house windows open to let the moisture in for indoor plants.  

Rain is the natural way to prevent and treat spider mites’ infestation. In fact, it can wash off chronic infestation of spider mites from your house garden.

You can use pesticides or insecticides on plants after rain to prevent re-infestation. After the rainy season, use alternate methods to keep plant humidity levels high.

At What Humidity Spider Mites Thrive

Spider mites thrive at low humidity, within 20 to 40 percent. High temperature with low humidity is the ideal environment for spider mites to grow and reproduce.

Low humidity allows the mites to excrete excess water from their body into the air. On the other hand, raising the humidity level to above sixty percent will suffocate them.

Controlling the temperature of plants might be slightly complicated. However, manipulating humidity in the plants is an easy way to prevent spider mites’ infestation as they hate moisture or humidity.

Spider mites cannot survive in wet plants or plants with humidity levels as high as 70 to 80 percent. To increase the humidity level in plants, keep them well hydrated. The vapors released from the plant stomata will eventually increase the wetness in the air.

How To Increase Plant Humidity To Prevent Spider Mites?

Humidity is the natural enemy of spider mites. They cannot survive in the wet environment and suffocate to death. Spider mites prefer to live in a dry area with low humidity below sixty percent.

Therefore, to prevent spider mites infestation in the house plant, you must keep their humidity level above at least seventy percent and should keep them dirt free.

Follow the tips and tricks below to keep plants’ humidity levels high.  

  • Place your plants in groups. Plants release moisture through their leaves. Keeping them close to one another will increase the moisture level of the environment.  
  • Regular watering also increases the humidity level. Therefore, naturally decreasing the chance of spider mites infestation.
  • Place the plant pot in the pebble tray. Take a tray and fill it with a small one-inch pebble. Then fill this tray with water and set your plant pot on it. Never place the plant pot inside the tray. Instead, position it on the pebbles above water.
  • Misting your plant keeps the humidity level high. Keep a misting bottle near your plant and frequently spray water on it. This trick is effective in dry weather conditions like the cold.  
  • Humidifiers do the job similarly. Place a humidifier near indoor plants to increase the humidity level.

Conclusion

Spider mites cannot live in plants with high humidity. They prefer to grow and thrive in a hot and dry environment. To prevent spider mites infestation in plants, increase their humidity level above seventy percent. Regular misting or placing plant pots in the pebble tray with water maintains the moisture around the plants.  

Placing humidifiers near indoor plants is equally effective in eliminating spider mites. Plants increase the humidity by increasing their transpiration level. Spider mites will suffocate in high humidity as they cannot excrete excess body water.