I've discovered spider mites on my satsuma orange tree. What do you
recommend I treat it with? The tree is growing in a pot on my porch so I
can take it indoors in winter. I don't want to use a pesticide that
will ruin the fruit.
Spider mites like dry conditions. Since
the satsuma is growing in a pot on your porch, it's probably not exposed
to rainfall. When you water, you add water to the pot. Right? So, the
leaves are seldom exposed to water. As a preventative measure in the
future, spray the leaves above and beneath when you water your orange to
discourage the mites.
Spraying the leaves with water, especially the
undersides, may be enough to get rid of them. If not, there are two
pesticides on the market that might do the trick. One is Monterey Bug
Buster. The active ingredient is esfenvalerate - a synthetic pyrethroid
insecticide. The other pesticide is Trounce by Safer, the makers of
insecticidal soap. Trounce contains insecticidal soap and pyrethroids.
As with all pesticides, follow label instructions.
