I’m so fascinated with this topic. I didn’t spend a lot of time researching it but I figured drowning bugs must be an option. Now I know warm water is required and it takes 15 minutes to kill these (which I’m pretty sure are responsible for stunted growth issues I have with some of my Hoyas). Your content is amazing. Keep doing everything you’re doing. Truly grateful.
Thank you for the video. What magnification did you use to see the mites? I have a jeweler loop up to 60x and would rather not have something hookedup to my computer/phone/network
My microscope has a range of magnification from 40x to 1000x (or so it says haha). Usually when I look for mites I use the highest magnification possible but you might be able to see something with 60x too:)
Thank you so much you’ve solved my mystery that killed my entire collection. I’ve got one krimson queen holding on for dear life I’m going to treat her now. . Lost 27 Hoyas some up to 15 years old.. I need to eradicate these mites and start over. Anyone have any cuttings they could spare to help me replace my antidepressant Hoya garden back? I miss my hobby so bad. I’ve got many cacti I could trade or will pay shipping or a small feee if they are already rooted. I always fail at rooting cuttings.
This was very helpful! I don't have it in me to visually confirm that a few of my hoyas have these pests. :-) Nor to dunk them in such hot water. But I did order the bonide sulfur product to try out after watching your collab with Adam.
I was told you can use 70% alcohol mixed with some water and it would kill the mites instantly. Once a week I tried to rinse my plants off and then I spray my plant with that mixture. I also put in bona fide insect powder into the dirt, which they say the plant absorbs through the roots and goes through the plants and the bugs don't like it it's supposed to last for 2 months. So far I didn't kill my hoyas
Thanks for showing the process you used for warm baths, I hope it works! Phytoseiulus persimilis feed exclusively on the two-spotted spider mites so it's no surprise they didn't work for the false spider mites :).
@@JosieYapsALot yeah, it's very confusing! But I'm a biology and plant nerd with ADHD and I really did some deep dives on this haha... mostly for thrips but I remember that fact about the persimilis because the only other thing they really like to eat is each other 🤣
Great video! I do have a question. After watching your video, Knot Dude's video, AND Betsy's video... multiple times... I decided to do the warm bath method today. I am super anxious, as my hoyas are my favorite plants (luckily I don't have any rares, but still, they're my favorites and I don't want to buy new ones hahah). I didn't even get a microscope, I just knewww based on the videos and symptoms that I had the buggers. After you treated for mites using the warm bath method... how long did it take to see new growth starting again, if any? Days, weeks, months? For reference, I literally just have a Krimson Princess & Queen, a wayetii, and a publicalyx - so they all are supposed to be decently "quick growing hoyas"... but I have them in room conditions with average humidity, so it's not like I'd expect them to have CRAZY amounts of growth anyway. But I'm just wondering how long I should expect I guess, I'm just so nervous!
Aww Lauren!!! There’s nothing to be worried about although I do understand where your anxiety is coming from. I think it largely depends on the plant but mine started growing pretty much immediately after they’d been treated, a week or two at most. Obviously that’s just my experience so it may vary but hope that’s of some help to you, good luck! ❤️
@@JosieYapsALot I think the temp of my water was too high, despite my best effort to keep it under 120* and using a thermometer :/ within 2 days of treatment all my hoyas' leaves basically shriveled up. To say I'm very sad is an understatement hahah but nowwww I know I guess!
Thanks for making this video! Time to invest in the 1000x magnification microscope! I am so grateful to you, Knot Dude and Betsy Begonia for bringing this flat mite issue to the plant community’s attention! Anyone know if just putting sublimed sulphur in plant soil will treat the same as the Bonide fungicide?
Not sure about the answer to that but I think the sulfur kills them on contact, ie that you need to spray them with it in order for it to be effective. That’s just my theory though! Someone correct me if I’m wrong! 😂
@@JosieYapsALot Thanks for response, Josie. I couldn’t find any mites with the new 1000X microscope I ordered (operator error?) but the one Hoya has those multiple growths at the end of stems that do nothing, so sounded like mite response. I mixed the powder sulphur with water and tried to spray the suspension, but it just clogged the sprayer. Need to get a specially emulsified liquid sulphur or sprinkle the powder. Tomorrow, back with the microscope to check the other 30+ hoyas. Urghhh! At least I’ll get the knack of using the microscope....
The warm bath method is SO addictive!! I treated multiple plants at a time and used a tea towel to weigh the plants down in the water. I’ve also had success treating pothos this way for spider mites
@@JosieYapsALot I was a bit scared, but I asked Betsy about it and said she’d read that you can use the method on all sorts of plants, so I looked it up. I had a slight change in colour where there was already spider mite damage. It worked like a charm really!
I found a whole horde of them one two marantas, but not on any hoya 😂 Luckily, I’m not very invested in these two plants, so I’m just experimenting with ways to get rid of the mites
Ahh I said the word boil and Betsy commented on my comment and said not boil lol … but I have to boil because my tap water does not reach 110 degrees Fahrenheit, I use the same exact method :) thanks for sharing girlie because these things are just so frustrating!!
Josie thanks for the video! I just want to add that if you want to easily connect your microscope to your phone it's easy enough to do so with a USB/lightning cable (has apple gone to USB C yet? They really should :P ) adapter. You can skip the computer step this way and they're cheap :)
Are flat mites in the broad mite family? With hemp we have spider mites, broad mites, cyclamen mites and thought to be only on tomatoes the tomato russet mite, now there's hemp russet mites. Only spider mites have webbing. I'm currently dealing with broad mites. Impossible to see because they are translucent and all the lights on your microscopes do is make them harder to see or focus due to the reflecting light. Problem their symptoms look like deficiencies or toxicities, ph issues , by the time serious damage is done their numbers are full infestation. They tend to live the majority of their lives inside the plant and only coming out to mate or relocate ** to my knowledge. Towards the end of the natural life cycle of the plant stalks become rubbery and bend over from their own weight, root rot developed because it's unable to photosynthesis and leaf fall preventing proper nutrient uptake and water uptake.
I'm dealing with a big infestation. It was two plants 10 days ago and now it's about 50 Hoyas. I threw away 7 so far. It's so sad and frustrating 😩. What I started doing is soaking the plants/cuttings in a big bowl with horticultural insecticide and hot water. I leave it for 15 min and then I brush the stems and leaves with a soft toothbrush and rinse. Then I let it dry and check again with microscope and they're gone. I know this is not finish yet, I'm only trying to fight against those evils until I get the sulphur.
I have a link in the description box to the one I have but I’d look for one with 1000x magnification (at least) - that’s how much mine magnifies by anyway 😂
I found mites on my hoyas after watching Betsy's video and tried the warm bath method, all but one leaf fell off my Latifolia. 😭I'm in the UK and you can get sulphur you just have to search sulphur and not Bonide, (same for EU I think) it's the same ingredient, so that's next on my to try list!
Oh no 🥲 I hope it can bounce back soon! I did search for a sulfur fungicide in general but I was too overwhelmed by the choices so I gave up 🤣 might give it a try again though if these bastards reappear 😂
I am NOT going to COOK all of my Hoyas. Some of them were NOT CHEAP. I've killed several plants over the years and in many ways. COOKING them IS NOT AN OPTION.
Ugggh. Another thing to worry about. I've had a hoya sarawak die on me after purchasing it within less than a week and now a I have polyneura that isn't doing good. I think I'm going to have to invest in the microscope so I can have some piece of mind or so I can lose my mind depending on what I find. Thank you for the informative video. No one talks about mites other than the spider mites.
So, my question is if they need to be "cooked" at a certain temp, for a certain amount of time, is this way working? I just mean, as soon as you turn off the water, the temp will immediately start to drop? I wanna scream, I have 250+ Hoya and think I have false mites. I just borrowed my parent sous vide, but I'd really HATE to go through this process more than once. I have two full rooms dedicated to Hoya and sprayed sulphur and now my house smells like shit. 😩 These little monsters are the worst. I need to recheck after sulphur treatment under mic but I'm so over itttt
Aww sorry to hear that! The way I do it is I just bring the water to the highest temperature (49 celsius) and you’re right, the temperature does start to drop but it only drops to 46 celsius within those 15 minutes so it’s still within the range. I think the sous vide cooker might be able to maintain the same temperature for as long as you need? Not sure though as I’ve never used one. Unfortunately even if you do try this method you might have to repeat it a couple of times as I did. It’s definitely the cheapest way to go about it though, especially as you have so many hoyas. Best of luck! 💕
@@JosieYapsALot ah! That's awesome and exactly the answer I was looking for! I do have the sous vide for now, but for future reference I wanna know the exact moves to make lol, thank you. I'm hoping the sulphur does so e damage but it STINKS. I mixed with water and stopped up two water bottles and eventually got a gallon garden sprayer. I've also been taking a makeup brush and dusting it in every crevice. I can't remember if know dude said he needed more than one application?
My daughter uses hydrogen peroxide and water sprayed directly on the leaves, stems and top soil to kill mites, and false mites. It will kill the false mites, and nymphs on contact. You can also use any of these oils as well : Rosemary oil, Neem oil ,Chamomile oil, Spearmint oil, or Coriander oil in water and spray every 3 days for a few weeks. These oils will kill the mites their nymphs as well as false mites on contact. Just spraying your plant with a strong stream of water will knock off the adults & eggs. But I would follow up with peroxide, alcohol or one of the listed oils. I personally wouldn't feel comfortable using the scalding method as I have seen wayk too many people kill their Hoyas. That said, To each their own. You do U kind of deal 😊💚🌿🌱🌵🪴🍀🍃
I’m so fascinated with this topic. I didn’t spend a lot of time researching it but I figured drowning bugs must be an option. Now I know warm water is required and it takes 15 minutes to kill these (which I’m pretty sure are responsible for stunted growth issues I have with some of my Hoyas). Your content is amazing. Keep doing everything you’re doing. Truly grateful.
😭😭😭 thank you! 💕 Hope you can get rid of those bastards!
Omfg I've been saying fungicide wrong too lol great freaking video girl! Thank you for this info
Thank you for the video. What magnification did you use to see the mites? I have a jeweler loop up to 60x and would rather not have something hookedup to my computer/phone/network
My microscope has a range of magnification from 40x to 1000x (or so it says haha). Usually when I look for mites I use the highest magnification possible but you might be able to see something with 60x too:)
Thank you so much you’ve solved my mystery that killed my entire collection. I’ve got one krimson queen holding on for dear life I’m going to treat her now. . Lost 27 Hoyas some up to 15 years old.. I need to eradicate these mites and start over. Anyone have any cuttings they could spare to help me replace my antidepressant Hoya garden back? I miss my hobby so bad. I’ve got many cacti I could trade or will pay shipping or a small feee if they are already rooted. I always fail at rooting cuttings.
"awww I hate you." Oof. I felt that in my soul 😅
Also...the feeling is mutual 🥰
@@KnotDude Awwww thanks for watching BESTIE 🤣🤣❤
Thank you! That was very informational and helpful!
This was very helpful! I don't have it in me to visually confirm that a few of my hoyas have these pests. :-) Nor to dunk them in such hot water. But I did order the bonide sulfur product to try out after watching your collab with Adam.
Hahaha I understand completely 🤣 I hope the fungicide helps if you do somehow have them!
So this is the first time I’m watching you and you have the best sense of humor! From a fellow American. Lol
🤣🤣🤣❤️
How did the hot water treatment turn out?
I was told you can use 70% alcohol mixed with some water and it would kill the mites instantly. Once a week I tried to rinse my plants off and then I spray my plant with that mixture. I also put in bona fide insect powder into the dirt, which they say the plant absorbs through the roots and goes through the plants and the bugs don't like it it's supposed to last for 2 months. So far I didn't kill my hoyas
This sounds like a much safer option. I have seen people completely kill all their Hoyas using the water scalding method.
Thanks for showing the process you used for warm baths, I hope it works! Phytoseiulus persimilis feed exclusively on the two-spotted spider mites so it's no surprise they didn't work for the false spider mites :).
Welp, that explains it I guess 🤣 but then again I thought the californicus was only supposed to feed on spider mites as well but idk 😂
@@JosieYapsALot yeah, it's very confusing! But I'm a biology and plant nerd with ADHD and I really did some deep dives on this haha... mostly for thrips but I remember that fact about the persimilis because the only other thing they really like to eat is each other 🤣
@@brennabelland4678 that’s metal af, love it 🤣
Great video! I do have a question.
After watching your video, Knot Dude's video, AND Betsy's video... multiple times... I decided to do the warm bath method today. I am super anxious, as my hoyas are my favorite plants (luckily I don't have any rares, but still, they're my favorites and I don't want to buy new ones hahah). I didn't even get a microscope, I just knewww based on the videos and symptoms that I had the buggers.
After you treated for mites using the warm bath method... how long did it take to see new growth starting again, if any? Days, weeks, months?
For reference, I literally just have a Krimson Princess & Queen, a wayetii, and a publicalyx - so they all are supposed to be decently "quick growing hoyas"... but I have them in room conditions with average humidity, so it's not like I'd expect them to have CRAZY amounts of growth anyway. But I'm just wondering how long I should expect I guess, I'm just so nervous!
Aww Lauren!!! There’s nothing to be worried about although I do understand where your anxiety is coming from. I think it largely depends on the plant but mine started growing pretty much immediately after they’d been treated, a week or two at most. Obviously that’s just my experience so it may vary but hope that’s of some help to you, good luck! ❤️
@@JosieYapsALot thank you for such a quick and kind reply 😌 I really appreciate it! Fingers crossed, and thanks again!
An update: they’re all dead 😅🙃
@@laurenmuldoon3685 OH NOOOO, how come????
@@JosieYapsALot I think the temp of my water was too high, despite my best effort to keep it under 120* and using a thermometer :/ within 2 days of treatment all my hoyas' leaves basically shriveled up. To say I'm very sad is an understatement hahah but nowwww I know I guess!
Thanks for making this video! Time to invest in the 1000x magnification microscope! I am so grateful to you, Knot Dude and Betsy Begonia for bringing this flat mite issue to the plant community’s attention! Anyone know if just putting sublimed sulphur in plant soil will treat the same as the Bonide fungicide?
Not sure about the answer to that but I think the sulfur kills them on contact, ie that you need to spray them with it in order for it to be effective. That’s just my theory though! Someone correct me if I’m wrong! 😂
@@JosieYapsALot Thanks for response, Josie. I couldn’t find any mites with the new 1000X microscope I ordered (operator error?) but the one Hoya has those multiple growths at the end of stems that do nothing, so sounded like mite response. I mixed the powder sulphur with water and tried to spray the suspension, but it just clogged the sprayer. Need to get a specially emulsified liquid sulphur or sprinkle the powder. Tomorrow, back with the microscope to check the other 30+ hoyas. Urghhh! At least I’ll get the knack of using the microscope....
The warm bath method is SO addictive!!
I treated multiple plants at a time and used a tea towel to weigh the plants down in the water. I’ve also had success treating pothos this way for spider mites
Really? See I’d be scared to try anything besides hoyas, at least their leaves are quite hardy 😂 I assume it was okay though?
@@JosieYapsALot I was a bit scared, but I asked Betsy about it and said she’d read that you can use the method on all sorts of plants, so I looked it up.
I had a slight change in colour where there was already spider mite damage. It worked like a charm really!
Don’t say been oil what kind of microscope do you have?
I found a whole horde of them one two marantas, but not on any hoya 😂 Luckily, I’m not very invested in these two plants, so I’m just experimenting with ways to get rid of the mites
Ahh I said the word boil and Betsy commented on my comment and said not boil lol … but I have to boil because my tap water does not reach 110 degrees Fahrenheit, I use the same exact method :) thanks for sharing girlie because these things are just so frustrating!!
Josie thanks for the video! I just want to add that if you want to easily connect your microscope to your phone it's easy enough to do so with a USB/lightning cable (has apple gone to USB C yet? They really should :P ) adapter. You can skip the computer step this way and they're cheap :)
I tried that but there’s no app for iOS 🤪 so now I’ve got a lightning to usb-c connector that’s useless to me 🤣🥲 thank you for the thought though! 💕
@@JosieYapsALot ugh! well that puts that idea to rest 😂
Perfect, I have lots of Hoya too
Are flat mites in the broad mite family? With hemp we have spider mites, broad mites, cyclamen mites and thought to be only on tomatoes the tomato russet mite, now there's hemp russet mites. Only spider mites have webbing. I'm currently dealing with broad mites. Impossible to see because they are translucent and all the lights on your microscopes do is make them harder to see or focus due to the reflecting light. Problem their symptoms look like deficiencies or toxicities, ph issues , by the time serious damage is done their numbers are full infestation. They tend to live the majority of their lives inside the plant and only coming out to mate or relocate ** to my knowledge. Towards the end of the natural life cycle of the plant stalks become rubbery and bend over from their own weight, root rot developed because it's unable to photosynthesis and leaf fall preventing proper nutrient uptake and water uptake.
I'm dealing with a big infestation. It was two plants 10 days ago and now it's about 50 Hoyas. I threw away 7 so far. It's so sad and frustrating 😩. What I started doing is soaking the plants/cuttings in a big bowl with horticultural insecticide and hot water. I leave it for 15 min and then I brush the stems and leaves with a soft toothbrush and rinse. Then I let it dry and check again with microscope and they're gone. I know this is not finish yet, I'm only trying to fight against those evils until I get the sulphur.
Oh that sounds awful, I’m so sorry! I like the toothbrush idea, might give that a try. Hope you can manage to get rid of them, best of luck! 💕
What type of microscope do I look for?? Help! 😊
Check out Betsy's video, she has it linked, it's super cheap.
I have a link in the description box to the one I have but I’d look for one with 1000x magnification (at least) - that’s how much mine magnifies by anyway 😂
@@JosieYapsALot Ty!
I found mites on my hoyas after watching Betsy's video and tried the warm bath method, all but one leaf fell off my Latifolia. 😭I'm in the UK and you can get sulphur you just have to search sulphur and not Bonide, (same for EU I think) it's the same ingredient, so that's next on my to try list!
Oh no 🥲 I hope it can bounce back soon! I did search for a sulfur fungicide in general but I was too overwhelmed by the choices so I gave up 🤣 might give it a try again though if these bastards reappear 😂
I am NOT going to COOK all of my Hoyas. Some of them were NOT CHEAP. I've killed several plants over the years and in many ways. COOKING them IS NOT AN OPTION.
Ugggh. Another thing to worry about. I've had a hoya sarawak die on me after purchasing it within less than a week and now a I have polyneura that isn't doing good. I think I'm going to have to invest in the microscope so I can have some piece of mind or so I can lose my mind depending on what I find. Thank you for the informative video. No one talks about mites other than the spider mites.
🥲 I hope you can figure out what’s wrong with it! Might just be polyneuras being polyneuras though 🥲🤣
So, my question is if they need to be "cooked" at a certain temp, for a certain amount of time, is this way working? I just mean, as soon as you turn off the water, the temp will immediately start to drop? I wanna scream, I have 250+ Hoya and think I have false mites. I just borrowed my parent sous vide, but I'd really HATE to go through this process more than once. I have two full rooms dedicated to Hoya and sprayed sulphur and now my house smells like shit. 😩 These little monsters are the worst. I need to recheck after sulphur treatment under mic but I'm so over itttt
Aww sorry to hear that! The way I do it is I just bring the water to the highest temperature (49 celsius) and you’re right, the temperature does start to drop but it only drops to 46 celsius within those 15 minutes so it’s still within the range. I think the sous vide cooker might be able to maintain the same temperature for as long as you need? Not sure though as I’ve never used one. Unfortunately even if you do try this method you might have to repeat it a couple of times as I did. It’s definitely the cheapest way to go about it though, especially as you have so many hoyas. Best of luck! 💕
@@JosieYapsALot ah! That's awesome and exactly the answer I was looking for! I do have the sous vide for now, but for future reference I wanna know the exact moves to make lol, thank you. I'm hoping the sulphur does so e damage but it STINKS. I mixed with water and stopped up two water bottles and eventually got a gallon garden sprayer. I've also been taking a makeup brush and dusting it in every crevice. I can't remember if know dude said he needed more than one application?
My daughter uses hydrogen peroxide and water sprayed directly on the leaves, stems and top soil to kill mites, and false mites. It will kill the false mites, and nymphs on contact. You can also use any of these oils as well : Rosemary oil, Neem oil ,Chamomile oil, Spearmint oil, or Coriander oil in water and spray every 3 days for a few weeks. These oils will kill the mites their nymphs as well as false mites on contact. Just spraying your plant with a strong stream of water will knock off the adults & eggs. But I would follow up with peroxide, alcohol or one of the listed oils. I personally wouldn't feel comfortable using the scalding method as I have seen wayk too many people kill their Hoyas. That said, To each their own. You do U kind of deal 😊💚🌿🌱🌵🪴🍀🍃
I've got them on all sorts of plant not just on my Hoyas 😭 they love my golden pothos.
🥲 good luck trying to get rid of them
So, did it work?
So... You already moved and I was waiting to get some money to try to buy some of your propagations before you moved😬 guess too late now 😭😭😭
A little too late indeed, sorryyyy 😭 You’ll just have to admire my plants through watching my videos 🤣
@@JosieYapsALot 🤷🏼♀️😬🤣🤣🤣
Don’t say been oil
Amblyseius Andersonii and Swirskii. Azamax every week for 6-8 weeks
You know that microscope is wireless right??? Bluetooth it to your phone. 🫠🥴🥴 you’re welcome. Haha.
It’s not actually, I tried 🤣🥲