How to spot aphids, thrips and spider mites in your garden — and how to get rid of them. Becky Wern. For the Times-Union. At this time of the year, plants are really beginning to grow.

Thrips and spider mites can be a major headache for gardeners. However, with proper prevention and treatment methods, you can keep these pests at bay and keep your plants healthy and thriving.

Spider mites may be tiny, but they can cause massive damage on plants before you even know they are there. Here's how to find and identify the eggs.

Ladybugs, six-spotted thrips, pirate bugs, big-eyed bugs, lacewings, and some species of predatory mites all feast on spider mites. Avoid using broad-spectrum insecticides since you don’t want ...

Good insects in this case would include lady beetles and predatory thrips that would love to dine on your spider mites. For this, and a lot of other reasons, I recommend the use of organic pesticides.

Q: For the last few years, I have been having problems with spider mites on my tomato plants. I’ve tried hosing off the plants in the morning, but I think this has been causing blossom end rot ...

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