Spider mites 1-2 weeks after purchase.

[noz03]

I bought a rose plant, not sure which kind but here is a photo from a few days after I first got it:

Although I noticed the flowers were falling off at an alarming rate right from the first day, I thought I was maybe a little rough with it when carrying it home but they continued to drop, one by one. After about a week I had noticed the leaves near the base also turning yellow and at this point there was not a single flower left. I started to remove the yellow/dead leaves and noticed a sort of spider web like thing on some of them but didn't pay much attention, until today I looked close and now (2 weeks after purchase) the plant, or what's left of it, is covered in spider webs and microscopic little spider mites!

So I am thinking to talk to the shop about it, but first wanted to ask here as I don't know much about this kind of thing... But could such an infestation happen so quickly or was the plant likely already infested before I bought it?

Secondly... Is there anything that can be done, or should I just throw it away?

 

[Becky]

Eek, sorry to hear that! Spider mite infestations can show up really quickly, so it would be difficult to know whether the plant was affected before you bought it. You could try hosing down the plant thoroughly, that can be an effective way to get rid of them. Be very careful though, they can travel through the air to other houseplants.

 

[Chuck]

I bought a rose plant, not sure which kind but here is a photo from a few days after I first got it:

Although I noticed the flowers were falling off at an alarming rate right from the first day, I thought I was maybe a little rough with it when carrying it home but they continued to drop, one by one. After about a week I had noticed the leaves near the base also turning yellow and at this point there was not a single flower left. I started to remove the yellow/dead leaves and noticed a sort of spider web like thing on some of them but didn't pay much attention, until today I looked close and now (2 weeks after purchase) the plant, or what's left of it, is covered in spider webs and microscopic little spider mites!

So I am thinking to talk to the shop about it, but first wanted to ask here as I don't know much about this kind of thing... But could such an infestation happen so quickly or was the plant likely already infested before I bought it?

Secondly... Is there anything that can be done, or should I just throw it away?

Spider mites are difficult but not impossible to get rid off. They have an extremely fast reproductive rate. They also have a complicated reproductive cycle. Once you start this process you cannot stop or you have lost all you have gained. The first thing to do is to kill the eggs that are on the underside of the leaves. Spray Neem Oil for this every 5 days. Now for the most important part, use a spinosad based insecticide as a soil drench and spray for a contact kill. The soil drench is very important. Use the drench about every 6-9 days for a month. Spray BOTH sides of the leaves once every week. Keep this regimen up for a month to make sure you've got them all. After you've killed them all spray your plants with liquid seaweed every week. Not only does this help your plants it also acts as a Big Deterrent to spider mites.