Brys Karb

Oh are they? Thats interesting. The plant with the active bugs on it is catnip which surprises me that they would be able to thrive on.

Looking for advice to manage a pest infestation. It is my second growing season at my new place and it’s quite apparent that I have an abundance of spider mites that will take more than pesticides or individual plan treatments to manage.

Last year, I attempted management with ladybugs, PERSIMILISforce™, neem oil, and diatomaceous earth.

My lot my home sits on was abandoned for about 10 years in zone 6a. It’s clear that there used to be a lawn. Now it hosts several varieties of weeds. The soil is on the sandy side with many dry, desolate patches. There are neighboring trees along the fence line, mostly invasive ash that the neighbors have overgrown.

Attaching a video and picture of the mites from this year and last.

I believe managing this will take a holistic approach. While most of the advice I find online and in books suggests pesticides or individual plant treatments, I think what needs to happen is ecosystem restoration. Thoughts?

I have a possible spot to plant a few fruit trees but the kicker is that it’s shaded by an 8’ tall fence. This would be at the eastern border of my urban lot on our 6’ wide x 30’ long retaining wall. It receives four hours max of sun next to the fence in the summer months but once the trees grow taller than the fence (they’re dwarves so I am expecting 15’), then they will have 6-8 hours of sun every day. Does this seem like a terrible idea or is it doable?