Spider Mites on Butterfly Bush: Water, Not Insecticide, Is the Cure

Spider Mites on Butterfly Bush: Water, Not Insecticide, Is the Cure

A gardener's butterfly bush bloomed beautifully until recently, then looked stressed. They found multitudes of spider webs with thousands of tiny spiders. They sprayed Malathion (labeled for aphids and spiders) on their honeysuckle and used it on the butterfly bush. The bush turned brown (flowers and all), but stems are green inside. They asked if it's dying, what to treat with, and whether to cut back now (Ohio).

Expert Diagnosis

The "spiders" are spider mites (arachnids, not true spiders), common on butterfly bushes in hot dry weather. Insecticides may help but watering well helps more. Soak root zone every three days; plant should recover. Also spray leaves with water when watering. A little fertilizer may help.