Cucumber pests....

[Jelliebabe]

Okay there is something wrong with my best cuke...

I noticed that the lower leaves were browning and there seems to be like a fine spiders web over the leaves and the baby cukes and the growing tip. None of the new cukes now seem to be surviving. This is indoors in the conservatory. The web does seem to have some sort of tiny pale brown fly type bugs in it.... but I cant really see them they are very weeny...

[Jeanied]

Hmm I think that is red spider mite - you will need to mist the plants and / or spray for the mites. I am assuming the plant is under glass?

[Jelliebabe]

Maybe these are a bit bigger

[Jelliebabe]

Ohhhh could be - yes they are under glass... does that spread to others as I have one of the picolino cukes in there too!

Also whats the best way to treat them?

[Jeanied]

Mist the plants asap - the mites do not like humidity.

This is an organic site with recommendations.

[Jelliebabe]

Ooooooh thanks Jeanie - I've done that now. Had a water sprayer for the ironing. FUnny I only noticed it in the las couple of days (I was away from Thursday morning to Sunday night) so the conservatory WAS really dry. Other times I have kept the plants really moist! so It HAS been humid in there until recently.

[Davyburns]

I had RSM last year, and an old fella told me to spray em with a very mild diluted detergent, paying special attention to the underside of the leaves, and it worked great!