Reading the 217C Spider Mite Control Dilution Correctly
The mixing rate on this product surprises people and it is the first thing to get right. Rosemary sits at 10 percent in the bottle, with water, polyglyceryl oleate and lactic acid making up the other 90. It is mixed at 21 oz of concentrate per gallon of water, which is roughly one part concentrate to five parts water. A 16 oz bottle therefore makes less than a single gallon of finished spray. Anyone used to a conventional miticide at a few millilitres per litre will under-estimate this badly on a first attempt. Sierra Natural Science specify warm water at around 70 F, distilled or otherwise chlorine free, because chlorine interferes with the emulsion. The product is exempt under FIFRA 25(b) and carries an OMRI listing.
Hitting Spider, Broad and Russet Mites Where They Sit
Coverage is the entire job with a contact material and mites make that difficult on purpose. They sit on leaf undersides, in the growing tips and in the folds where a spray passes over the top without touching them. Turning the leaf and spraying upward is not a refinement, it is the application. This must not go on under direct sunlight or running lamps. Treat at lights-out, or with the fixtures off and the canopy cool. Eggs are included in the claim, which matters because a miticide that misses eggs just resets the population a week later. Two things worth saying plainly. It can be used up to the day of harvest when used as directed. And a heavy oil emulsion on a hot leaf will mark it, so test a few plants before committing a whole room.
Key Features
- Active ingredient: Rosemary at 10.00 percent of the concentrate
- Inert ingredients: Water, polyglyceryl oleate and lactic acid, making up 90 percent
- Dilution: 21 oz of concentrate per gallon of water, about one part in six
- Water quality: Warm water at around 70 F, distilled or chlorine free
- Pests: Spider mites, broad mites and russet mites, including the eggs
- Regulatory status: Exempt under FIFRA 25(b), with an OMRI listing
- Application: Leaf undersides and growing tips, where mites actually sit
- Timing: Never under direct sunlight or with the lamps running
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | Sierra Natural Science |
| Active ingredient | Rosemary, 10.00 percent |
| Other ingredients | Water, polyglyceryl oleate, lactic acid, 90 percent |
| EPA status | Exempt under FIFRA 25(b) as a minimum risk pesticide |
| OMRI | Listed |
| Dilution rate | 21 oz of concentrate per gallon of water |
| Dilution ratio | Roughly 1 part concentrate to 5 parts water |
| Water requirement | Warm, about 70 F, distilled or chlorine free |
| Target pests | Spider mites, broad mites, russet mites and eggs |
| Light restriction | Do not apply in direct sunlight or under running lamps |
| 16 oz SKU | 746010, under one gallon of finished spray |
| 1 gallon SKU | 746015, about 6 gallons of finished spray |
| 5 gallon SKU | SNS217C-5, about 30 gallons of finished spray |
| Bulk sizes | SNS217c50G at 50 gallons and SNS217c250G at 250 gallons |