Spider Mites

So I discovered this evening what's eating my magnolia leaves...spider mites. I discovered two of the munched on leaves appeared to be stuck together. When I pulled them apart, I discovered a thick white web joining them, and then I actually saw the little spider. It would appear I have at least one or two on each magnolia tree, both in the front and back yard. I did a little researched, and found out my assumption that it was probably nothing to worry about was inaccurate. Left unchecked, they can be a very serious problem.

Here's some information I found online about them at http://www.guardenguides.com/

"Spider mites, or two-spotted mites, will eat your magnolia flowers and weave tight webs around the leaves of your magnolia tree. They appear as tiny brown or yellow spots, but can take over your tree within a very short time. Treatments include spraying the tree with a 1:3 ratio of alcohol to water, spraying with a miticide containing pyrethoids, or spraying with an insecticidal soap."

I understand ladybugs can be a natural predator of the spider mites. I suppose that would explain why we have been seeing a number of ladybugs around...they obviously have a food source in our yard. Unfortunately, judging on the increasing number of eaten leaves on my magnolias, it would appear that there are not enough ladybugs to solve my problem, and I fear I would have significant damage to my trees if I were to wait the amount of time it would take to have ladybugs mailed to me. A few garden forums I've read seem to indicate that even a simple soapy water solution on the leaves can be effective to combat these pests. I guess I'll be researching a bit more in the morning and then washing down the leaves.

Weeds and pests...what a day I've had in the yard!