LJ, it sounds like it could be spider mites from your description. Not absolute.

Spraying with water will definitely wash them off, but will not get rid of them. Keep this tree on it's own away from you others.

I spray mine with a Insecticidal soap w pyrethrum in it. Not sure if you can get it in U.S. I spray every week for two weeks. Always in shaded area, because leaves can burn if in sunlight with product on the leaves.

Tracy or someone may know of one you can get in the U.S.

Rick

Alright thanks rick.

Yes it does sounds like spider-mites. In the the use we use ecoSmart organic soap based (soap helps the ingredients to sticks to the leaves). Adeniums are very hardy and I would first take off all the leaves (they will grow back) and then spray the branches and trunk of the desert rose plant. Then do it again in 7 days (repeat for 3 weeks). If you wait too long the pests will infest other plants in your area so the sooner the better. water will not get rid of them.

AdeniumRose Company LLC

LJ, I also live in Hawaii and because we haven't had rain in a while the spider mites are having a field day. What I've been doing is using "Da Finga" Every day morning and afternoon I inspect under the leaves and use my finger to smash them. If you see orange streaks on your finger that means you got them. I also take a bunch of them inside at night and while I'm watching TV I cut little squares of paper towel and rub under the leaves with diluted alcohol. It's kind of time consuming my husband thinks I'm crazy but if you don't mind spending the time it's better than spraying with insecticide.

Neem oil (and probably a few things mentioned above - insectisidal soap w/pyrethrum, though I haven't personally used it) is effective if applied with attention/thought towards the mites breeding cycle. They will be smothered/killed on contact with soap/etc, but they probably have already laid eggs. Ideally you want your second spray to be right after these eggs hatch, before they get old enough to lay more eggs. 5 days is a good interval to start with, when you have an active infestation.

Neem specifically interferes with both feeding and breeding, making it easier to break this cycle. Not sure how pyrethrum's mechanism works, but, you definitely still want to try and break the breeding cycle with any treatment for spider mites if facing an active infestation.

I have used both dyna-gro cold pressed neem, and azatrol, an azidrachtin (main active ingredient in neem) extract. If "cold pressed" or "azidrachtin" are not specifically called out on the label of a neem based product, it's probably not what you want for pest purposes - "hydrophobic extract of neem" on a label refers to a different extraction process that eliminates most of the good stuff from neem. Bayer Natria Neem, for example, is not a neem I'd use.

Then there is "the nuclear option" which is Bayer Advanced 3-in-1, which contains both imidapclorid, a systemic with somewhat controversial properties (google it if curious... beware much sponsored content on both sides), and a fungicide and miticide. It is definitely effective, but shouldn't be sprayed indoors and can be harmful to people/pets, unlike neem and pyrethrum. Bayer does get rid of most any known plant pest.

Daniel