Good Morning Allen,

While I've never grown anything my self, literally... I've cared for a house plant or two, but I don't even have so much as a cut daisy in a vase currently. I can offer a bit of insight on predatory mites. I'm not sure of the experience ZedL has, simply looking at his post count and reading his advice on (I assume) chemical control, it seems he's been around the block once or twice - however I'd have to disagree with his overall statement.

I have a long background working with invertebrates, particulalry those from tropic and sub-tropic regions. Naturally, and even more in captivity, mites are an issue for any animal (and plant as you've discovered) that require warm, humid enviroments. Trying to physically erridicate them is impossible as they piggy back everything. I've boiled and baked substrate/bleached containers, only to see mites appears at the first given oppurtunity.

What you can do however is two things. One, as I mentioned above... keep everything as clean as possible. The second, as your on to, is treatment with predatory mites.

My first line of defense if I were you is as soon as possible, try to plan a way to change out as much of the substrate from your room as you can. Obviously its hard becuase there is plants growing in them. But if you replace a couple pots, the ones you don't replace will just infect the ones you are, quickly. This assumes your using soil and it's all open. If not, which ever way you could go about cleaning your media would the next best - I have no experience in that area. The object is to remove as many of the current mites, and (most important) as much of the current dead/decaying matter from your room. Thats what the mites are truley after.

Next, as I mentioned - heat and humidity are a mites best friend. While you need them in your 'room', controlling both (especially humidity) to a T will significantly reduce your mite infestation. Depending on how much your plants can take it, drying out your room for even a couple days does a lot to a mite population.

Last, as I mentioned - predatory mites are used quite extensively in the world on invertebrate study. Why? Because mites on an animal and mites on a plant are much different pests. Physically, mites which use animals as hosts, adhere to the animal. It's physically impossible to remove them and those which are on the animal iteself will not die as they benefit from moisture exchange. Now predatory mites do their job and do them quite well. I've seen cases where invertebrates, close to death from mite infestations, have become mite free and made full recoverys simply from the use of predatory mites. Personally, our favorite was the mite 'H. miles' as it was quite large and could eat nearly any other mite it crossed. However, I did cross reference an old site of mine and saw the mite 'P. persimilis' which is said to be an excellent mite for controlling spider mites.

I have a bit more info if your interested but thats the bulk of my personal experiences summed up.

Take care,
Buddy