Spider mites on herbs

BexInLondon

I've searched on here, and on google, but the only discussions of "herbs" relate to the non-legal variety... so I've come here to see if anyone can help.

I have spider mites all over the following:
Broad beans (2 plants, each in a pot)
Basil (2 pots with several stems)
Mint (again, in a pot)
Standard rose (has barely any to be honest, and I check and rub the leaves daily after I nearly lost the thing to aphids)

I've read on the RHS website that Provado Ultimate Bug Killer is ok to use on herbs. It's frustrating, as I had wanted to garden organically, but I'm worried that the beasts will spread and kill everything. I've also read that keeping the humidity high will help, but my plants are on a very hot roof terrace and I work all day so can't keep misting them. I've also read that a solution of soap, water and oil will help, but last time I tried (on aphids) that it gunged up my rose tree and didn't seem to hurt them. Rubbing the leaves with meths has been suggested but I don't know whether this is ok with herbs that I want to eat!

So, here are my questions (if you've made it this far!)
1) Can I rub herb leaves with meths (basil and mint)?
2) Is there anything I can do preventatively to keep my tomato plant safe, other than keeping it as far from the infested plants as possible?
3) Does the provado work?
4) Has anyone got any other bright ideas?

I'd love to use predatory mites as a similar solution saved my courgettes from sciarid flies last year but if I can avoid it I don't want to spend £20!

Davesnave

They can't fly, only walk, so the tomato is as OK as it can be if not physically close. A hot roof terrace is just the sort of place they love, I'm afraid. Try to use gravel or another water storage medium to keep the air around the plants as moist as possible.

The Provado should work, though there will always be resistant strains developing, especially now there's only a very limited number of remedies available. Most chemical controls were withdrawn about 6 or 7 years ago, but I was lucky enough to have a large quantity of acaricide used to treat commercial strawberries, and I'm still using it, infrequently, and only when I really have to. As a result, it is 100% effective. There are probably others out there for commercial growers, but I haven't looked.

TBH I only ever treat inedible things with strong chemicals. If anything edible gets spider mite, I just bin it and start again with quick things, like basil. For the broad beans & toms, I'd just keep them going as long as possible as they might still produce, perhaps using something based on rapeseed oil to slow the spidery beggars down, rather than expecting complete control.