Interesting thread. Spider mites are always a bitch. Flo, I like the looks of the remedy test number 2 that you posted. I see the person who has been testing said it doesn't kill fleas? I wonder what kind of dish soap they are using in it. Dawn dish soap kills fleas, tell them to try dawn.
If this kills thrips like the test person (sorry can't remember their name and I'm a stoner so I don't wanna go back and look) said I'm going to be very excited. So far things look ok, but I killed 5 plants in flower trying to get rid of thrips. I think the thrips are gone, they plants died so surely the thrips died with them.
Thanks for posting the good alternatives for killing spider mites.