In all my years of growing, I've never had spider mites, thrips, or root aphids. Are there areas or climates in North America where you just don't see such pests?
Yours! Where you at? I wouldn't be surprised if it's got as much to do with your husbandry as anything else. In other words, if your plants are thriving and at top notch health, they'll likely suffer far fewer such attacks. Your thumb must be massively green!
I'm going to reiterate what a fantastic vector we humans make. I've found that simply putting my shoes, hats, etc, into the freezer overnight ensures no living mites. I can't say it's effective for everything, but I know I've managed to stop being such a great vector by using this method.
