Spider Mites—Don't Hope for Hot, Dry Weather

Spider mites, a garden pest, are not insects. Part of the Arachnida family, they're more closely related to spiders. They have four pairs of legs, no antennae and a single, oval body region.

Spider mites are very small even at the adult stage being about 1/25 inch (1 mm) long.

Many species can spin webs, which they use to protect themselves from their predators.

Since the spider mite mouth is small, these pests puncture individual cells of plants and remove the cells' contents.

The leaf usually takes on a yellow or bronze color and falls off plant.

Spider Mite Species

Just a few of the types of spider mites are:

• Southern red mite
• Oak mite
• Boxwood spider mite
• Two-spotted spider mite
• Spruce spider mite
• European red mite
• Honeylocust spider mite

These mites are divided into types, ones that are active in warm weather, and those that are active in cool weather.

Warm Weather Mites

• Oak
• European red
• Honeylocust
• Two-spotted, probably the most common mite, found on more than 150 types of plants.

Cool Weather Mites

• Southern red
• Spruce mite, found on spruce, pines, junipers and arborvitae

Spider Mite Life Cycle

• The eggs hatch in the first week. Fertilized eggs become females, while unfertilized eggs become the males of the species.
• The larvae are around for a few days.
• The first nymph stage lasts a few days, which is followed by the second nymph stage.
• The adults reach sexual maturity in as few as 5 days. They then begin laying up to 20 eggs a day, for as long as 2 to 4 weeks. With the right conditions (especially hot and dry), some species can create a colony of over 1,000,000 mites in one month!

Look for spider mites by shaking the suspect plant over a white sheet of paper. Then check the paper for these pests.

Control Methods

Neem oil, diluted with water and use with a surfactant can kill the mites. In hot, dry weather, you'll need to repeat this treatment every 9-10 days, which is how short the life cycle can be in those conditions.

There are also several types of beneficial insects that you can use to control the mites, including the Stethorus species of lady beetles (lady bugs).

Several types of predatory mites are also available. Some are sold commercially. They're very effective because they eat spider mites during all life cycle stages.

As a last resort, a full stream of water will wash them off the infested plants.

If this page was valuable for you, please share your new knowledge. Click Like...