Tips For Spider Mites Control

Spider mites are common garden pests that thrive in hot and dry conditions, although they are active during springtime their populations become nervous from June through September. These insect pests are also known as ” cool season mites”. These mites belong to the Tertanychidae family which includes 1,200 species, these arachnids are not true spiders.

I have treated these garden insect pests both on outdoor as well as indoor plants, in this guide we will be taking a closer look at this insect and how to bring control so your plants can maintain their health and their beauty.

Spider Mite Identification

Spider mites are so tiny they are barely visible to the naked eye, these insects are hard to spot, you will need the help of a 10x hands lens, the adult female is the largest form and is less than 1/20 inch long. Spider mites live in colonies mostly on the undersides of plant leaves. A single colony may contain hundreds of individuals.

The Biology of Spider Mites

The female lays her eggs on the undersides of the plant leaves in groups of 10 or 20, the eggs are protected or incase in white spider webs, the female spider mite may also lay or deposit her eggs in fallen leaves, weeds, or debris to overwinter or staying dormant until early spring. But the typical life cycle of the spider mite is as follows. The egg, the larva, and the two nymphal stages.

The length of time from egg to adult varies greatly depending on the temperature, under the right conditions (80ºF) these mites complete their development in about 5 to 25 days. The adult female lives about 2 to 4 weeks and can lay several hundreds of eggs during her short life span.

Spider Mite Damage or Symptoms

To know if spider mites are the culprit of your garden plant decline look for these signs

• Leaves take on a grey-dusty appearance, the leaves may sometimes appear a pale yellow
• The leaves have tiny holes known as stipplings where the mites are feeding, this feeding removes chlorophyll
• Webbing can be seen on and in between the leaves, in extreme cases, the entire plant may be covered with webs
• The leaves of certain types of plant species that are affected by spider mites take on a bronze or brownish cast, bronzing may come after or before stipplings
• Another test to know if spider mites are present is to take a sheet of white paper and place it under the infected leaf/leaves. Now tap or shake the leaves if you see tiny dots moving about on the sheet of paper, you may even feel them crawling on your face and arms. If this is your experience then you most likely have a spider mite issue.

Biological Control

Biological control is a safe approach to controlling the population of spider mites, this method involves the use of beneficial insects that are natural predators of spider mites. Examples of spider mites are ladybugs, lacewing larvae, the spider mite destroyer, big-eyed bugs, Western flower thrips, minute pirate bugs, etc…. beneficial insects can be purchased and released in your garden or introducing them naturally by installing the right plants to attract these insects.

Home-Made Remedies

• Rosemary oil works great as a natural repellent for spider mites.
• Combine a quart of warm water with one teaspoon of dish liquid, shake this mixture thoroughly, and add to a spray bottle. When spraying ensure that this mixture dispenses fine and misty getting total coverage of both the top and undersides of the leaves.
• Mix 1 part rubbing alcohol to 4 parts water in a bowl, dip a piece of clean cloth in this solution, and begin to clean the leaves in a rubbing manner.

Chemical Control

Chemical treatments should be the last resort and should only be introduced when the spider mite populations are in great numbers,  some chemicals that can be used for spider mite control are insecticidal, soap, horticultural oil, neem oil, etc.… before using insecticides read and follow the manufacturer’s directions for the best result. Once the area is treated keep kids and pets out of these areas.

Conclusion

Scales are garden insects pest that will do much damage to your gardens and landscapes but you can strick back with these proven methods that have given good results why not contact us and let us put a program in place for you that will bring success as your garden and landscape plants produce a great harvest.