Take one creepy crawly word that makes you shudder and add another icky word and you get spider mites.
Don’t bother hiding behind your curtains and peering out the kitchen window to see if you have these destructive plant pests.
You practically need a magnifying glass to see them.
What are the signs of spider mites on plants? What should you do about them?
Lean in and let’s take a close look.
What the Heck Are Spider Mites?
These itty bitty pests are so tiny you can barely see them. They live in colonies, mostly on the underside of plant leaves.
The problem is, they’re hungry. They eat by piercing the leaves of your plants and sucking up the plant fluids.
Spider mites are most common in hot, dry conditions, especially where their natural enemies — other bugs — have been killed off by insecticide use.
Chemical pesticide use actually encourages the spread of spider mites by killing the beneficial insects that eat them.
So if you’re working hard to keep insects out of your yard, you may be rewarded with spider mite damage. Yay, right?
Early Signs of Spider Mites
When spider mites first move in, you’ll notice tiny light dots on your plant leaves.
You’ll also likely notice their silky webs under leaves and along stems.
Spider Mite Damage
Each tiny mite survives by sucking the juices from plant cells. One tiny mite can’t cause much harm, right? But a big infestation causes visible spider mite damage.
First you’ll notice tiny spots on plant leaves. Then leaves may turn yellow, curl and dry up, and fall off.
How to Get Rid of Spider Mites
Spider mites seem like insects, so it makes sense to treat them with an insecticide, right?
Not this time.
Spider mites aren’t true insects, but are classed as a type of arachnid, relatives of spiders, ticks, and scorpions.
So the sneaky little pests aren’t controlled by regular insecticides. You need a miticide specifically designed to kill mites. Or at least a pesticide that says it also kills mites.
Another way to get rid of spider mites is horticultural oil, a highly refined petroleum product that kills insects but is filtered and distilled to remove compounds that can harm plants.
Read the directions carefully and be sure to use the recommended rate for the proper time of the year. It can cause some discoloration and other negative effects if used incorrectly.
How to Prevent Spider Mites
Spider mites like dry conditions, so keep your plants healthy by proper watering, especially during the hot, dry months.
Another tip: regularly hose off your plants to remove any mites and their webs.
Keep an eye on your plants, inspecting them occasionally for signs of mites, so you can act quickly before they do too much damage.
Are Your Plants Ready for a New Best Friend?
Plant Health Care Services like spider mite control can be added to our Complete Lawn Care Program in Idaho Falls or Boise.
The first step is to sign up for our 6-step complete lawn care program.
You’ll be glad you did.
Choose an Idaho Falls or Boise professional lawn care service that makes it easy, bundling your yard’s most-needed treatments into one convenient, no-fuss plan.
Fertilizing, weed control, grub control. Done. Get rid of spider mites. Double done.
We’ve got your back.
Got a few minutes? That’s all you need to get started. You can simply:
Fill out the form on this page.
Call us at (208) 656-9131.
Or read more about our services.
Then kick back and relax in your healthy, thriving yard and pest-free home.
Image Source: spider mites, spider mite on leaf
