Count down to Expo!

        Spider mites (Tetranychidae) are not true insects, they are closer in nature to arachnids, like ticks and spiders. They measure less than a millimeter in length, and  their color varies from yellow, to red, to green. Mites feed by extracting sap from leaves, they are commonly found in large congregations on the undersides of leaves. Spider mites thrive in warm/dry Summer climates, infestations are most common from late Summer to early Fall. Spider mites reproduce at the highest rate during the late Summer season.
 

       Spider mite infestations can be identified by several visual indicators. If the leaves in your garden are covered in irregular webbing, eggs, and shed skin, you most likely have an infestation on your hands. These traits are hard to notice, they can appear almost microscopic, but they are most prevalent on the midrib and underside of the leaf. Damage is indicative of strippling, yellowing, wilting, or browning of leaves.

Because of their rapid reproduction rates, Spider mite populations are hard to control. One method is spraying your plants with strong jets of water once or twice a day to wash away Spider mites and discourage them from repopulating.