

As the spider mites continue to feed on a particular leaf, the leaf takes on a bronze coloration. This destructive feeding style creates tiny speckles on plant leaves, usually yellow or white. Spider mites use their mouthparts to pierce individual plant cells and then drain the contents of the cell.

While feeding, red spider mites will pierce individual plant cellsĪnd then drain the contents. Spider mites are not too picky with their targets either, and are happy to feed on a variety of plants, including apples, azaleas, camellias, cannabis, boxwoods, hibiscus, holly, pears, pecans, spruces and teas.įurther, spider mites can be trouble inside a building and outside, so keep an eye out for them as they attempt to establish themselves in just about any plant-rich environment, including golf courses, greenhouses, interiorscaping projects, landscaping projects, nurseries, parks and plantations. Most spider mites thrive in hot, dry weather and often attack plants that are suffering from a slightly dehydrated state. This webbing is used by the mites to move back and forth along the plant, and it will slowly spread across the entire plant structure as these pests move along to undamaged parts of the plant. Regardless of the species, most spider mites live up to their name by spinning a cloak of webbing over the plants they’re infesting. Willamette spider mite (Eotetranychus willamettei) – A mite that appears to be translucent or pale yellow.Two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) – One of the more common pests, it features a spot on each of its sides, otherwise it’s yellow or clear in appearance.Southern red spider mite (Oligonychus ilicis) – This mite is reddish brown with translucence in the legs and toward the front of the body.Pacific spider mite (Tetranychus pacificus) – A green or amber colored mite.European red spider mite (Panonychus ulmi) – Females of this species are brick-red with light-colored legs.

Carmine spider mites (Tetranychus cinnabarinus) – Red or purple mites with white legs.

However, there are several varieties of spider mite, some of which are green, yellow or translucent, which make them particularly difficult to detect. Most people rarely notice the red-colored spider mites, and when they do, it’s because the tiny creatures contrast so well against plant material. The best way to describe how small they are is to take a pencil and quickly tap it on a piece of paper – the mark you left is about the size of a really big spider mite! While they may be small, they are a big danger to your plants. The important thing to understand about spider mites is that they are very tiny. Spotting a Spider Mite & Its Webbed Plants Often red, these spider-like creatures spin webs and drain a plant of its nutrients. Spider mites are tiny arachnids that can devastate a plant. Several OMRI Listed® solutions, which are compliant for use in organic gardening and help treat and destroy spider mites. Even worse, these arachnids multiply quickly, so multiple treatments are often necessary to appropriately destroy these invaders. Outdoor plants face the same threat from spider mites – left to their own devices, spider mites can quickly destroy your favorite plants. These tiny, often red, bugs can lay waste to your favorite greens overnight if left undetected and unchecked. One of the biggest threats to indoor plants, whether they are simple house plants or those grown in a green house, are spider mites.
