Whether you want to know or not, mites are everywhere. If it makes you feel any better, a lot of mite species are harmless to humans and plants. However, there are quite a few mites that cause significant damage to garden and landscape plants.
Before we talk about specific mites, it’s important to realize that mites are different from insects. Mites are arachnids like spiders. Most have eight legs and two body parts instead of six legs and three body parts like insects. Mites do not have wings, so they rely on their legs or the wind to travel. There are thousands of mite species worldwide. Below you’ll find more information on common mite species found in Florida.
Two-spotted Spider Mite
The two-spotted spider mite is the most common pest mite in the state. These mites are very small (less than 1/50 inch) with two distinct spots. Two-spotted spider mites can be seen by the naked eye, but a hand lens is certainly helpful for spotting them. You may also choose to tap suspected infested leaves over a white piece of paper or disposable cup to get a better headcount. Two-spotted spider mites feed on the undersides of leaves causing a stippled or bronzed appearance on leaf tops.
Broad Mites
Broad mites are known to feed on citrus, tomatoes, peppers, and ornamentals like begonias and lantana. They are even smaller than two-spotted spider mites coming in at less than 1/150 inch. Good luck even finding them with a hand lens. Broad mites are oval and yellow to green with a faded stripe. Their feeding causes young leaves and buds to become distorted, stunting plant growth, and discoloring fruit.
Eriophyid Mites
Eriophyid mites cause leaf distortion and stunted growth on a vast range of plants. These mites are microscopic, spindle-shaped, translucent, and only have four legs. Eriophyid mites transmit plant diseases and their damage is sometimes confused with herbicide damage. The species Phyllocoptes fructiphilus is the vector of Rose Rosette Disease.
Mite Control
Mites can be controlled with insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils, and miticides. It is important to only use miticides as a last resort, because many miticides are toxic to beneficial insects. Biological control is another option for managing mites. Believe it or not, there are beneficial mites living among us and you can purchase them as well. A couple common species of predatory mites are Neoseiulus californicus, Phytoseiulus persimilis, and Amblyseius swirskii. These species can be found feeding on other mites, thrips larvae, and whitefly larvae and eggs.
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