Insect and Bug Guide: Spider Mites
- Old Oak Homestead
- Feb 25
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 3
SPIDER MITES: attack and infest over 200 species of plants
There are approximately 1,200 species of spider mites. The two-spotted spider mite and the red spider mite being the most common in the United States.
No garden that is safe from these little critters if you are not actively managing your home garden environment. The presence of pests and diseases in your garden is often a direct result of certain conditions that can be controlled or improved upon by the gardener. No pest or disease is found in your garden without a cause, and spider mites are no exception to this rule.
During winter, they survive as eggs on plants. Once they hatch, the mites set up colonies on the underside of leaves and spin webs over the leaves they've infested. That's why they're called "spider" mites.
What are Spider Mites?
Most bugs in your veggie garden have six legs, but spider mites are different with their eight legs, making them part of the arachnid family, like spiders and ticks. All arachnids, including mites, have two main body parts and eight legs.
Here's what makes them stand out is that they're super tiny, only measuring about 1/50th of an inch long and if there's a lot of them, you'll see webbing too. Their colors can range from red, green, yellow, orange, to even brown. Spider mites are not true insects, but are classed as a type of arachnid, making them relatives of spiders, ticks, and scorpions.
Host Plants
What do spider mites love the most? The answer: a stressed plant. They also enjoy creating their webs around a huge variety of plants and flowers.
Some of the plants they like include, but are not limited to:
blackberry
blueberry
strawberry
cucumbers
snap beans
peas
tomatoes
lettuce
marigolds
Damaged Caused by Spider mites
They feed by sucking out plant juice. The signs that you have spider mites include, mottled yellow-brown spots on leaves, leaf curl, leaf drop and the telltale sign of webbing. Spider mites are very hard to see. But if you don’t have access to a microscope, place a piece of white paper under affected leaves and gently shake them. If you see what looks like reddish-brown specs of pepper on your paper, you’ve got mites!
Damage can be really bad during hot, dry weather when plants are stressed. Spider mites LOVE stressed plants. Therefore keeping your plants healthy is critical in getting rid of these incredibly pesky critters.
Management of Spider mites
There is an expression that goes like this: an ounce of prenvetion is worth a pound of cure. This couldn't be more true for the spider mite.
Biological Controls
The most effective biological control of spider mites are natural preditors. Natural preditors include:
big eyed bugs
damsel bugs
lacewings
ladybugs
minute priate bugs
mite Predators - Amblyseius andersoni, Phytoseiulus persimilis, Neoseiulus
(=Amblyseius) fallacis, Mesoseiulus longipes, Galendromus occidentalis & Neoseiulus
spidermite Destroyer - Feltiella acarisuga & Stethorus punctillum
It's crucial to avoid using pesticides as they can harm beneficial insects. Mite predators and the spider mite destroyer can work effectively together to manage pests.
Mechanical Controls
You can blast them off with a sharp spray of water from the hose. Becareful not to damage your plants. May not be the most efficient method, if you have a really large garden and you have heave infestation of spider mites.
Cultural Controls
Keep your plants healthy. With a complete soil food web in place, your plants will put out all kinds of pheromones that will keep the bugs away. Prevention is better than cure.
Keep the ground covered with mulch. This will help the ground stay moist.
Keeping the soil food web healthy and robust is our preferred cultural method of dealing all pests include spider mites. We believe this to be a fundamental principle that serves as the foundation for successful plant growth and soil cultivation. Healthy soil, rich in organic matter, nutrients, and beneficial microorganisms, all contribute to the overall vitality of the plants that grow in it. When the soil is well-aerated and has good drainage, it allows roots to penetrate deeply, accessing water and nutrients more effectively. Since we have been dong this we have noticed the pressure from pests including spider mites has reduced considerably or we have not found them in our garden at all.
Harnessing Beneficial Microorganisms for Spider mite Resistant Gardens
When you think about it, a rainforest thrives without using chemicals or treatments for pests. It just handles things naturally, with decomposing pests taking care of the occasional sick plant. Microorganisms like bacteria and fungi form a protective barrier around plant roots, creating a microscopic layer that combats harmful pests such as spider mites while strengthening the plants' natural defenses.
Prioritizing soil health is crucial for cultivating a resilient garden that can resist pest challenges. Healthy soil is rich in organic matter and teeming with beneficial microorganisms, which boost plant vitality. By enhancing your soil with beneficial biology, you support nature's defense force in protecting your plants and reducing their vulnerability to spider mite pest damage.
Ultimately, by prioritizing soil health and fostering a diverse ecosystem filled with natural predators, and using a combination of other control mechanisms as necessary, you can create an environment where spider mites are no longer a problem pest you need to deal with.
Happy Gardening!
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