Twospotted Spider Mites

The twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, is an important pest of ornamental and food crops. They feed on over 100 species of plants by sucking the fluid out of cells in leaves and needles. This “stippling” damage can rapidly cause entire plants to take on a bronzed appearance. It is important to scout for twospotted spider mites now because they reproduce most rapidly in hot dry weather. Under these conditions they can mature from egg to reproducing adult in 5 days! Look on the underside of leaves on susceptible hosts or beat foliage on a white piece of paper to scout for spider mites. If you notice mites or their damage a range of control options are available, the best of which are several new miticides that provide long residuals and efficacy against all mite life stages. For more information and product suggestions, visit the newly revised Ornamentals and Turf Insect Note No. 25 on the web at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/O&T/flowers/note25/note25.html.