Of all the pests that might be lurking your landscape, there’s a small-but-mighty foe that needs to be on your radar. That’s because this small pest can cause you big hassles and headaches. The elusive spider mite is a tiny creature that can do major damage to your plants. It has been called one of the most destructive pests in the residential landscape.
Spider mites in trees and shrubs are so teeny that you’re likely to never see them. But you’ll definitely see the damage they leave behind.
Spider mite damage initially appears as yellow blotches on your plant’s foliage. This occurs when the spider mites use their piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on sap.
However, as the feeding intensifies, your plants can wither and die. Spider mites on plants are literally sucking the life out of them. If not treated, you could lose the trees and shrubs that have been impacted by spider mites.
This is why it’s so important to understand this pest and how to deal with it.
In this article, we’ll cover:
What are spider mites?
Signs of spider mites on plants
Can a tree with spider mites be saved?
How to prevent spider mites on shrubs and trees
Investing in plant health care services in Louisville KY
After reading this article, you’ll have a better idea of exactly what to do about spider mites on plants.
Spider mites are small pests that feed off of plants in your landscape. They are quite tiny (an adult averages 1/50th of an inch) so you are unable to see them.
However, with a magnifying glass, you would notice that spider mites come in a variety of patterns and colors. They have eight legs and an oval body and are in the spider class Arachnida.
Spider mites on bushes, trees, and other plants in the landscape can lead to significant damage. This is largely due to the fact that this pest multiplies so quickly. A few spider mites won’t do much harm, however, just a few can quickly become an infestation of this pest.
Some of the plants that are commonly infected by spider mites include Juniper, Arborvitae, Pine, Douglas-Fir, Spruce, and Boxwood, to name just some. There are many other plants that they’ll also attack.
Keep in mind that there are many different species of spider mites and some tend to prefer certain plant types over others.
Because they are so tiny, you are more likely to notice damage than the spider mites themselves.
Spider mites use their piercing sucking mouthparts to suck sap from your plants. This is when you’re likely to notice signs of trouble. You may start to notice stippled or yellowed leaves, which are the result of your plant losing sap. Mites can also leave very small webbing within needles or foliage stems.
As spider mite feeding intensifies, you might also notice that plants look bronzed or bleached and may start to drop their leaves.
Eventually, your trees and shrubs can wither and die if the damage becomes severe enough.
The short answer is yes, a tree with spider mite damage can be saved. But as with any situation where a pest has attacked your tree, it will depend upon the severity of the damage.
If your tree or shrub has been completely ravaged by this pest, it’s possible that it is past the point of no return. But in many cases, a tree or shrub with spider mites can bounce back once the problem is addressed.
Treating spider mites on trees and shrubs comes down to using highly specific miticide products. These spider mite-specific treatments target just the pests that you want to target while not harming others.
It’s important to understand that most plants have different types of mites…and some of them are beneficial (they actually help attack the bad mites). So, you definitely want to use a product that will leave the beneficial mites alone while addressing the harmful pests.
Because spider mites are so tiny and an infestation may go unnoticed until the damage is severe, the best approach is to try and prevent these pests in the first place.
The best way to prevent pests like spider mites is by investing in plant health care.
Put simply, plant health services combine fertilization, pest control, and disease control into a program that will help care for your landscape. This is important as spider mites are just one potential problem that your plants may face. There are other pests (along with diseases and environmental stressors) that can really take a toll on your plants. But plant health care can help.
We know that Louisville homeowners don’t always give their plants much thought…unless there is a problem. Then, people want to know what they can do to fix an issue.
This is where plant health services are so valuable. In many cases, plant health care can PREVENT problems from occuring in the first place. That’s a big deal as problems generally cost at least twice as much (if not more) than simply investing in routine care.
When you invest in plant health care services, you can ultimately save yourself the time, aggravation, and money involved in having to replace trees and shrubs that have died due to problems like spider mites or other pests (or diseases).
When plants are properly protected, you can save yourself from a lot of hassles and headaches of dealing with landscape problems.
You’ll also now have a plant health care expert on your side, helping make valuable recommendations in regard to the ongoing care of your landscape. This means letting go of worries associated with diseases, pests, and other problems, and knowing that your landscape is in good hands.
Of course, problems can arise, even with healthy plants. We’ve always been clear that our plant health care program is not a “magic bullet” or a cure. There are some diseases that cannot be fixed.
However, many can…and plant health care can make a huge difference.
If you’d like to learn more about plant health care for your Louisville home, get in touch, get your quote, and get back to enjoying your yard.
Image Source: Spider Mite
