How to Identify Red Spider Mites Outdoors

Red spider mites are a type of insect that preys on garden plants and flowers. These creatures are related to spiders, but the mites suck the juice of plants instead of eating insects. Spider mite infestations can happen quickly, making these pests a huge risk for foliage, ornamental plants, vegetables and fruit. Red spider mites are most likely to occur in greenhouses and conservatories, and thrive in hot dusty conditions. They usually winter in soil or tree bark, and come out again in the spring.

Things You'll Need

• Magnifying glass

Instructions

1. Check your plants often. An early sign of red spider mites is small spider webs on the plant itself. Infested plants will look like they're covered in unhealthy dust. Check the top sides of the leaves for white speckling.

2. Check the stems and underneath the leaves of your plants for spider mite egg sacs and larvae. The egg sacs will look like little bundles of spider webbing. Eggs are small and translucent. Red spider mite larvae are white six-legged miniatures of the adults.

3. Check the stems and underneath the leaves for adult red spider mites. Spider mites will be bright red in the spring, and olive green in the fall. They will look like miniature spiders, about 1 mm long, with only one body section (rather than two, like a regular spider).

Tips & Warnings

• Use a magnifying lens to identify red spider mites.

• Red spider mite infestations can kill plants, if left unchecked

References

• How to Control Red Spider Mites
• What is a Red Spider Mite