home | summer garden | sensory garden

Spider Mite

Spider mites are not insects. They have eight legs, whereas insects have six. They are so small they look like walking specks. Mites can be harmful in mass, but a few here and there are nothing to worry about. They tend to feed on fruit trees, berries, ornamental plants, and vegetable plants. Adults suck out cell contents from the host. Plants with these mites often have a web around stems and leaves. These webs are actually where they get their name, spider mite. Newly hatched larva emerge from cream-colored eggs. The new larva only have six legs. As they mature, they grow two more legs. Mites are arachnids, the same class as spiders.

Photo from Eric Coombs, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org: spider mites clustered on a plant stem