The spider miteis a pest that frequently appears on conifers. It most often attacks cypress trees, Norway spruce and white spruce, junipers, Korean fir and thuja. The appearance ofspider mite on conifersmay result in the loss of color of the needles, then their massive browning and dropping off. See how to correctly identifysymptoms of spider mite feeding on conifers , compare photos and learn about the best ways tofight the spider miteThis is the secret of he althy conifers!
Pine spider mite - the photos show the feeding symptoms of the pine spruce spruce on the white spruce 'Conica'
Red spider mite - symptoms
The spider mite (Oligonychus ununguis) is a small arachnid that attacks coniferous trees and shrubs. Initially, it causes a mosaic yellow-brown discoloration of the needles, then browning and falling off.
This pest is especially fond of spruces. And so, on Norway spruce, Serbian spruce and blue sprucefeeding symptoms of pine spruceare visible inside the crown, on the needles of older shoots. However, on dwarf varieties of Norway spruce 'Nidiformis' and 'Little Gem' and white spruce 'Conica', also on the needles of young shoots. It is characteristic that in dwarf forms of white and common spruce, the browning of the needles progresses from the bottom of the plant upwards, and in the blue spruce - from the trunk towards the outer part of the tree's crown. On the other hand, cypress and thuja attacked by the pine wood spider mite have yellow mosaic-like spots on the scales, and their scales turn gray over time.Often, small, amber eggs of this pest can be observed on plant shoots.
Pine spider mite on conifers. Visible browning of needles and a characteristic cobweb
Be sure that it isspider mite on conifers , we will have small spider webs on the needles, under which pests are hiding. Unfortunately, then it may be too late for effective spraying. That is why it is worth putting a white sheet under the conifers' shoots earlier, from May, and then shake the plant or hit the shoots several times, shaking off any pests from them. If there are numerous, small, fast-moving spiders (to observe them, it is worth having a magnifying glass with you), it is a sign that we are dealing withpine tree spider miteand you need to spray.
Red spider mite - combating
Effectivecombating the pine spider miteis difficult due to the rather complicated development cycle of this pest.It hibernates on the bark of conifers in the form of amber eggs. At the end of April and May, larvae hatch from them and feed on the needles until they reach adulthood. However, the period of emergence of the larvae from the eggs is quite long and the plant may simultaneously contain both eggs, larvae and adult forms of the spider mite. Moreover, when in the summerspider mite on conifersalready develops spider webs, which constitute a protective barrier for it, the spraying efficiency drops significantly.
Thereforepine spider mite spraying must be carried out at the beginning of the hatching period of the larvae from the eggs, before the insects develop spider webs, i.e. in May and June. For spraying, we choose spider mites, such as Karate Zeon 050 CS (we dissolve 5 ml of the agent in 5 ml of water) and Magus 200 SC (we dissolve 6 ml of the agent in 10 liters of water). The latter is worth special recommendation, as it fights all development stages of spider mites at the same time. This allows you to reduce the number of spraying operations.
In order to limit plant protection products used during the growing season, when they are harmful not only to pests but also beneficial insects, it is also very important to performpreventive spraying against spider mites on conifersin early spring, before vegetation starts plants. For this purpose, preparations based on paraffin oil, ie Promanal 060 EC or Treol 770 EC, as well as the ecological Emulpar 940 EC preparation based on linseed oil are used. The purpose of this spraying is to destroywintering spider mite eggswithout harming the environment. Conifers can also be used in the growing season to combat pests that are already feeding.
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