Tetranychus urticae
Key Symptoms of Spider Mites:
- Bleached-like appearance on grass leaf
- Fine spider-like web on grass
- During large infestations, damage will occur in ring shapes
As the name suggests, Spider Mites create a fine-like web structure on your lawn that is commonly seen in the morning when there is more moisture in the air. In this blog, we focus on what Spider Mites are, how they can impact your lawn and how to remove them.
What Are Spider Mites?
Spider Mites are native mites that are on average around 0.4mm long and, on close inspection can be seen by the naked eye. When present, they will usually stay on the underside of the leaf as this is where they will feed. These mites will usually feed around the vein of the leaf and will pierce the cell wall of the grass.
When there is an infestation of mites, this will often cause a bleached appearance to affected areas. These mites will also create a fine spider-like web. When large populations are present, the bleached grass and webbing will occur in a ring shape.
What Conditions Do Spider Mites Like?
Spider mites prefer hot and dry drought-like conditions. When hot and dry conditions are present, their lifecycle will speed up, and they can go from an egg to an egg-laying adult in as little as two weeks.
Spider Mite Lifecycle
Spider Mites have five stages in their lifecycle: egg, larva, protonymph, deutonymph, and adult. The newly hatched larva will only have six legs; once they are fully developed in their adult phase, they will have eight.
How to Deter Spider Mites
As Spider Mites prefer dry drought-like conditions, long and frequent irrigation can deter them. If you are concerned that they may be present, we recommend irrigating your lawn two to three times a week for around half an hour. This will help bring moisture back into the turf, helping to deter the mites.
How Can I Treat Spider Mites in My Lawn?
When it comes to treating Spider Mites in lawns, there are a few different miticide products that you can use.
A readily available and eco-friendly option is Eco-Neem. This controls various sucking and chewing pests. While these are still present, it is best to reapply every 7 days until they are controlled.
Other miticide options with the active ingredient Abamectin, safe for use in common lawn types including kikuyu, buffalo, couch, zoysia and rye grass include:
- Agador
- Kill a Mite
- Malice Duo
- Voyager Miticide
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