by Marijke Puts
The russet mite is a species of mites that comes from the Eriophyidae family. They are so small, it would be almost impossible to see them with the naked eye. This damage they cause on leaves is often the first sign of their presence.
Microscopes are your best tool for seeing a russet mite due to their size. Magnified russet mites have pale-colored skin that ranges from tan to yellow. They feature powerful piercing and sucking mouthparts. This allows them to feed on plants.
The Adult female russet mites overwinter in the stems of plants they infest. There they lay about 2 dozen eggs which are translucent. Under the right temperature, it takes 2 days for russet mite eggs to hatch. Once hatched, they go into the larva stage then 3 days later, they molt into nymphs. After 2 more days, nymphs grow into full adults.
Russet mites attack both indoor and outdoor plants. And the damage they cause starts from the base of the plant till they reach the top leaves. They feed on the chlorophyll of plants which can cause the yellowing of the leaves. Because of the lack of nutrients, the leaves of the plant could curl and drop.
- inspect new plants. - keep all tools to be used indoors - introduce Amblysieus mites - reduce the temperature of the room - use Neem oil - use micronized sulfur