The two-spotted mite, also known as the red spider mite, is described. It is tiny, around 0.5mm, greenish-yellow with two black spots on its back, and appears red in autumn. It enjoys spinning webs and sucking the sap of various plants like fruit trees, vegetables, roses, and berries. It dislikes predatory mites and insects. Signs of an infestation include mottled or bronze leaves that may fall off, and webs under leaves. Traditional controls included pesticides, while more natural alternatives involve attracting predatory mites with compost or mulch, spraying water or insecticidal soap, or vacuuming mites off

1. Red Spider Mite
Hi, my name is:
Two-spotted Mite (or Red Spider mite to my friends)
Describe yourself: Well, my closest relations are spiders,
but don’t let that put you off! I’m TINY (about .5mm),
greenish-yellow and look good in spots (two big black ones
on my back). I change things a little in autumn when I look
good in red – in line with the season.
Hobbies: Man, I suck… and suck, and suck! I enjoy
spinning webs, and hanging out on the underside of leaves
in a big group.
Likes: Heaps of fruit trees (I go crazy for apple and peach
trees), veggies (especially cucumbers, capsicums,
tomatoes and beans), and I adore roses, berries, azaleas
and marigolds. Hot, dry weather, with low humidity really
gets me laying eggs! And violet patches are a good spot for
taking my winter break.
Dislikes: Predatory mites, green and brown lacewings, predatory thrips, spiders and parasitic
wasps. I despise home made veggie oil soap mixes or store bought alternatives.
You’ll know you’ve met me when: Your leaves look mottled
or bronze – especially on the top. If I have been around for a
while, and breeding up a storm, the leaves might even fall off!
If you look underneath the leaves, it’s a bit of a mess – we’re
an untidy bunch! Have a look for my webs, so you don’t
confuse me with thrips!
Old School Control Methods: Kelthane, Mavrik, Rogor.
Breaking up ain’t hard to do… if:
Evict me with predatory mites… they’re easy to attract, especially if you use compost, manures ors
mulch your soil! They love this stuff. You can even import them like mail order brides!
Drench me with a forceful jet of water in the early morning for 3 consecutive days.s
Suck me off the leaves – using a vacuum on low suction. Yep, some people actually do this!s
Spray me with a home made garlic or chilli soap. Or use a store bought insecticidal soap and targets
the undersides of the affected plant leaves where I usually like to shelter.

2. Photographs:
Pic 1: www.mumsanddahlias.com
Pic 2: www.thewaterwisegarden.com
Pic 3: www.ces.ncsu.edu Desc: Typical Mite damage on foliage