Pest of the Week: Red Spider Mite

If you have a greenhouse or keep plants indoors, you are probably bound to run into the red spider mite (RSM) at least once in your gardening career. This pest loves dry and warm environments. That's why it is often encountered in house plants or greenhouses. In addition to the direct damage it inflicts through its bites, this pest leaves a plant susceptible to disease. No wonder then that RSM bites soon turn a plant from healthy green to sickly brown in a short amount of time. RSM damage can sometimes be so severe that it can actually kill plants.

The secret to this pest is you need to detect it early. Once it gets firmly established in your garden, it is almost impossible to totally knock out. Why? These bugs are mites so small that you have to have a magnifying glass available just to spot them. Keep an eye out for yellowish-green mites that have two dark blotches on their backs. They have four pairs of legs. They often hang out on leaves' lower surfaces. You can tell you have RSM if there is a silken webbing on the leaf.