Red Spider mite and other pests...

Hello!!

I am a newbie.. I live in the South West and I am struggling with garden pests. I feel a bit demoralised as I love my garden.

So I have lost an Acer to Soft scale. Some other plants have it too (I have found it on a kiwi vine and a dogwood tree and all my other acers) but I keep going round and cleaning the horrid little limpets off.

Yesterday I lost a passion flower in a tub. I guessed it was dead but when me and my enthusiastic 3 year old dug down we found 11 chafer grubs which must have devoured the roots.

And now I have found my Olive tree in a tub has red spider mite. They cluster in patches on the trunk. I have sprayed it and I read that keeping it wet and spraying them off with water helps.

But does anyone think I should ditch it before it spreads. It would be heart breaking as the tree looks healthy. Anyone else had this? I am so tired of my gardening being so blighted!

Thanks

Kate

 

Can I ask where you are keeping your Olive tree? Usually red spiderlives on the underside of the leaves and causes leaf yellowing ..in Severe cases you may well see fine webs..
Any contact type sprays are best applied on the underside of the leaves .and as you mentioned fine misting with water will help as they like hot dry conditions ... I'm sure others will add to this ..
Dave

 

Hello!

Thanks for your quick reply. I keep it in a large tub at the front of the house which is west facing, it gets sun all afternoon. It's next to my cold frame and a hydrangea.

I have assumed it's spider mite as its clusters of tiny red things like strawberry pips all huddling together. I did get some on underside of leaves too but a lot (hundreds) clustering in knots on the trunk. Wierd! I have sprayed twice with Provado. The tree itself doesn't look unhappy yet.

I have ordered a sprayer as I am reluctant to ditch the tree. Lost quite a lot this season already! I think I shall persevere unless the tree starts to really suffer.

It's nice to have somewhere to vent my gardening issues! Spider mite and scale seem to thrive in the warm weather....

Kate

 

kate it can be so awful when natures beasties decide to have a go at our lovelies

i can remember several years back when i had grown lots and lots of basil - the slugs had the whole lot in one night!

keep your chin up and the good un's on here will guide you

good luck

Loopy

 

Doesn't sound like Red spider they are very very tiny ..Spiders tend to cluster like that but perhaps early for them ?
Did the provado kill them ?
Dave

 

Only thing I know of that is effective on Red Spider is "Plant Rescue" - only available (AFAIK) in pre-mixed containers, so expensive unless you only have a small amount to treat.

 

Aha... they could well be red velvet mites... they are just visible to the naked eye and do look like that picture. Oh dear ... are they my friend? I have been out trying to spray them off with my son's power rangers water pistol! They were literally hundreds crawling all over. I certainly hadn't managed to kill them with the provado but now I have blasted them with water.

Gosh I am glad I came to this forum. It's hard being a solo gardener in a busy home, 2 small kids and trying to figure this stuff out with just google... thanks

Kate

 

I'm not even convinced its velvet mites, I must admit it seems strange for them to be clustering on the stems.

Barring the fact that you say they are red, it sounds to me like scale insect at the crawler stage.
Scale insect - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A photo of yours would help Wolfie

 

Hi Pete

Assuming they are still crawling around I will try and take a picture. I now wish I had done that before trying to wash them off! They are like bright red tiny strawberry pips with legs.

Bugs and beasties eh... I have another plant pot to check for chafer grubs too...

Thanks

Kate

 

Here they are. They have huddled back together again in various places all over the tree in knots and crevices. I think they may be red velvet nymphs?

Thanks everyone. My strange red things bought me to this forum and it feels a friendly place

 

Thanks Marley Farley. Wow Am i learning about mites this week! :WINK1: And close up photography! :D

They do look very like the clover mite. Most of the ones I tried to wash off have regrouped!

OK I am reassured that they may not do too much lasting damage. I have had the olive tree for quite a while and while not the most lovely specimen I am glad not to have to rush to remove it.

Thanks so much! I have found this fascinating.