Spider Mites.. ewwww

Spider Mites were found on the Eggplant by Madison. I had noticed a webbing on some of the leaves a few days earlier - but just thought it wasn't anything. Until today where there was bright orange on a lot of the leaves. Diane thought it was pollen... but it was moving. ewwww.

It took a while to look online and identify what they actually were. I found out that they are not insects, but yet actually arachnids. tiny tiny spiders that spin webbing around the plant and suck the moisture out of the leaves. So I sprayed - hate spraying - the plant with an all purpose insecticide. The one I use targets good, bad, whatever on the plant. It's used only - if - something like this happens, so once - or twice a year if that. But it gets the job done, and quickly.

Once the leaves had been sprayed, I waited 15min, then started cutting off the really infested leaves (see below) and throwing those into a bag and into the regular garbage (not green waste). Just like the Chinese Rose Beetles - I'll have to be checking every other day until the infestation has been brought under control.

Tomorrow morning, before the sun comes up, I'll spray down the eggplant with a good stream of water. I'm reading that they like a dry dusty environment - not wet. We use a drip irrigation system to water our plants and not the weeds - so this could be creating that dry environment.

It seems every year brings on new challenges and new bugs!


Mound of Spider Mites

Tip of Eggplant leaf





Closer view, must be a million-bajillion spiders!