Two-spotted mite (spider mite): how to spot and manage it

Two-spotted mite — also called red spider mite — is a tiny sap-sucker, barely visible to the eye, that explodes in hot, dry weather. You'll often notice the fine webbing before you spot the mites themselves.

How to spot it

1. Fine pale speckling or stippling across the leaves.
2. A dull, dusty, bronzed look as damage builds up.
3. Fine webbing on the undersides and growing tips.
4. Minute moving specks — easiest to see with a hand lens.

Plants it targets

Growing any of these? See our guides to tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, eggplant and mint.

Tomatoes, beans, cucurbits and strawberries especially, and worst in hot, dry, sheltered spots.

How to manage it, safely

1. Hose or mist the undersides of the leaves — mites hate humidity and water knocks them right back.
2. Spray insecticidal soap or neem oil underneath the leaves, repeating every few days.
3. Go easy on harsh sprays — they kill the mite's predators (including ladybirds and predatory mites) and make things worse.
4. Remove badly infested leaves to knock the population down.

For the bigger picture, see our guide to managing pests and problems safely.

Plan your patch: our free planting calendar shows what to plant now where you live. Ready to grow? Browse our raised garden beds or build your own with the garden bed builder.

Image: Claudio Labita, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.