How do you recognise the infestation?
Spider mites can cause considerable damage within a short period of time. Affected leaves are immediately recognisable by their yellow spots, which eventually spread over the entire leaf. In the later stages, a white web is visible at the tips of the leaves. The mites themselves are usually found on the underside of the leaves, where they feed. As mites suck the nutrients out of the plant, it cannot continue to grow.
How can (further) damage be prevented?
A simple way to prevent spider mite infestation is to place a clove of garlic next to the plant. The plant takes on the odour of the garlic, which keeps the spider mites away. In addition, spider mites do not like high humidity or low temperatures. We recommend the following organic products from Andermatt Biogarten:
- Phytoseiulus predatory mites
The animal
A spider mite is between 0.2 and 0.5 millimetres in size and barely visible without a magnifying glass. In contrast to most insects, the mites have eight legs, which point conspicuously forwards or backwards. Their body is often pear-shaped, yellowish, brownish or red in colour. The spider mite prefers a warm, dry environment and therefore mainly attacks plants that are weakened by drought.