Delay of Spider Mite Appearance:

This has been a unusual season for spider mites in the San Joaquin Valley. Usually by this time substantial pressure from these pests is being felt. But in 2003 the first of the spider mites are just beginning to be seen. The cool and wet spring weather is probably the cause of this delayed appearance.

The Use of Preventative Miticides:

Many growers have applied their “preventative” miticides like Agri-mek and Apollo. These products do a good job on the leaves they contact and they kill mites for a certain period into the summer. Where they may break down is on areas of the trees that have grown since the preventative miticides have been applied (this is especially true in stone fruit and grapes). Additionally as the time from the application date grows the chance of the miticide not killing the insects becomes greater.

Prime Time for Spider Mites:

Prime spider mite season in the San Joaquin Valley is from June 15 to September 1. For the next 75 days the grower needs to stay vigilant about protecting their leaf area from spider mites. Good leaf area is needed to ripen crops; keep next years fruit buds developing normally and to make carbohydrates for storage in the tree for next springs growth.

Don’t let spider mites defoliate your trees !

The Use of Predatory Mites:

The use of predatory mites is preventative. They do not put out “fires”. They prevent “fires” or extreme populations of spider mites. Now, while the spider mite population is low and most of the tree/vine area is protected by preventative miticides, apply the predatory mites to areas you know will be a problem later in the summer. These problem areas are usually;

1 - Dusty edges along roads.

2 - Sandy spots in the field where irrigation is inadequate at time.

Make sure there is some food source present (look for spider mites eggs and a little webbing) and then apply the predatory mites.

California Ag Supply has good quality and quantity of predatory mites available. E-mail or call us at 559-281-5411 to order your predatory mites today.