Selected Miticides for Use on Ornamental Plants1
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ENH1118 Selected Miticides for Use on Ornamental Plants1 Robert H. Stamps and Lance S. Osborne2 Mites are among the most difficult arthropod Some Tarsonemid mites (family Tarsonemidae) pests to control on ornamental plants. Adult mites are smaller than even false spider mites. This family have eight legs and piercing/sucking mouthparts that includes broad and cyclamen mites. are used to suck fluids from the cells of host plants (Denmark, 1969). The first immature stage of a mite, Eriophyid mites (Eriophyidae family) are too referred to as the larva, has only six legs, like insects. small to be seen with the naked eye and include bud, The exceptions are the Eriophyid mites, which have gall, purple tea and rust mites, among others. As their four legs in all stages. Mites are not insects, but are names suggest, these mites can cause galls, rusts and more closely related to spiders and ticks. Thousands other abnormal plant growth. of species of mites feed on plants. There are other families of mites that have Spider mites, members of the Tetranychidae crop-damaging members, but the mites named above family, are perhaps the most important mite pests of are the main mite pests of ornamental plants. ornamental plants. The name, spider mites, is due to Mites of a given species can develop very the many members of this family that produce silk rapidly when temperatures, relative humidities, host webbing. Spider mites are medium-sized mites that plants and other factors are optimal. In fact, for many, feed on a wide variety of host plants from many the time to develop from an egg to an adult can be different plant families. Some spider mites are less than a week. Generally, development occurs bamboo, Lewis, southern red, spruce, tumid and more rapidly at higher temperatures, up to a point. twospotted mites. Due to mitesˇ rapid development, scouting should Members of the false spider mites family, be performed frequently (at least once per week), and Tenuipalpidae, do not produce silk webbing, but a miticide applications may need to be made on weekly number of these species feed on ornamental plants. or more-frequent intervals (be sure to check the False spider mites are generally smaller than spider miticide labels for instructions and restrictions mites. Examples of false spider mites are flat and red associated with spray intervals) during the summer. palm mites. 1. This document is ENH1118, one of a series of the Environmental Horticulture Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date, April 2009. Visit the EDIS Web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu. 2. Robert H. Stamps, professor, Environmental Horticulture Department, and Lance S. Osborne, professor, Entomology and Nematology Department, and associate director, Mid-Florida Research and Education Center--Apopka, FL, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie Ferrer, Interim Dean Selected Miticides for Use on Ornamental Plants 2 Detection spider mites on many plants growing in protected culture (greenhouses and shadehouses). N. Frequent, careful inspection of plants is californicus is just as effective, and it tolerates necessary to detect mite infestations before they reach pesticide residues better than P. persimilis and also epidemic levels and cause severe plant damage. By feeds on broad mites [Polyphagotarsonemus latus the time plant symptoms become very obvious to the (Banks)]. For more information on biological control unaided eye, control of the mites will be difficult and of mites, refer to the following Web site: potentially expensive. Early detection can limit http://mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/lso/SpMite/b853a1.htm. damage and facilitate economical control of mites. Careful inspection is necessary because damage due A listing of commercial suppliers of biological to mites can, on some plants, resemble that from other mite control agents is available at the following Web causes. For example, symptoms can look similar to site: insect feeding, nutritional deficiencies, physiological http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/pestmgt/ipminov/ stress, herbicide damage, etc. ben_supp/contents.htm. Since many mites feed on the undersides of Besides frequently scouting crops to detect mite leaves, these are important sites to check. Spider infestations early, growers should avoid using mites can usually be detected on older leaves, pesticides that are harmful to eggs, immatures and whereas Tarsonemids are often found on young adults of predatory mites. Companies that supply mite leaves. False spider mites often feed near the midrib predators furnish customers with lists delineating the or veins. Silvery speckling/stippling of the upper leaf effects of pesticides on the predators. (See “side surface is a characteristic symptom of leaf feeding. effects” at the following Web site: Fine thread-like webbing may also be present (spider http://www.biobest.be and mites). Mites may also feed on petioles, stems, buds http://www.koppert.nl/e005.shtml)]. and other plant parts. Mite feeding can cause a For chemical mite control, the use of multitude of symptoms, such as leaf cupping, broad-spectrum insecticides/miticides (especially discoloration, distortion, spotting, speckling and products with long-lived residual activity, such as the stunting, stem russeting and discoloration, as well as pyrethroids listed in Table 1) is generally not distorted and discolored flowers. recommended. These insecticides/miticides may Because mites are so small, the use of a directly or indirectly harm beneficial insects and/or magnifying hand lens (10x) will make it easier to mites, and a rapid increase in existing plant-feeding observe them. Another technique frequently used to mite populations may result. Use of the insecticide detect mites, especially on crops with fine foliage like carbaryl is also known to occasionally increase ornamental asparagus, is to slap stems firmly on a twospotted spider mite infestations on susceptible light-colored surface, such as a white painterˇs plants. Therefore, selective chemicals that palette or a sheet of white paper on a clipboard. If specifically target plant-feeding mites should be used. mites are present, they will be easily seen as small, Predatory mites must be released as soon as pest moving spots. mites are detected, and the number of predatory mites Control released must be sufficient to ensure control of the pest mites (Osborne et al., 1985). As mentioned Both biological control agents and miticides are previously, check with biological control suppliers available for controlling mites. For example, the for guidance and to find out which predatory-mite predatory mites, Neoseiulus californicus and strains are resistant or susceptible to specific Phytoseiulus persimilis, can effectively control pesticides. This information can help in making twospotted spider mites. At least 15 other predators decisions regarding pesticide use. For more are commercially available for control of this and information on biological control, see Osborne and other pests (Osborne and Peña, 1997). P. persimilis Peña, 1997. has been used successfully to control twospotted Selected Miticides for Use on Ornamental Plants 3 Although mites can become resistant to miticide will be used in tank mixes or in close miticides; several techniques can reduce the sequences with other pesticides, evaluate the likelihood of this happening. First, minimize miticide potential for plant injury (phytotoxicity) on a small usage by incorporating biological and cultural number (about 10) of plants of each species and methods into your pest management program. cultivar before treating all the plants of each crop. Practice good sanitation methods and use mite These tolerance tests should take into consideration resistant crops and varieties. Scout frequently (at least the potential interactions with other pesticides used in once a week) and only apply miticides when the pest control program. necessary. Design growing areas so all areas can be easily and effectively treated. It is essential to read pesticide labels since all restrictions related to where each product can be used Do not use miticides with the same mode of (greenhouse, shadehouse, interiorscape, outdoor field action in succession. Rather, practice long-term nursery, outdoor nursery, landscape, residential rotations, using as many products with different landscape), how it can be applied (chemigation, modes of action as possible. For example, carbamates spray, aerial, etc.), on what growing media it can be and organophosphates both work by inhibiting the used, etc., must be observed. State and local labeling enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which is important in may differ from and be more restrictive than federal the proper functioning of the nervous system. Most labeling. Pesticide applicators should always review of the other classes of miticides have