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Commonly, infestations in conifers are caused by mites such as Spruce spider mites, rust mites and Admes mites. Among all these mites Spruce spider mites are considered to be active mites in conifers. Spruce trees are the target host for these mites especially during cold months, and they belong to the category of winter pests and can possibly survive a maximum temperature of about 70o in the daytime. Ornamental trees like fir and spruce are often grown in the backyard garden and these trees are given less care because it presumed that they are not much infected. Spruce spider mites are minute insects, and if they are not in groups it is difficult to identify them through the naked eye. Physically, they are characterized by light pink colored pear shaped body with eight legs as such in spider insects. They are found attacking the leaves of the tree called needles. The common area of their infestation will be particularly in the base of needles, and it observed to be intensive in that part.
Plant tissues in the needles are sucked by the insect using its special mouthpart causing yellowing of leaves on later stage. Change in the color of leaves is identified only after few days from the feed, and it becomes tough for the gardeners to control the mites because the population of the mites would have reduced plenty by that time. The severity in attack is represented through the dropping of needles from the trees. Just like spiders, these insects too form cobwebs in between needles. This can be a notifying factor to make sure their presence in the plant, but often it is failed as these insects do it at higher level of the tree. During dry seasons, the infestation of the insect progresses greater due to the reason that the plants receive water frequently in such months.
In order to disallow the progress of infestation by these mites in spruce trees it is obligatory on use either a plant insecticide or miticide as soon as possible. With proper monitoring of the conifer trees regularly will help in deciding the need of control measures. Organic insecticide like Neem oil spray with high concentration of insecticidal Azadirachtin content can be used as an alternative trail for controlling the mites’ population in the branches if normal methods of insect removal fail to perform. It is advised not to opt for spraying of insecticides until there is any change in the health of the foliage. Biological control method of encouraging predatory species of insects like ladybird, pirate bugs, etc. can also be adopted for gradual controlling of mites in such cases.
Author: Adam Teaser - neem
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