Spider Mites in Citrus

During the dry time of the year, citrus growers can see populations of spider mites in their groves. These pesky critters can cause defoliation and leaf drop which leads to less photosynthesis and poor health of the citrus tree.The two most economically damaging spider mite species found in Florida citrus are the Citrus Red Mite (Panonychus citri) and Texas Citrus Mite (Eutetranychus banksi). These mites typically feed on the underside of mature leaves and can cause severe stippling and silvering of the leaves. Damage often starts in the upper canopy of trees and moves downward.Nealta miticide from BASF has excellent activity against Tetranychus mites species like the Citrus Red Mite and the Texas Citrus Mite. Nealta is a IRAC group 25 insecticide that is active against all life stages of mites, safe on beneficials and is an excellent choice to fit in a good IPM program.Above you can see some trial work on lemons with Nealta that was conducted in California against Citrus Red Mite. At 5 days after application, there were basically no mites to be found. Here you see another trial where Nealta is compared to several common commercial standards and demonstrates very effective control as well as good residual control of Citrus Red Mites.So if spider mites are prevalent in your grove, consider using Nealta miticide to knock those populations down and protect your beneficials. Always read and follow label directions.