Mites

Mites feed on nearly all vegetable crops, but are commonly a problem on beans, tomato, and eggplant. They suck plant sap, usually from the undersides of the leaves, producing tiny, speckled spots on the leaves. Heavily infested plants can be enveloped by webs. Warm temperatures produce more generations than cooler temperatures. In the heat of mid-summer, mites can mature in as few as five to eight days. Theoretically, the number of mites from a single fertilized female could be 13 million in 30 days at 80 degrees F. Check for mites by tapping a leaf over a white sheet of paper and looking for tiny moving specks.

Note: These tiny eight-legged critters are not insects, which have six legs, but are closely related to spiders.

Control: Insecticidal soaps generally offer adequate control when applied before the numbers are too high. Make two applications five days apart. Mites can be removed with a strong spray of water. Encourage beneficial insects such as lady beetles and minute pirate bugs. Mites can be washed from plants with a strong stream of water. Miticides are available.