Mites are widely present in crops across the South Florida region, according to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline. Spider mites have increased in cucurbits, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and potatoes around Southwest Florida. Some fields have even required treatments by farmers.
Spider mite populations are also high in some cucumber, pepper, tomato and eggplant in fields on the east coast.
Broad mites are high in numbers around Homestead, Florida, especially in crops like corn, tomato, squash and okra. Management programs for other pests help keep populations down.
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences entomologist Dak Seal reports pyrethroid-treated crops have more broad mites than untreated crops.
Click here for symptoms and management options for broad mites.
Click here for symptoms and management options for spider mites.