Boxwood Mites

[nurvbonsai]

Greetings,

I saw this little guy with the naked eye on my boxwood this afternoon, and I've also noticed similar ones on other trees earlier this summer. I promptly sprayed miticide, but I wanted to clarify something I read in an article — that there are also beneficial mites. I'm now wondering if I may have done more harm than good.

From what I understand, this is the time of year when mite activity peaks, so I acted quickly. Still, I'd appreciate any guidance or confirmation.

Thank you!

 

[KateM]

Looks like a beetle to me.
Mites are really tiny.
You can see them with a naked eye, but usually don't notice them unless there are webs all over and stippling damage on the leaves.
Then, you look closer and see mites crawling around...

 

[rockm]

Greetings,

I saw this little guy with the naked eye on my boxwood this afternoon, and I've also noticed similar ones on other trees earlier this summer. I promptly sprayed miticide, but I wanted to clarify something I read in an article — that there are also beneficial mites. I'm now wondering if I may have done more harm than good.

From what I understand, this is the time of year when mite activity peaks, so I acted quickly. Still, I'd appreciate any guidance or confirmation.

Thank you!

Not a mite. It’s too big. It’s a beetle. Don’t assume anything you read online as pertinent to you. Look for LOCAL info on the boxwood mite. It may/may not be in your area at this point

Boxwood mite is apparently most active in cool weather in spring

Boxwood Mite | NC State Extension Publications

This factsheet describes the boxwood mite, <i>Eurytetranychus buxi,</i>, and provides residential management recommendations.

content.ces.ncsu.edu

 

[Shibui]

Mites are arachnids. They have 8 legs. Insects all have 6 legs - 3 on each side so easy to tell the difference - if you can manage to count such tiny legs

there certainly are beneficial mites. The good guys actually eat other mites and so help reduce your problem. Every time you spray miticide you kill the good guys along with the pest mites. The pest mites usually come back and breed up quicker than the predators so you end up with a bigger problem.

 

[leatherback]

Yup, agreed not a mite but a beetle. Next to this, if you do have mites and you see them moving fast, you have beneficial mites running around, predatory mites.
I just released a video on spider mites this week, with some pictures from @shohin_branches which might help you understand a little more what to look for:

 

[Brain Treez]

Yup, agreed not a mite but a beetle. Next to this, if you do have mites and you see them moving fast, you have beneficial mites running around, predatory mites.
I just released a video on spider mites this week, with some pictures from @shohin_branches which might help you understand a little more what to look for:

I like the adage: "Fast is Friend!"

 

[shohin_branches]

Yup, agreed not a mite but a beetle. Next to this, if you do have mites and you see them moving fast, you have beneficial mites running around, predatory mites.
I just released a video on spider mites this week, with some pictures from @shohin_branches which might help you understand a little more what to look for:

I just watched that one yesterday, nice work! I'm glad the photos worked out.

 

[leatherback]

I just watched that one yesterday, nice work! I'm glad the photos worked out.

View attachment 609290

somehow i forgot to drop you the link when it came out. Mea Culpa

 

[shohin_branches]

somehow i forgot to drop you the link when it came out. Mea Culpa

YouTube let's me know

 

[LeftHandLuke]

I promptly sprayed miticide

Quick soapbox speech... I used to do this all the time but strongly advise against it, especially when you haven't confirmed what critter you're dealing with or whether it's a threat. Beneficial insects/bugs are not a rarity in gardens. They are all over the place and constantly doing what they do best. If you treat for pests indiscriminately, you will most certainly kill loads of good ones. The problem with that is, you throw off the balance and open your trees up to worse infestations. A few years ago, I was being "proactive" with killing bugs before they became a problem. A month or so after the treatment (after the pesticide had stopped being active, but before the good bugs came back), I ended up with the most frightening aphid infestation one could imagine -- in all of my trees. I imagine they were lurking out in the yard and then just invaded all of my benches since nothing was there to stop them. I was able to get it under control but I learned from the experience and have been keeping an eye on the balance of good and bad bugs ever since. That's my rant. Thanks for listening.

 

[Attmos]

It's a June Beetle. I used to see them ALL the time when I was a kid, although half the time it was just a shell that had been left behind after molting.

 

[rockm]

It's a June Beetle. I used to see them ALL the time when I was a kid, although half the time it was just a shell that had been left behind after molting.
View attachment 609400

I thought so too but it might be on the small size for that.

 

[Attmos]

I thought so too but it might be on the small size for that.

Hard to say from this picture. lol
The ones I'm used to seeing are only about half an inch, if that.

 

[Attmos]

Mites are arachnids. They have 8 legs. Insects all have 6 legs - 3 on each side so easy to tell the difference - if you can manage to count such tiny legs

there certainly are beneficial mites. The good guys actually eat other mites and so help reduce your problem. Every time you spray miticide you kill the good guys along with the pest mites. The pest mites usually come back and breed up quicker than the predators so you end up with a bigger problem.

On that note, the 'beneficial' type...

Are there symbiotic weeds that grow with a tree in a good environment? I've seen a number of pictures from experienced growers that have this tiny, two leaved, little weed growing all over the top of the Bonsai medium.

I just wonder if it's something I should look for as a sign of good bacterial growth in the medium or something...

Always wanted to ask, just needed the right situation so I didn't have to make a post about it. OK.... I'm forcing the situation a bit, lol, but I would still like to know.

 

[leatherback]

Are there symbiotic weeds that grow with a tree in a good environment? I've seen a number of pictures from experienced growers that have this tiny, two leaved, little weed growing all over the top of the Bonsai medium.

It just shows the grower has sufficient trees to not overcare
I know of signal weeds, that show growers it is time to water. I doubt there is a real benefit in symbiosys plants (BUT there have been discussions in the past that in oder to get weak trees to get healthy, placing the pots in direct contact with the dirt of the ground can help, so who knows. Some people in the UK swear by bacterial colonies to be sprayed on the third hour of the third full moon during the second watering.

 

[Shibui]

I do not know of any symbiotic weeds.
Some plants (weeds) fix atmospheric nitrogen but they don't actually do that to give it away to other neighbours. Fixing N takes a lot of energy so the legumes hold onto it as long as possible. That N becomes available when something eats the legume and poos out N or when part of the legume dies and rots away so it is a long way round for the neighbouring plants to get hold of that fixed N. legumes also have normal roots and will take N from the soil because that's less energy. My experience in the vegetable garden is that clovers and other legumes actually rob N from nearby plants while they are growing so not actually symbiotic while they are alive.
I suspect the growers with weeds on the soil are probably just not keeping up with weeding rather than cultivating a beneficial plant. I'd be interested to see photos of said weed to try to ID what it is.

 

[Attmos]

I do not know of any symbiotic weeds.
Some plants (weeds) fix atmospheric nitrogen but they don't actually do that to give it away to other neighbours. Fixing N takes a lot of energy so the legumes hold onto it as long as possible. That N becomes available when something eats the legume and poos out N or when part of the legume dies and rots away so it is a long way round for the neighbouring plants to get hold of that fixed N. legumes also have normal roots and will take N from the soil because that's less energy. My experience in the vegetable garden is that clovers and other legumes actually rob N from nearby plants while they are growing so not actually symbiotic while they are alive.
I suspect the growers with weeds on the soil are probably just not keeping up with weeding rather than cultivating a beneficial plant. I'd be interested to see photos of said weed to try to ID what it is.

It's those little things, whatever they are. They start with only two leaves. Anyway, I've seen these cover the top of some bonsai soil.
I'll just go ahead and say that the daunting task of weeding is much more logical than some kind of symbiosis.... lol

Thanks guys, especially for not laughing at the idea.

 

[rockm]

It's those little things, whatever they are. They start with only two leaves. Anyway, I've seen these cover the top of some bonsai soil.
I'll just go ahead and say that the daunting task of weeding is much more logical than some kind of symbiosis.... lol

Thanks guys, especially for not laughing at the idea.

fwiw. Many many plants start with two leaves from seed. They’re called Cotyledon leaves

Two leaves from a tiny seedling doesn’t mean anything. What you have in you pot are just plain weeds. There are no symbiotic weeds. They don’t benefit anything in a container and left alone they can colonize the soil surface and eventually the root zone of the tree inside. That can weaken the tree somewhat or prevent water from penetrating the soil deeply enough if the weed root mass becomes dense enough. For the most part weeds in a pot are a sign of a bit of neglect or at least inattention.

 

[Attmos]

fwiw. Many many plants start with two leaves from seed. They’re called Cotyledon leaves

Two leaves from a tiny seedling doesn’t mean anything. What you have in you pot are just plain weeds. There are no symbiotic weeds. They don’t benefit anything in a container and left alone they can colonize the soil surface and eventually the root zone of the tree inside. That can weaken the tree somewhat or prevent water from penetrating the soil deeply enough if the weed root mass becomes dense enough. For the most part weeds in a pot are a sign of a bit of neglect or at least inattention.

LOL, Yeah, I know cotyledon leaves. First thing you see in a pot plant.

I say they all have two leaves because that's as far as they've developed in the pictures I've seen. Wish I could remember where I saw them.

 

[Attmos]

fwiw. Many many plants start with two leaves from seed. They’re called Cotyledon leaves

Two leaves from a tiny seedling doesn’t mean anything. What you have in you pot are just plain weeds. There are no symbiotic weeds. They don’t benefit anything in a container and left alone they can colonize the soil surface and eventually the root zone of the tree inside. That can weaken the tree somewhat or prevent water from penetrating the soil deeply enough if the weed root mass becomes dense enough. For the most part weeds in a pot are a sign of a bit of neglect or at least inattention.

Anyway, I know now that those people had just not taken the time to get rid of them before taking pictures.