Red Spider Mite (Tetranychus urticae, Brevipalpus australis, B. cauliformicus)

Symptoms

• Sucks the sap from cells of leaves causing white specks.
• Webbing on the plants can be seen.
• Serious pest on orchids during warm and dry season.

Management

• Spray castor oil-soap emulsion or neem oil- garlic emulsion (20 ml neem/castor oil +20 gram garlic paste + 5 gram soap / litre of water).
• The predatory phytoseiid mites (Amblyseius sp. and Phytoseiulus persimilis) are found to feed on spider mite.