Content
- Boxwood invaded by mites? Damage and countermeasures
- Boxwood spider mite (Eurytetranychus buxi)
- Fight boxwood spider mite
- Bile mite (Aceria unguiculatus)
- Fight gall mites
- Tips
The spider mite is tiny, but causes great damage
Boxwood invaded by mites? Damage and countermeasures
For more than 2019 years, the boxwood is extremely popular with gardeners. However, not only in these, because the evergreen woodland is often attacked by a variety of pests. Mites such as the boxwood spider mite or the gall mite belong to the arachnids and feed on the leaf juice of the plant.
Boxwood spider mite (Eurytetranychus buxi)
Like other pests - such as the dreaded boxwood cones - the boxwood spider mite is also an immigrant parasite. Originally, the mite species originated in North America, from where it came to Europe through plant imports. An infestation can be recognized by the following characteristics:
Fight boxwood spider mite
Spider mites are tiny at about half a millimeter in length and barely visible to the naked eye. They are increasingly in hot, dry and sunny locations in appearance and can be driven by increased humidity. Therefore, you should regularly spray boxwood at endangered locations and weather conditions with water. In case of increased infestation oil-based remedies are very good, which should be used in autumn as well as in early spring - in this way you destroy the overwintering brood.
Bile mite (Aceria unguiculatus)
Even the so-called Spurts mite mites are extremely small and barely visible arachnids. They sit, as the name implies, preferably at the shoot tips as well as on the still young leaves and in the buds. Here they tap the leaf juice of the boxwood and thus cause considerable damage to a heavy infestation. Typical features of an infestation with the gall mites are:
Fight gall mites
Affected plant parts should be cut back immediately, at best at the first sign of spring. With a strong infestation pressure often only helps a strong pruning and treatment with oil-containing pesticides.
Tips
Whether plant lice or mites: preparations based on neem or rapeseed oil have proven to be particularly effective.