The Boxwood Spider Mite, Eurytetranychus buxi, is a problem pest in Delaware. The following is information on this pest that is hatching now and its control.
Boxwood spider mites started hatching this week. They overwintered as eggs. The mites are small and clear to light yellow in color and you will need a hand lens to see them. As they mature they will be light yellow to yellowish-brown. They are on the undersides of the foliage. The feeding of the mites will cause stippling to the foliage and heavily infested leaves will turn yellow and drop.
Control: Japanese boxwood appears to be less susceptible, but we found boxwood mite on several cultivars of Japanese boxwoods growing in full sun in 2007. The common boxwood such as the English and European types tends to be very susceptible. Columnar forms of boxwood appear to be very susceptible. We have used the mite growth regulator Hexagon and obtained season long control if applied early in the season. Other materials that work well include Floramite, Akari, Avid, and horticultural oil (directed at the undersides of the foliage).
Reprinted from the May 23, 2008 edition of the TPM/IPM Weekly Report for Arborists,
Landscape Managers & Nursery Managers from the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension.
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