Red Spider Mites!

I noticed fine silky webs with red specs on my plants for the first time this morning. A quick look on the interweebs and they are Red Spider Mites! An early sign of these pests is the plant leaves start to turn a speckled yellow or white. This is because spider mites sit on the underside of the leaf and sip the plant fluid removing the chlorophyll. More advanced signs are a silky web appears on the leaves with small red insects and they can cause real damage if left unchecked. There are various ways of dealing with them. One way is to create a humid environment with good airflow which will prevent spider mites from appearing and the other is to use a insect spray. I opted for an organic insect spray made from canola oil and garlic and applied it to the plants but in the future I will try the preventative approach by ensuring good airflow and humidity.

More about spider mites:

• They like courtyards where the climate is hot and dry, if you have a greenhouse in the courtyard they like than even better.
• They like plants that are placed up against the wall where airflow is restricted.
• Can hatch in as little as 3 days. 
• Become sexually mature in as little as 5 days.
• Can live between 2 and 4 weeks laying 200 eggs a day. 
• One female can lay up to 20 eggs per day and can live for 2 to 4 weeks, laying hundreds of eggs.
• Accelerated reproductive rate allows spider mite populations to adapt quickly to resistent pesticides.