North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Margie Luffman" <luffmanm@em.agr.ca>]

Hi everyone. I verified the following information with one of my technicians 
(Kathy Vollans) who has greatly improved our IPM record and predator usage. 
Kathy does all the scouting for the Genebank houses and until her arrival our 
problems with mites were overwhelming. Regular spider mites (TSSM) can be 
bright red particularly in the winter; it varies with temperature and food. 
Predators are the same size as spider mites. 

What you probably have in this situation are European red mites (Panonychus 
ulmi). They are much larger than spider mites but are the same shape. They 
retain the deep red colour all year. They are a major problem on apple trees. 
Damage is not obvious at first so this means that by the time you actually 
notice damage the infestation will be quite advanced. ERM's will respond to 
biologicals (try Typhlodromus pyri or Amblyseius fallacis - we use this one) 
but it takes longer. The same sprays that control spider mites will control 
ERM.

A good website to check out: 
http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/factsheets/treefruit/pests/erm80/eredmite.html


Good luck.

Margie

Margie Luffman
Curator, Canadian Clonal Genebank Program
Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada
Greenhouse and Processing Crops Research Centre
2585 County Road 20
Harrow, Ontario
N0R 1G0

Phone: 519-738-2251 ext. 474
Fax:      519-738-2929
E-mail:luffmanm@em.agr.ca


>>> deankreutzer@hotmail.com 05/14/02 11:13am >>>
Hi Rob,

They may be predator mites (a good thing), but I believe they are not any 
larger than regular mites, just with the reddish color, they are a lot 
easier to see.

Dean

>I seems to have (what looks to be) mites all over the
>my plants and a few in the house.  I thought they were
>spider mites but they seem to be rather big.  You can
>see these bugs rather well with good eyesite.  They
>are about a millimeter in size and fast moving. They
>are deep red all over with lighter grayish red top
>body.
>They don't seem to be harming the plants, but I cant
>tell.
>
>Anyone know what these things are?

_