The Facts--Spider Mites

• According to an Ohio State Fact Sheet, "Spider mites are not insects but are more closely related to spiders." These small arachnids measure only 1/50 inch in length, but invade plants and trees en masse and reproduce quickly with eggs that hatch in days. These pest are cold-weather creatures and like dry, arid conditions. They cause some serious discoloration and stunting in pine trees when they attack.
  
  

Symptoms

• Symptoms of a spider mite infestation can appear virtually overnight, due to the quick reproduction cycle of the insects. Spider mites build weblike structures for their eggs, giving pine trees a cobwebbed, untidy appearance. Serious effects follow the appearance of these webs.
  
  

Effects

• A mite infestation causes some serious damage to pine trees. The mites' habit of sucking sap and water from a pine tree will cause dead needles, loss of needles and eventually wood dieback. These symptoms usually start from the bottom of a tree and work upward. Although these issues won't kill a pine tree if they're treated quickly, they do weaken the tree and take away from its beauty.
  
  

Treatments

• Gardeners treat mite infestations through several different methods. Miticide is a toxic liquid treatment that kills mites and their larvae. Homeowners who prefer to use natural, nontoxic remedies spray their pine trees with water to disrupt the mites, who prefer dry conditions, and use neem oil, an all-natural spray that kills mites and aphids. Homeowners are also advised to release predator insects like ladybugs and lacewing moths, which prey on the larvae of mites and disrupt their reproductive style.
  
  

Prevention

• The best way to keep spider mites out of a yard is by preventing them. These microscopic insects invade a yard via new plants and trees from nurseries or other yards. Homeowners should always check plants for mite infestations before they bring them home, to prevent damage to their own plants and trees.