• There are many bugs that are good for gardens and shrubs. Unfortunately, the spider mite does not fall into this category. These tiny little six legged creatures are very hard to see, as they prefer to build their destructive colonies on the backside of leaves. You may not know they are there until it is too late.
  
  

The Mite's Survival Techniques:

• Most adult spider mites are dark green in color, so they virtually blend with most plant vegetation. One way to tell they have made a home on your plants is by looking for a very fine webbing on the plant's leaves. The mites build this webbing around them as a sort of protection from the elements.
  
  These mites will thrive in warm dry weather, and destroy the plant quite quickly. They do this by piercing a tiny hole into the leaf and feeding off of the moisture and living cells in the leaf. They are basically sucking the life right out of your plant.
  
  Spider mites survive best in dry warm climates, and that is why they will do their worst damage during mid-summer months where the temperatures tend to be hot and dry. The best defense for your plants is to keep them well watered and healthy.
  
  Dry brittle leaves will be an indication that you might have a spider mite problem. Leaves are able to control their water needs through their veins. The leaves on a plant or tree can actually control the water flow in them by constricting the veins that run through the leaf. When the spider mite bores into these veins to feed, it allows the leaf to basically "bleed out."
  
  

Getting Rid of the Mites

• A heavy rain or a good drenching with the garden hose will help to wash away spider mites, but the best way to keep your plants and trees bug free is to keep a good eye on them. Make sure that the plant, shrubbery or tree has plenty of room to spread out and grow. This will eliminate overcrowding and the leaves will get more water and air when it rains, or a garden hose is used.
  
  If it is too late and the spider mites have taken control, you will probably have to treat the plant. A landscaper, garden nursery or a home improvement store can give you advice as to what type of insecticide would work best for the type of plant, tree or shrubbery that is infected.
  
  Treat the inflicted plant as soon as possible, or the mites will spread to other plants in your yard. If the mites kill the host plant they are on, it will not take them long to move on to another source of food.