Spider Mites — The Ones That Push Me Over the Edge
The Pest That Makes Me Want To Break Out the Blowtorch
🐜 Garden Pests | by Guy Saldiveri | June 12, 2026
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| Spider mite infestation |
It seems like every pest imaginable shows up during that stretch — spider mites are no exception.
Of all the bugs, I find spider mites to be one of the most problematic — to the point where I’ll immediately quarantine an infected plant and keep it isolated until I have the problem under control, or the plant is a complete goner.
I honestly can’t think of another pest I dislike more.
I generally get them on my eggplant and peppers — everything else seems to ward them off well enough that I don’t have problems. They’re tiny (1/50th of an inch), stealthy, and hide underneath leaves until it’s too late. By the time you notice them, they’re all over the plant, causing major issues. They can decimate an entire row of peppers before you even realize they’re there.
Now that you know how I really feel about them, let’s take a dive into what they are, what they do, and how to deal with the little suckers. And "Suckers" is the correct name; these guys cause their damage by sucking the life out of your plants.
What They Are
Here's the really interesting thing — they aren't actually insects. They're arachnids, and related to spiders, ticks, and — believe it or not — scorpions.
To the naked eye, they look like tiny, moving specks of dust. Under a magnifying glass, you can see eight legs and, if they're the two-spotted variety, two dark spots on their oval bodies. They can be yellow, green, or reddish.
What They Do
The mites attach themselves to the plant leaves and stems, pierce them with sharp, pointy, needle-like mouthparts, and proceed to suck out the sap. They also spin a very thin but super sticky web that leaves a nasty-looking residue all over. It gives the plant a very dusty and dirty appearance.
How You Know They're There
- Phase 1: Light-colored speckling or stippling on the upper side of the leaves (looks like tiny yellow or white dots).
- Phase 2: Leaves turn yellow, bronzed, or brown, dry up, and drop off.
- Phase 3: Fine, silk-like webbing wrapping around the leaves and stems. When you see the webbing, the population is already massive.
By the way, spider mites thrive in hot, dry conditions, which is one reason they become such a headache during our Deep South summers. By the time June rolls around, they're usually somewhere in the garden waiting to cause trouble.
How to Control Them
While ladybug larvae and lacewings attack them, they have to be present in abundance to be effective. If your garden is anywhere like mine, you'll have some of these good guys floating around — but not at the "abundance" level required to keep them under control.
When I find an infestation, I separate the infected plant, cut off the really infested leaves — and burn them. The next step is to try something like blasting them with the hose, neem oil, insecticidal soap, or my recipe of 1 teaspoon Dawn to 32 ounces of water.
I have to warn you here — it usually takes multiple applications, and it's easy to miss a leaf that's infested. One missed leaf, and the infestation starts all over again once the eggs hatch.
By the time they get to phase 3 and I see webbing, I'm already figuring I've lost the plant. I'll keep it in isolation and keep spraying every day, but I don't hold out much hope.
Bottom Line
Spider mites are one of my worst enemies in the garden. The trick is surveillance — check those plants daily!
As soon as I see anything going on with my plants — especially peppers or eggplant — the antennae go up, my eyebrows raise, and the guns come out.
Catching them early, putting them in solitary confinement, and spraying them quickly gives you a fighting chance. Once the plants get into that second phase, my thoughts generally go to succession plantings…
If you’d like more practical, porch‑talk garden advice, you can follow along on the left — no pressure at all. 😎
Happy Gardening 🌱
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