How To Kill Broad Mites

Damage | Life Cycle | Control | Products

Want to get rid of Broad Mites on your plants?  You’re in the right place.

We know the challenges growers face every day, because we’re growers too.  You need a product that works every time and support that will help you regain control of your garden so you can spend your time on more important tasks!

Below we will cover how to identify and get rid of Russet Mites FAST with Instant Mite Killer!

Symptoms and care of both russet & broad mite damage are essentially the same; broad mites are just a lot more common in cannabis. These types of mites are insidious!

They cunningly lay their eggs inside the actual leaves, and are less than microscopic in size: 1/150th of an inch!

What is a Broad Mite?

These little guys are hard to see, so growers most likely won’t see the actual insects.

Symptoms of russet and broad mite infestation include: glossy, wet-looking, bubbled/blistered, plastic-appearing, twisted leaves.

Crops often turn brown, wet and soggy, and affected leaves eventually turn brown and detach.

Broad Mite Damage

Broad Mites are even harder to detect than spider mites, because they are so tiny! Growers will see symptoms, but not necessarily bugs; russet and broad mites are even difficult to see with a microscope. Many growers will mistake a russet/broad mite infestation for overwatering, tobacco virus, or heat damage.

Unlike other pests which may stick to just the leaves a Broad Mite infestation will show signs all over the plant. To detect you need to look next to the vein of the leaf for mites and use a microscope to diagnose.

Be careful when determining a Broad Mite infestation as it can often be mistaken for a vitamin deficiency in your plants. Remember that unlike other pests this one manifests all over the plant. Check for the following symptoms:

Leaves: Yellowing, Browning, Leaves Curling at edges, yellow or brown spots, drooping and stunting of new growth.

Flowers: Sad light brown colored buds.

Broad Mite Life Cycle: 8 – 15 Days

Broad mites lay clear, round eggs in the spring. After hatching, they go through two developmental nymph stages, which resemble adults. Developmental time varies from 8-15 days based on environmental conditions.

How to Control Broad Mites

Treat your plants with Instant Mite Killer for six weeks after initial treatment to be certain. Whichever pesticide you use, try to aim for fifteen minutes before lights out, so the affected leaves don’t burn! If your plants are suffering from consistent pesticide use, consider supplementing IMK with diatomaceous earth. A varied approach is, again, best with russet & broad mites

It’s important to control mites with effective natural and organic methods.

Prune leaves, stems and other infested parts of plants well past any webbing and discard in trash (and not in compost piles). Don’t be hesitant to pull entire plants to prevent the mites spreading to its neighbors.

Tip: Management strategies must take into account the fast development time of this pest, especially during warm weather when eggs are laid continuously. Just targeting the adults will do little good if eggs and larvae survive. Repeat treatments are almost always necessary. The use of leaf shines and washes helps control and prevent further infestations.