Without Rain Comes Spider Mite Problems

Chris DiFonzo from MSU and I both have this pest on our radar.  I was hoping to see more areas get some of the rain that touched Ontario yesterday but sadly that didn’t happen.  It is typically a little early for mites given the stage of the soybean crop but with this heat and dry conditions, it won’t take much to see outbreaks.  As wheat is harvested, mites move into soybeans starting at the field’s edge.  Windy days then help carry them further into the field.  If conditions are hot and dry, spider mites flourish.  I haven’t heard of reports yet in soybeans but while you are scouting for aphids these next few weeks, keep an eye out for mites too.    I wrote a blog article about mites last year that you can glean more info from: http://bautebugblog.com/too-many-fields-with-obvious-spider-mite-damage/ And lots of information is also available in the OMAFRA Pub 811, Agronomy Guide for Field Crops at: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/pub811/13soybean.htm#spider