Lawns get it from every which way and only a vigilant yard warrior can stay on top of all the dangers. If you are here you most likely suspect that you have lawn mites! These teeny tiny cousins to spiders can do a huge amount of damage to unsuspecting turf. If you fear that they are munching on your yard, then find out how to tell if you have lawn mites. I’m going to share 3 telltale signs.
How You Can Tell If You Have Lawn Mites? (The Short Answer)
When lawn mites are present in your yard, you’ll often see stressed turf and dry areas. Watch out for yellow, uneven patches. Check for patterns of yellowing grass near vertical objects in particular. Confirm the presence of lawn mites by checking under leaves and sheaths for round and oblong mites about 1/32 of an inch, and translucent to dark eggs. Lawn mites enter buildings when the weather is bad and can be seen at entry points like windows and doors.
What Are Lawn Mites?
In The Art of War, Sun Tzu says to know your enemy. To destroy the mites, we must understand the mites. Mites are part of the Acari order and are related to spiders and other arachnids. Therefore common insecticides will not work on these “not insects”.
There are three main types of lawn mites that might show up on your lawn. Twospotted spider mites, banks grass mites, and clover mites, are all very invasive lawn mites. Clover mites cause some harm to turf grasses and also feed on clover and weeds that look like clover. They tend to shelter inside houses when the weather outside is unfavorable and if you crush them it leaves a rust-colored stain behind. Both spider mites and grass mites can kill off your turf entirely if left unidentified. I’m going to primarily focus on grass mites in this article, as they’re the most common lawn mite you will encounter.
Grass mites are a natural part of any lawn’s ecosystem and when a lawn is properly fertilized and correctly watered it should be healthy enough to withstand minor mite feedings. What commonly happens, however, is that during the fall and winter as you water less, dry spots appear.
These patches often occur in southwest areas, along slopes, and near trees and fences. The mites begin to damage the grass quicker than it can heal and that’s when the infestation begins. Mites breed in huge numbers and complete a life cycle in just 14 days. When they take hold of your lawn they spread extremely quickly.
What Do Grass Mites Look Like?
To know how to tell if you have lawn mites you are going to need to know exactly what they look like. Grass mites reproduce in huge numbers during the hot, dry, summer season and it is common for 7 to 10 generations of mites to exist at one time. Therefore you can typically observe all stages of the life cycle of the mites at the same time.
Grass mites in the adult stage are tiny and barely visible to the human eye. With an average size of less than 1/32 of an inch, they are best viewed with a 10x magnifier. Grass mites have colors that range from green to red to brownish-black and are oblong. The Male lawn mites are smaller than the females and tend to be less round. When seen clearly, these pests look like tiny angry (often red) crabs crawling frantically all over any surface.
In both the adult and nymphal stages, grass mites have 8 legs as is common in the arachnid family. The mites create a white webbing underneath blades of grass and sheaths, and feed from inside of it. In the larval stage, lawn mites only have six legs and may be mistaken for an insect. The eggs of these critters are perfectly-round and translucent in the early stages. The eggs darken just before hatching. Knowing what they look like is key if you’re going to be able to tell if your turf has lawn mites.
Conditions That Lawn Mites Thrive In
Lawn mites could be an issue for an area of grass in most parts of the country, but there are some common conditions that are favorable for these mites and could aid their “success”. I’m going to explain what these conditions are below and you should be particularly vigilant if they apply in your case.
Temperature and Climate Conditions
For grass mites to do damage to your lawn, the proper conditions and climate need to be present. From spring to early summer, lawn mites breed and grow, spawning multiple generations in short succession. By fall and early winter, signs of damage become visible as the colonies are much larger and hungrier. For lawn mites to thrive, the temperature needs to have been between 70 ͦF and 100 ͦF. Dryer climates are much more susceptible to lawn mites than moist areas.
Stressed Out Turf and Dry Areas
Areas of a lawn that are stressed out or overly dry are vulnerable to mite infestation. Well aerated, properly fertilized, and lush turf can withstand occasional attacks from lawn mites. But if the turf has become compacted, was watered irregularly, or otherwise damaged, then you should pay extra close attention to grass mite signs.
3 Things You’ll Likely See If You Have Lawn Mites
Lawn mites can be a huge problem for your turf. If you have them in your yard in large numbers, you’ll likely notice the following signs.
Yellow, Uneven Patches Of Turf
If you see this it often means the mites have really established themselves. When areas of the turf begin to grow unevenly and dry out, even though the surrounding turf still seems healthy and no obvious damage has occurred, you should suspect mites.
If there is yellowing and uneven patterns, the mites have already killed that area of grass and have likely moved on to a new area. You may not actually find any mites on the dead grass and should look at the surrounding turf.
Patterns of Yellowing Near Vertical Objects
In the cold of winter and when there is rain, grass mites seek refuge in vertical objects present on a lawn. Trees, fences, and other structures can develop a yellow border caused by these sheltering mites sneaking out to snack. One good way to prevent and repel grass mites is to plant zinnias, roses, or chrysanthemums near these objects.
Evidence of Lawn Mites on Turf
When the damage and indicators on your turf point to lawn mites, the last sign to look for is physical evidence that they are the cause. Once you see webbing, eggs, or even the actual pests themselves, you will know for sure that lawn mites are responsible for your ailing lawn. If you can’t identify any mites on the dead turf, you should look at the adjacent turf for signs of silvery and pale discoloration on the tips of the grass. This is another indicator of lawn mites.
Simple Test to Confirm Lawn Mite Infestation
Lots of things can make our grass dry out and look stressed, but fortunately, grass mites are easy to identify when present in large numbers.
Simply run a white piece of paper along the top of your turf so that it scrapes the surface, and then see if any moving dots fall onto the paper. If you see moving dots you might have a mite problem.
Once you see the mites, you can take a closer look at the grass with a 10x magnifying lens to see if you can spot the silvery and pale discoloration that is characteristic of mite bites.
A quick and easy way to tell if you have lawn mites or not.
Leave a Reply