Broadmites may be microscopic, but the can cause serious losses if left unchecked. Early detection and preventative measures is key to keeping them off your plants.
1. Target Areas and Early Damage
Broadmites prefer to feed on soft, developing tissues, the growing tips, young leaves, and flower buds. Their feeding disrupts normal cell growth, causing new leaves to curl, twist, or become thickened and brittle. Shoots may appear stunted, and in severe cases, the growing tip may die back completely.
2. Leaf Symptoms
One of the earliest visible signs is brown edges at the base of young leaves. As feeding continues, these brown areas expand giving the leaf a scorched or netted appearance. The leaf veins often remain green, forming a contrasting pattern against the damaged tissue.
3. Growing Tips
Feeding by broadmites can lead to the formation of corky, rough patches on the undersides of leaves, leaf stalks, and stems. In fruiting crops, cork tissue may also develop on the fruit surface, resulting in misshapen or cracked fruit.
4. Fruit and Flower Symptoms
Flowers may open abnormally, appear discolored, or fail to develop properly. Fruit may show irregular growth, scarring, or splitting, symptoms often mistaken for physiological or viral issues.
5. Distribution Pattern
Lower, mature leaves usually appear healthy, while the youngest leaves at the top are most affected. This uneven pattern of damage is a telltale sign of broadmite feeding. Even after mites are eliminated, visible damage can persist for several weeks as new, healthy growth replaces the deformed tissue.
