When it comes to roses in your garden, spider mites on roses can prove to be a significant challenge despite their small size.
Ignoring this problem can lead to severe consequences for your plants.
Read on for this complete guide to spider mites on roses.
We will discuss how to identify spider mites, what damage they cause, and how you can stop them in their tracks.
What Are Spider Mites?
Spider mites are arachnids, belonging to the genus Tetranychus.
There are multiple varieties of spider mites, but the two most common that specifically target roses are the two-spotted spider mite (T. urticate) and the pacific spider mite (T. pacifica).
Despite being two separate species of spider mite, the two-spotted and the pacific spider mite are nearly identical in looks and behavior.
Spider mites are extremely tiny, measuring about 1/50th of an inch.
When you can spot them, they have round bodies that are yellow with two black spots on either side.
Spider mite infestations most commonly occur in the hottest, driest months of the summer.
How To Differentiate Spider Mites From Other Pests
Spider mites can often be confused with other common rose pests, including aphids and rose leafhoppers.
Both aphids and rose leafhoppers are sap-sucking pests just like the spider mite, but they have vast physical differences that separate them.
Let’s take a look at these two rose pests and contrast them with spider mites:
| Spider Mites | Aphids | Rose Leafhoppers | |
| Color | yellow with two black spots on either side | primarily green, pink, or yellow | green |
| Shape | round bodies | pear-shaped bodies | wedge-shaped bodies |
| Length | 1/50th of an inch | 1/4” to 1/2” | as small as spider mites |
Aphids come in a variety of colors, primarily green, pink, or yellow, and have pear-shaped bodies, as opposed to the spider mites’ round figure.
It is much easier to spot an aphid infestation due to its larger size in comparison to the spider mite.
Aphids grow to be roughly 1/4” to 1/2” in length.
Rose leafhoppers are primarily green with a wedge-shaped body.
While rose leafhoppers are considered to be small pests, they are nowhere near as small as spider mites.
Damaged Caused By Spider Mites On Roses
Because spider mites are so tiny, you’re more likely to see the damage that they cause rose plants rather than seeing the spider mites themselves.
Spider mites gain their nutrients by sucking them out from the foliage of the rose plants.
These are sap-sucking insects, meaning they latch onto the roses’ leaves and siphon out the sugars from the leaves.
This feeding results in a loss of nutrients, causing the rose leaves to develop these small, yellow spots all over the surface of the leaves.
The leaves become mottled and have a stippled appearance.
Prolonged feeding can completely bleach the leaf, causing them to drop from the plant.
Because spider mites appear frequently during dry, hot weather, some gardeners are likely to confuse these symptoms with that drought stress.
Also be on the lookout for webbing, as this is a tell-tale sign of spider mites and not drought.
How To Get Rid Of Spider Mites On Roses
Spider mites can be a frustrating pest for rose gardeners, causing damage to leaves and reducing the plant’s overall health.
There are both chemical and natural methods to get rid of spider mites on roses, each with its own benefits and drawbacks.
Chemical Methods
Insecticidal soaps and horticultural oils are effective control methods when it comes to exterminating spider mites.
Both insecticidal soap and horticultural oil are not only effective against spider mites, but they are less likely to cause harm to people, animals, and other insects.
There are harsher chemical methods on the market with good efficiency against spider mites.
Though prolonged usage of these harsh chemicals can actually be counterproductive.
Harsh chemicals have the potential to wipe out beneficial insects along with the targeted spider mites.
Examples of these chemicals are bifenthrin and permethrin.
If you choose to apply harsh pesticides to your plant, it is important to take the necessary steps to reduce the stress and accidental harm to the rose plant.
Water your roses thoroughly before applying pesticides to your plant and spray during the early morning or early evening.
Natural Methods
Using a strong spray of water, you can physically knock the spider mites off of the plant.
Spraying your rose plants with water also washes away the protective webbing that spider mites produce.
Certain predatory insects (such as the ladybug, for example) are effective at controlling the spider mites population in your garden.
Although this method is not as fast as other control methods.
In addition, predatory insects may not be effective if the spider mite population is overcrowded.
How To Prevent Spider Mites Infestations On Roses
Tips For Maintaining A Healthy Rose Plant
1. Keep your roses hydrated, but do be careful not to drown them.
A good rule of thumb we recommend for roses is to wait until the first few inches of soil have dried before giving your roses more water.
2. Fertilizer is essential to developing strong, luscious growth in roses.
Use fertilizer sparingly; only twice per year is enough to make a difference in your plants’ growth.
Apply a balanced rose-specific fertilizer to your plant once in the early spring, and another in the early summer prior to rosebuds growing.
3. Prune your roses once a year after winter dormancy.
Pruning roses will not only increase air circulation for your plant but also encourage new, healthy growth.
Importance Of Monitoring And Early Detection
Once a week, check your rose plants for any signs of a spider mite infestation.
While spider mites are too tiny to see clearly, you can see obvious signs of infestation on the leaves.
Check for the signature yellow stippling marks that cover infested leaves.
Furthermore, large groups of spider mites leave behind webbing.
If the weather is particularly hot and dry, it may be a good idea to inspect your rose plants twice or thrice per week.
Conclusion
Due to their small size, spider mites can often fly under the radar of even the most attentive of gardeners.
Unfortunately for many gardeners, they do not realize they have a spider mite problem until the leaves begin to drop. We aim to keep you informed on how to spot spider mites in the early stages of infestation.
By spotting the signs of spider mites, you have the best chance of eradicating these tiny pests from your garden once and for all and keeping them off!
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