1
Twisted, hardened new growth.
Broad and cyclamen mites.
Broad, russet and cyclamen mites
Twisted new leaves, and nothing to see?
The mites are too small to spot. Their damage isn't.
Check that it's broad mitesIs it broad mites?
The new leaves give them away.
2
Bronzed, rough leaves.
Russet and rust mites.
You can't see the bug. The easiest check? Look at the newest leaves.
Karen's noteKaren Horn, owner
They usually come home on a new plant that looked fine at the shop. Start there.
Not quite matching?
Twisted, but not broad mites?
Nutrient or pH problems
Spread across the plant, not packed into the newest growth.
Meet the broad mites
A quarter the size of a spider mite.
Small enough to hide in a bud.
Broad and cyclamen mites are about a hundredth of an inch long. The twisted leaf is usually the first thing anyone sees.
What it eats
Their spit twists the leaf.
As they feed on the newest tissue, they inject a toxic saliva. The damage shows later, as the bitten leaf grows: twisted, cupped and hardened.
Where it lives
They live in leaves that haven't opened yet.
Scroll down the plant to see where.
The folded tipEvery stage lives here.
Egg, larva, resting nymph and adult.
Buds and young stemsCorky streaks.
If it's flowering, buds that never open, or rough fruit skin.
The older leavesBroad mites leave these alone.
Russet mites start here and work upward.
Karen's noteKaren Horn, owner
Twisted leaf? The mites already moved up. Predators go on the tips.
The life cycle
Egg to adult in four or five days.
In a warm, humid room, a new generation before the week is out.
Days 0–3Egg
In the newest growth. Oval and pearly, studded with rows of tiny white bumps.
Days 2–4Larva
Six legs. Feeds on the soft tissue at the tip.
Days 4–5Resting nymph
Doesn't feed. Males often carry the female nymphs to fresh growth on their backs.
Day 5 onAdult
Lays two to four eggs a day for one to two weeks, in the next flush.
Swipe for the next stage →
Why sprays miss
A folded leaf is a closed door.
They feed in buds and inside twisted tissue, where a spray coats the outside and barely gets in. Cucumeris is small enough to walk in after them.
A different family
Russet mites have four legs and start at the bottom.
They bronze leaves and stems from the bottom up. Andersoni is our pick, on its own or inside Special Blend or Ultimate Control, and californicus helps. Plan repeat releases every 2 to 4 weeks.
What to get
The tips tell you which mite.
Question 1 of 2
What does the damage look like?
Question 2 of 2
How many plants?
Count them all, not just the ones with damage.Our pick for you
Neoseiulus cucumeris
Neoseiulus cucumeris takes broad and cyclamen mites in the folded new growth, and it's the species with the published record on broad mite.
See Neoseiulus cucumerisOur pick for you
Amblyseius andersoni
Amblyseius andersoni is our pick for russet and rust mites, and takes broad and spider mites too. It works from about 43°F to 100°F. Californicus also helps.
See Amblyseius andersoniOur pick for you
Special Blend
Four predatory mites in one bottle. Between them they cover broad, cyclamen, russet and rust mites, plus spider mites and thrips.
See Special BlendOur pick for you
Ultimate Control
Californicus, cucumeris and andersoni at a higher rate per plant, covering broad and cyclamen mites, russet mites, thrips larvae and spider mites.
See Ultimate ControlSee all picks
| If you see | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Twisted, hardened new growthBroad or cyclamen mites: distorted tips, no webbing, nothing visible |  Neoseiulus cucumeris |
Neoseiulus cucumeris takes broad and cyclamen mites in the folded new growth, and it's the species with the published record on broad mite. |
| Dull, bronzed, rough leavesRusset or rust mites, often working up from older leaves |  Amblyseius andersoni |
Amblyseius andersoni is our pick for russet and rust mites, and takes broad and spider mites too. |
| Not sure which miteNew growth is clearly wrong, but you can't tell what's doing it |  Special Blend |
Four predatory mites in one bottle. |
| Thrips or spider mites tooTwisted tips plus a second pest you can see |  Ultimate Control |
Californicus, cucumeris and andersoni at a higher rate per plant, covering broad and cyclamen mites, russet mites, thrips larvae and spider mites. |
Karen's noteKaren Horn, owner
Sizes assume a 6-inch pot. Your monstera did not get the memo.
Our suggested plan
Judge by the next flush, then go again.
- 1
Release day
Neoseiulus cucumeris on the newest growth.
Small piles in the tips and leaf joints.
- 2
Every 2–4 weeks
Again, while the damage is still spreading.
- ✓
Stop
Two clean flushes in a row.
New leaves open flat and normal.
Why don't they just stay?
They do, while there's food. Once the pests run low, their numbers fall too. The next release, and later a sachet, keeps the tips guarded.
For a typical infestation. Every other week or monthly is usually fine. A light one may need less. A heavy one may need one size up. Adjust to what you see, or ask us.
How to release
Treat the neighbors too.
Before you order
Confirm it's broad mites. Twisted new growth, nothing to see. Already confirmed above.
While it ships
Check the neighbors. Look at the tips of the plants beside the damaged one. Treat them too.
Wait out any spray.
Once dryNeem or oil
1 dayInsecticidal soap
21 daysSulfur
Something else? Send us its active ingredient. If the label says longer, the label wins.
Release day
Onto the tips, the day it arrives. Strong fans? Tuck the material into a small paper cup in the plant so it stays put.
Gently end over end, so the mites mix through.
In the tips, where they sit still.
They walk down into the folds. Don't water them in.
Cucumeris breeds fastest at 65% humidity and up.
Karen's noteKaren Horn, owner
Pepper trial: cucumeris on every plant, or every other one, matched sulfur. Every fourth plant? The mites won.
What to expect
Judge it by the next flush.
- Right after release
The twisted leaves stay twisted. That damage was done before the predators arrived.
- As it takes hold
Damage stops spreading to the next leaves up.
- When it's working
A new flush opens flat and normal. Stalled tips start pushing again.
Next flush still twisted? Go again. Two clean flushes in a row? You can stop.
Why treatment fails
Three ways it goes sideways.
1
Treated as a feeding problem first.
Weeks of adjusting pH or feeding let the mites multiply.
2
Only the worst plant treated.
The plants beside it often have mites before they show damage.
3
Stopped too soon.
Keep going until new growth stays clean.
Prevention
Two clean flushes? Switch to sachets.
A sachet hangs on a stem and lets predatory mites out over four to six weeks. It keeps these mites from getting a foothold.
Broad and cyclamen mitesCucumeris
Russet mitesAndersoni
All of themSpecial Blend
It won't catch up with damage you can already see.
Often shows up with
They keep company.
Whiteflies
Broad mites ride whiteflies to new plants, so treat those too. Swirskii eats their eggs and young nymphs.
Spider mites
Webbing on older leaves while the tips twist. Special Blend takes both.
Field Notes
More on the mites you can't see.
Questions
Broad mites, asked and answered.
Couldn't it be a nutrient problem?
It's the most common misdiagnosis. Calcium or boron problems, pH and even viruses get blamed for broad mite damage. The difference is the pattern: broad mites twist and cup the newest leaves tightly and leave older leaves alone, and nutrient problems don't produce that tight twisting. If you've already adjusted feeding or pH and the new growth still comes out distorted, treat for mites.
Can I use sachets to treat them?
Not for damage you can already see. Release a bottle first, then hang sachets once the new growth is clean.
Are predatory mites safe around kids and pets?
Yes. Cucumeris, andersoni and the other predatory mites in our mixes are safe around people, pets, plants and food crops. They can't feed on plants and leave no residue, so there's no wait before anyone can be near the plants.
Further reading
- Gerson 1992, Biology and control of the broad mite, Polyphagotarsonemus latus
- Palevsky and others 2001, How species-specific is the phoretic relationship between the broad mite and its insect hosts?
- Weintraub and others 2003, Control of the broad mite on organic greenhouse sweet peppers with Neoseiulus cucumeris
- UC IPM Pest Notes: Broad mite and cyclamen mite
- UC IPM: Thread-footed mites in floriculture and nurseries
- UC IPM Pest Notes: Tomato russet mite