On a site visit this week I saw some trees that had mite populations that were higher than what I would expect this time of year. They turned out to be citrus red mites and luckily they are pretty easily controlled. At one time the citrus red mite was a serious pest in Florida, but now it is less of an issue. These mites are less than five tenths of a centimeter in length with the females being larger than the males. Females lay up to 37 eggs in two weeks and live about 23 days. However, high temperatures and high humidity reduce the growth of populations. When populations are higher, from November to June, they cause a stippled look on leaves. This can cause heavy leaf drop and limb dieback in the most severe infestations. When trees are dormant mites can be controlled with a dormant oil and once this is no longer an option there are several other insecticides that are.
Thomas County Ag 