These tiny pests attack the leaves usually on the underside causing
irregular brown areas to appear. Trees which are heavily infested appear
scorched and may lose their leaves in late summer or fall.
Mites usually are light green and are just large enough to be seen
without the aid of a hand lens. They are wingless and feed principally
on the underside of the leaves along the midrib. Colonies of them
produce webs in which molted skins and eggs may be found. The life cycle
of mites is very short and several generations occur each year. Large
populations may develop during the late summer and fall.
The use of certain insecticides for the control of the pecan nut
casebearer or bordeaux mixture for scab control frequently contributes
to increases in mite populations later in the season.
_Control._—Mites may be controlled in three ways when damaging
infestations develop. An application of 2 pounds of wettable sulfur per
100 gallons of water may be made; 6 pounds of wettable sulfur per 100
gallons of water may be added to the spray applied for the control of
the nut casebearer; and repeated applications of zineb included in a
regular spray schedule for pecan scab control will effectively control
mites. However, a single application of zineb is not effective[7].