Life cycle (Fruit tree red spider mite)

• Eggs overwinter on bark and are often most numerous on the smaller branches and spurs.
• Hatching begins in late April or May and is complete by mid-June.
• The young mites move to the undersides of leaves where they feed and develop.
• Five or more generations of mites occur in summer, adult females spreading the infestation as they move to fresh leaves.
• The mites form fine silken webs on which they can be carried from tree to tree by wind.
• In September, mites begin to deposit winter eggs on bark in response to the arrival of shorter days and cooler temperatures.