The boxwood has been extremely popular with gardeners for more than 2000 years. But not only with these, because the evergreen wood is often attacked by a wide variety of pests. Mites such as the boxwood spider mite or the gall mite belong to the arachnids and feed on the leaf sap of the plant.
The spider mite is tiny, but causes great damage
Boxwood spider mite (Eurytetranychus buxi)
Like various other pests - such as the dreaded box tree moth - the box tree spider mite is also an immigrant parasite. The mite originally comes from North America, from where it came to Europe through plant imports. You can recognize an infestation by the following characteristics:
- White dots are visible on the leaves.
- The leaves are gradually turning rusty red.
- The undersides appear greyish, fine webs can be visible.
- These can be easily recognized after spraying with a fine water mist.
- In the case of a severe infestation, the leaves are shed.
Combat boxwood spider mite
Spider mites are tiny, around half a millimeter long, and can hardly be seen with the naked eye. They appear more frequently in hot, dry and sunny locations and can be driven away by increased humidity. You should therefore regularly spray boxwood with water in endangered locations and in appropriate weather conditions. In the case of a stronger infestation, oil-based agents are very helpful, which should be used in autumn and early spring - in this way you destroy the overwintering brood.
Gall mite (Aceria unguiculatus)
The so-called shoot tip gall mites are also extremely small and barely visible arachnids. As the name suggests, they sit preferably on the tips of the shoots and on the young leaves and in the buds. Here they tap into the leaf sap of the boxwood and cause considerable damage in the event of a severe infestation. Typical signs of a gall mite infestation are:
- Only the tips of the shoots are deformed.
- It looks compressed, the leaves are deformed.
- The rest of the plant initially shows no damage.
- Bulges resembling knots appear on the leaves.
- Leaf buds have a plump rather than elongated shape.
Combat gall mite
Affected parts of the plant should be cut back immediately, ideally at the first signs in spring. If there is a high level of infestation, the only thing that often helps is vigorous pruning and treatment with oil-based pesticides.
tips
Whether plant lice or mites: preparations based on neem or rapeseed oil have proven to be particularly effective.