Divisi
Citrus mites
· Mite
Photo: Clemson University - USDA Cooperative Extension Slide Series, Bugwood.org · CC BY 3.0 US
Citrus mites are a group of near-invisible mites that attack citrus trees — orange, lemon and lime. The citrus rust mite grazes the skin of the leaves and fruit, leaving a bronze or silvery 'russet' that spoils the fruit's look; spider mites suck the juice out of the leaves, leaving them speckled, dull and dropping. Both explode in numbers in hot, dry, dusty weather, and an attack turns much worse when broad poisons wipe out the tiny predator bugs that normally hold them in check.
Natalka Ukraine (baby-bear.org) · CC BY 4.0 
Aleksey Gnilenkov from Moscow, Russia · CC BY 2.0
Why it matters
A bad mite attack can cost you up to a third of your crop's value. On the fruit the rust mite leaves a permanent bronze scar — the fruit is still perfectly good to eat, but buyers pay far less for scarred fruit, so your grade-1 oranges become cheap juice fruit. Spider mites strip and drop the leaves, weakening the tree for seasons to come. Mites are hard to beat once they take hold because they are too small to see without a lens, they double their numbers in days in hot weather, and the wrong spray kills the good bugs and makes the outbreak worse.
When to act
Rust mite: bronzing or silvering starting on fruit and leaves. Spider mite: stippling on leaves; treat when a hand-lens count shows rising colonies on several trees.
This guidance is general, compiled from published agronomic references including FAO and CABI. Thresholds and timing shift with your crop, your variety and the season.
In much of the region a spray is simply called mushonga — medicine. But a chemical group you cannot name is one you cannot rotate, and a product you did not write down has no pre-harvest interval you can observe. Mushonga, and other farming words →
The full citrus mites field guide
- Identify it
- Scout for it
- Control it
13 field-guide sections in the app
The full guide to citrus mites — every symptom to check, how and when to walk your field looking for it, and the controls that actually work, ranked. Built into your crop plan, so you are told to look before it costs you a harvest.
Crops it affects
Frequently asked questions
How do I identify citrus mites?
The first thing you'll see (rust mite): a bronze, rust-brown or silvery sheen spreading smoothly over the skin of the fruit and the leaves — as if the fruit has been lightly dusted or 'sun-tanned' all over. The fruit is not rotten and is still good to eat, but the colour is spoiled and buyers pay less for it.
When should I take action against citrus mites?
Rust mite: bronzing or silvering starting on fruit and leaves. Spider mite: stippling on leaves; treat when a hand-lens count shows rising colonies on several trees.
How do I control citrus mites?
Prevent — keep trees strong and kill the dust: water the trees well so they are not drought-stressed (thirsty, stressed trees flare up with mites), and knock down the dust that shelters them — wet the orchard roads, keep a grass strip or mulch along the edges, slow down vehicles, and in dry spells hose plain water over the leaves to wash dust and mites off.
Which crops does citrus mites affect?
Among the crops covered here: Lemon, Lime, Sweet orange.
Catch it before it costs you a harvest
Divisi builds scouting into your crop plan — it tells you when to walk your field, what to look for at that stage, and what to do when you find it. Free for farmers, works offline.
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