MICHIGAN: For areas that have missed the rains, heat and drought are creating a perfect environment for spider mites in soybeans.

According to the Michigan State University Extension, spider mites can be one of the most difficult pests to control. They feed with a piercing mouthpart, inserting it directly into plant cells and sucking out the contents. This type of feeding can injure or kill plant foliage, and also result in water loss through the feeding wounds.

Syngenta recommends scouting dry soybean fields early and often, looking first on the borders of the fields for soybean plants that start to turn bronze or brown in color. Additionally, utilizing paper tests can help spot these tiny pests. Shake plants from the area of concern over a white piece of paper. If small, yellow dots collect on the paper, and they start to move, they are probably spider mites.

If dry weather persists, Syngenta recommends to spray immediately – before the spider mites spread to the rest of the field. Utilizing a miticide/insecticide such as Agri-Mek^® SC helps protect soybean yield that may be vulnerable to damaging mites and insects.

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