What does raspberry infected with spider mites look like? - briefly
Leaves turn pale, bronze, or yellow, often covered with fine webbing and tiny stipple scars; fruit may be smaller, misshapen, and display a silvery dust coating.
What does raspberry infected with spider mites look like? - in detail
Raspberry vines attacked by spider mites display a distinct set of visual symptoms that can be identified without magnification, although a hand lens clarifies details.
The first sign appears on the foliage. Leaves develop a fine stippling pattern—tiny, pale yellow or bronze spots where mites have fed on cell contents. As feeding continues, the stippling coalesces into larger, irregularly shaped patches that may turn reddish or bronze, giving the canopy a mottled appearance. The affected foliage often looks thin and may curl upward at the margins, a response to tissue loss.
A second indicator is the presence of fine, silvery webs. These webs are most noticeable on the undersides of leaves and along the petioles, where spider mites congregate. The silk is delicate; it drifts away with a light breeze, revealing the underlying leaf surface. In heavy infestations, webs can also be observed on young shoots and between leaf clusters.
Fruit symptoms differ from leaf damage. Berries may exhibit a surface that is dull rather than glossy, with occasional speckling of discoloration near the tip. In severe cases, the fruit can become smaller, misshapen, and prone to early drop because the plant redirects resources to repair damaged foliage.
Root and stem tissue generally remains unaffected directly, but prolonged leaf loss reduces photosynthetic capacity, leading to overall plant vigor decline. New growth may emerge with a lighter green hue, indicating reduced chlorophyll production.
Key visual cues:
- Pale yellow to bronze stippling on leaf surfaces
- Mottled, reddish‑bronze patches as stippling merges
- Upward leaf curling at edges
- Fine, silvery webs on leaf undersides and petioles
- Dull, speckled berries, reduced size, early drop
- Light‑green new shoots indicating stress
Recognizing these characteristics early enables timely intervention, such as targeted miticide application or biological control agents, before the infestation spreads throughout the raspberry patch.