BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
BERMUDAGRASS MITES
Overview Bermudagrass mites ( Eriophyes cynodoniensis ) can be a serious pest of Bermudagrass grown from Hawaii to Florida and up through the Carolinas. Bermudagrass mites have been a pest of turf for many decades but have seen somewhat of a resurgence over the past few years with more Bermudagrass varieties showing susceptibility to attack. Susceptible Turf Varieties to Bermudagrass Mite Attack Common, Tifway, Tifdwarf, Celebration, etc. There are no known 100% resistant varieties. Identification and Biology Bermudagrass mites are very small and require a good, 10-20X hand lens to spot them. Even with a 10-20X lens they will be difficult to see so a better option is using a microscope with up to 100X magnification to ensure mites are not missed. The mites are a whitish-cream color and elongated while the eggs are round and appear like tiny pearls.
Bermudagrass mites can complete the egg to adult life cycle (one generation) in 7-10 days. There can be all life stages on a single plant making control difficult. The fact that these mites feed in the leaf sheath where they are somewhat protected also makes control difficult. Signs and Symptoms
Turf generally looks unhealthy, and a tell- tale sign of infestation is stunted growth where the internodes swell and shorten producing a “witches’ broom” look.
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