Bermuda Grass Mite
Description:
The mites are extremely small, yellowish-white, somewhat worm-like in shape,
and have two pairs of forward-facing legs. Females lay round, transparent eggs
singly or in groups, between the grass stem and blade sheath.
A 10-20X hand lens or microscope is needed to find the mites -
they cannot be seen with the naked eye.
Damage:
Characteristic damage symptoms are often enough to diagnose an infestation.
The grass blades turn light green or yellow and curl abnormally. The internodes
(the area between the joints of a stem) shorten, the tissues swell, and the grass
becomes tufted so that small clumps are noticeable. This produces small "cabbage heads"
or "witches brooms" in the grass. The grass loses its vigor, thins out, and may die
by the end of the summer.
Control:
Keeping the turfgrass healthy and growing vigorously may help the plants tolerate or outgrow an
infestation. However, to manage small infestations, reduce the use of nitrogen fertilizers,
scalp or closely mow the grass to a height of 3/4 inch, and dispose of all clippings.
Water thoroughly for several days afterwards to minimize turf stress. This may slow down
mite development and remove a large portion of the population.
