Hello all! Does anyone know what this is all over my green bean leaves? Underneath the leaves are tiny brown/reddish specs that can be wiped off. The tops of the leaves are all tiny white spots. Thrips? I don’t notice the brown spots moving at all though.
I just googled it. They do. It said if the infestation isn't too bad, try to dislodge them with a spray from the garden hose 2-3 times a week, on the underside of the leaf. It said if spider mites are a problem in your area, grow shorter ripening beans. It also mentioned using Neem or insecticidal soap if the infestation is bad. Don't know how you feel about using stuff like that. Neem & insecticidal soap are consistent with organic practices.
Thank you. They do seem to be spider mites It looks as though the entire plant is covered in them. I would say a bad infestation. Green beans are still growing on them, however, and the plant still has a bunch of flowers. Do you think I should just leave it and try to wipe/spray the mites off, or should I pull the whole thing out? Can you still eat the green beans from a plant like this?
The one thing that spider mites cannot abide is … water. It may be sufficient to thoroughly spray/mist your bean plant several times. There are other alternatives if this doesn’t work.
Just an update: those green bean plants were too infested to save. The mites were all over the actual green beans too and the leaves actually started dying. I think I left it too long. So, I ripped those out and sprayed water/soap mixture all around the container to kill all the leftovers. I did start new green bean plants in a different location and they are growing well and I’m keeping an eye for the mites... as soon as a see a few, I spray water/soap mixture and they are gone. Thank you for your help with identifying them!
You know, FL— those spotty losses of pigmentation could also have been caused by one of the types of leafhopper. The ones that I have the most trouble with are the tiny green ones. i am mentioning this because I did not see any webbing in your foto’s. For instance, between leaf and stem. This would have been a confirmation that it was spider mites; however, being absent , one must consider other pests. Keep your eyes open for the leafhoppers.
