1. Insect
  2. Legume, Grass, and Field Seed Crops
  3. Pests of Clover Grown for Seed

Clover seed-Spider mite

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Image related to Clover seed-Spider mite
Tetranychus unknown
© Ken Gray Insect Image Collection

Includes

Strawberry spider mite (Tetranychus turkestani)
Twospotted spider mite (T. urticae)

Pest description and crop damage Pests are not insects but rather eight-legged arachnids less than 0.03 inch long. West of the Cascades, most mite problems in clover seed fields begin during postbloom or early seed set, when only heavy infestations justify control. East of the Cascades, overwintering mites that are colonizing a new crop sometimes are abundant. These may lay enough eggs to be a problem before bloom.

Management-chemical control

  • bifenazate (Acramite- 4SC) at 0.5 lb ai/A. PHI 7 days. Only 1 application is allowed per year. Rotate to a product with a different mode of action grouping if additional applications are needed. Do not graze clover after application. Do not cut treated clover for hay or forage. Do not use harvested seed for sprouting. No part of the treated field, including seed, seed screenings, hay, forage, or stubble, may be used for human or animal feed. Processed seed must be labeled. 24c SLN: OR-1900015 (expires 12/31/2024). Oregon only.
  • bifenthrin (Batallion 2EC, Brigade 2EC, Discipline 2EC) at 0.06 to 0.1 lb ai/A. REI 12 hr. Do not apply to blooming crop or allow to drift while bees are actively visiting bloom. Do not make more than 3 applications per crop year. Allow at least 21 days between treatments. Do not graze clover after applying. Do not cut treated clover for hay or forage. Do not use harvested seed for sprouting. No part of the treated field, including seed, seed screenings, hay, forage, or stubble, may be used for human or animal feed. Processed seed must be labeled. 24c SLN: Batallion 2EC, OR-200006 (expires 12/31/2025), Brigade 2EC, OR-070013 (expires 12/31/2023), ID-070009 (expires 12/31/24); Discipline 2EC, ID-040009 (expires 12/31/24). Oregon and Idaho only.
  • hexythiazox (Onager Optek) at 0.0937 to 0.1875 lb ai/A. REI 12 hr. PHI 28 days. Apply at first sign of mites in upper half of the crop canopy before population build-up occurs. Controls all immature stages but does not control adult spider mites. Do not make more than one application per growing season. Do not cut treated clover for hay or forage. Do not use harvested seed for sprouting. No part of the treated field, including seed, seed screenings, hay, forage, or stubble, may be used for human or animal feed. Processed seed must be labeled. 24c SLN: WA-190005 (expires 12/31/2023) malathion at 1 to 1.25 lb ai/A. Apply to plants in bloom only in evening or early morning, when bees are not working in the fields or hanging on the outside of the hives.
  • propargite (Comite) at 1.64 to 2.46 lb ai/A. REI 2 to 7 days. Do not graze clover after application. Do not cut treated clover for hay or forage. Do not use harvested seed for sprouting. No part of the treated field, including seed, seed screenings, hay, forage, or stubble, may be used for human or animal feed. Processed seed must be labeled. 24c SLN: ID-190011 (expires 12/31/2024). Idaho only.