Lawn Mites - Ask Extension
My lawn care company (that provides regular and ongoing fertilization and weed control applications throughout the year) just called me advising that ...
Knowledgebase
Lawn Mites #889780
Asked November 13, 2024, 11:58 AM EST
My lawn care company (that provides regular and ongoing fertilization and weed control applications throughout the year) just called me advising that I should hire them to treat my lawn for mites this year, as "this will be an especially bad year" for mites. They at first suggested 4 applications of mite control, but after discussing, they said that as we have recently received a good dumping of moisture, we could skip the application for November, do one in December, and see from there.
Is this a beneficial treatment, or are they just selling me a (un-necessary) service?
Thanks!
David
Adams County Colorado
Expert Response
David,
There are miticides that can be applied to help reduce mite populations. Without being able to tell the future it's hard to say if this will be a bad winter for mites are not. We see mite damage develop when we have long, dry, and warm spells in the winter. With snow coverage or moisture you won't see mite damage. You can emulate that natural wetting by watering the lawn if you have sunny areas that have had more than a month of sun exposure in the winter. This should reduce mite populations sufficiently that you won't see a lot of damage.
If you have seen damage in the past, focus your attention on watering those areas, potentially a little more frequently if necessary.
See our fact sheet for more information: https://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/insect/05505.pdf
Let me know if you have any additional questions.
There are miticides that can be applied to help reduce mite populations. Without being able to tell the future it's hard to say if this will be a bad winter for mites are not. We see mite damage develop when we have long, dry, and warm spells in the winter. With snow coverage or moisture you won't see mite damage. You can emulate that natural wetting by watering the lawn if you have sunny areas that have had more than a month of sun exposure in the winter. This should reduce mite populations sufficiently that you won't see a lot of damage.
If you have seen damage in the past, focus your attention on watering those areas, potentially a little more frequently if necessary.
See our fact sheet for more information: https://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/insect/05505.pdf
Let me know if you have any additional questions.
