Description of the Pest
Eriophyid mites are microscopic mites that have two pairs of legs near the front end of their body. They are yellow to pinkish white to purplish and wedge-shaped with the widest part of the body being just behind the head.
Damage
All species feed on leaves. Heavily infested leaves take on a silvery or bronze appearance, depending on the species. Severe infestations can interfere with photosynthesis, but research indicates that densities as high as 120 eriophyid mites per leaf do not impact yield during the year of infestation. These mites can damage growing tips and limit shoot development in young orchards.
Management
Eriophyid mites are more likely to reach high densities in sprayed orchards where predatory mites are destroyed. NOTE: Not all miticides are labeled for eriophyid mite control, so careful material selection is needed when monitoring shows a miticide application is needed.
Biological Control
Light to moderate infestations are suppressed by predatory mites.
Organically Acceptable Methods
Use biological control and sulfur sprays in a certified organic crop.
Treatment Decisions
Application of miticide should be considered only in orchards with chronic infestations or when there is a danger of defoliation.
Pesticides and Natural Enemy Releases
Not all registered pesticides are listed. The following are ranked by their IPM value, with the most effective and least harmful to natural enemies, honey bees, and the environment listed at the top of the table. When choosing a pesticide, consider information related to water and air quality, resistance management, and the pesticide's properties and application timing. Use PestManage to compare summarized management options for different pests in the same crop. Always carefully read the label of the product being used and take all necessary precautions when handling pesticides.
| Rank | Active ingredient | Example trade name | Group | Group Order | MoA 1 | Amount per acre | REI (hours) ‡ | PHI (days) ‡ | Comments | Selectivity 2 | Bees 3 | Predatory mites 4 | Predators 5 | Parasitoids 5 | Residue duration 6 | Leaching(fish) 7 | Adsorbed runoff(fish) 8 | Solution runoff(human) 9 | Leaching(human) 10 | Solution runoff(human) 11 | Last updated 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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|
Agri-Mek SC | Application Timing Varies (See UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines and Label) | 8 |
6 |
Label rates | 12 | 21 | — | broad | moderate | low | moderate/high | moderate | high | low | extra high | low | intermediate | 12/2025 | ||
|
|
Magister SC | Application Timing Varies (See UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines and Label) | 8 |
21A |
32–36 fl oz | 12 | 3 | — | narrow | — | — | — | moderate | low | low | high | very low | low | 12/2025 | ||
|
|
Vendex 50WP | Application Timing Varies (See UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines and Label) | 8 |
12B |
1–2 lb | 48 | 14 | — | narrow | low | low | low | short | high | intermediate | extra high | very low | low | 12/2025 | ||
|
|
FujiMite SC | Application Timing Varies (See UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines and Label) | 8 |
21A |
2 pt | 12 | 7 | Contact toxin to juveniles and adults wi... | narrow | high | low | low | very long | intermediate | low | extra high | very low | low | 12/2025 | ||
|
|
Loveland Dusting Sulfur # | Application Timing Varies (See UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines and Label) | 8 |
UN |
Label rates | 24 | — | Sulfur dust. Do not apply within 2 weeks... | narrow | low/high | low | high | short | — | — | — | — | — | 12/2025 | ||
|
|
Yellow Jacket Wettable Sulfur II # | Application Timing Varies (See UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines and Label) | 8 |
UN |
Label rates | 24 | — | Wettable sulfur. Do not apply within 2 w... | narrow | low/high | low | high | short | — | — | — | — | — | 12/2025 |
Legend
- ‡ a b Restricted entry interval (REI) is the number of hours (unless otherwise noted) from treatment until the treated area can be safely entered without personal protective equipment. Preharvest interval (PHI) is the number of days from treatment to harvest. In some cases, the REI exceeds the PHI. The longer of the two intervals is the minimum time that must elapse before harvest.
- # a b Acceptable for use on certified organic crops. Check with your certifier to confirm before application.
- 1 ↩ Group numbers for insecticides and miticides are assigned by the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC). Insecticides with unknown modes of action are assigned mode-of-action group numbers (MoAs) that begin with UN. Rotate pesticides with a different mode-of-action group number, and do not use products with the same mode-of-action group number more than twice per season to help prevent the development of resistance. For example, the organophosphates have a group number of 1B; insecticides with a 1B group number should be alternated with insecticides that have a group number other than 1B.
- 2 ↩ Range of insect and mite groups affected by a pesticide. Broad means the pesticide affects most groups of insects and mites; narrow means the pesticide affects only a few specific groups.
- 3 ↩ Risk of harm to honey bees. For more information, see Bee Precaution Pesticide Ratings.
- 4 ↩ Risk of harm to predatory mites. Toxicities are generally to western predatory mite, Galendromus occidentalis. Where differences have been measured in toxicity of the pesticide-resistant strain versus the native strain, these are listed as pesticide-resistant strain or native strain.
- 5 a b Risk of harm to parasitoids and general predators. Toxicities are averages of reported effects and should be used only as a general guide. Actual toxicity of a specific insecticide depends on factors including the application rate, environmental conditions, and the life stage and species of a parasitoid or predator.
- 6 ↩ Length of time residue affects natural enemies. Short means hours to days; moderate means days to 2 weeks; and long means many weeks or months.
- 7 ↩ Risk of harm to fish from leaching, based on USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST).
- 8 ↩ Risk of harm to fish from adsorbed runoff, based on USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST).
- 9 ↩ Risk of harm to fish from solution runoff, based on USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST).
- 10 ↩ Risk of harm to humans from leaching, based on USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST).
- 11 ↩ Risk of harm to humans from solution runoff, based on USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST).
- 12 ↩ Date information was last updated in the UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines.
UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines: Prune
UC ANR Publication 3464
C. Pickel (emeritus), UC IPM and UC Cooperative Extension Sutter and Yuba counties
F.J.A. Niederholzer, UC Cooperative Extension Sutter/Yuba counties
W.H. Olson, UC Cooperative Extension Butte County
F.G. Zalom (emeritus), Entomology, UC Davis
R.P. Buchner (emeritus), UC Cooperative Extension Tehama County
W.H. Krueger (emeritus), UC Cooperative Extension Glenn County
Acknowledgement for Contributions to Invertebrates
W.O. Reil (emeritus), UC Cooperative Extension Solano and Yolo counties
