How do you recognize the infestation?
Spider mites can cause significant damage in a short amount of time. Affected leaves are immediately recognizable by their yellow spots, which eventually spread across the entire leaf. In the later stage, a white web is visible at the tips of the leaves. The mites themselves are usually found on the underside of the leaves where they feed. Since mites suck the nutrients from the plant, it cannot continue to grow.
How can (further) damage be prevented?
An easy way to prevent spider mite infestation is to place a clove of garlic next to the plant. The plant takes on the smell of the garlic, which keeps spider mites away. In addition, spider mites do not like high humidity or low temperatures.
The animal
A spider mite is between 0.2 and 0.5 millimeters in size and can hardly be seen without a magnifying glass. In contrast to most insects, the mites have eight legs, which point conspicuously forwards or backwards. Their body is often pear-shaped, yellowish, tan, or red. The spider mite prefers a warm, dry environment and therefore primarily affects plants that have been weakened by drought.