Spider mites on pepper
The two-spotted spider mite sucks sap from the underside of pepper leaves. In dry, hot tunnel air the population doubles in a few days, and the leaves become webbed and shrivel.
Symptom photos
Symptoms
- Fine, pale stippling and mottling on the leaf blade
- Delicate webbing on leaf undersides and around the shoot tips
- Rusty-brown, drying leaves in a heavy attack
- Small, moving mites visible with a hand lens
- Leaves drying and dropping from the bottom of the plant up
What it does to the crop
- Leaf loss and sunscald on the fruit
- Growth checked and a marked drop in yield
- Plants dying off early
- Very fast spread through the whole crop
What encourages it
- Temperature above 25°C with humidity below 50%
- Growing under cover without misting
- Too much nitrogen
- Mites overwintering in the tunnel structure
Prevention
- Raise humidity by damping down the paths
- Check leaf undersides weekly from June
- Introduce the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis
- Remove and destroy the worst-affected leaves
- Disinfect the tunnel and clear debris after the season
⚠️ Before you reach for a spray
This atlas is informational and still growing — different diseases can look almost identical. Confirm the diagnosis and read the product label before applying any plant protection product. If you are unsure, ask your local extension or advisory service.
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