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Cyclamen mite detection is difficult with naked eye. At a length of 0.25 mm, the mite can be seen virtually only through a magnifying glass. The body of the insect is transparent and brown in color. Most of the time, the mites hide in the flower buds at growth points and in rolled up leaves. They prefer to avoid direct sunlight and tend to dehydrate quickly.

The cyclamen mite has a rapid lifecycle of 9 to 12 days. During that time, the insect develops from larvae to adult insect. It is remarkable that their eggs are significantly larger than an adult mite itself, namely an extra half size larger and twice as wide. In addition, the eggs have an oval shape and are transparent in color. When the eggs hatch, the larvae are white in color and only have three legs.

When the cyclamen mite stings plant tissue to get to the plant sap, the damage occurs. This damage is especially visible in places where it is mainly located: at growth points, in flower buds and between curled-over leaves. The damage is mainly manifested by deformity, stunted growth, bronzed leaves and fragility. Once there is serious damage, there is a high chance of death. Depending on the host plant, you can find different kind of symptons. Besides ornamental crops, the mite can also occur in strawberry crop. Read more about how to control the strawberry mite.

To prevent cyclamen mite infestation, hygiene measures in the greenhouse are important. Therefore, it is recommended to perform a hygiene scan. If the mite has already been spotted in the crop, then controlling is important. Chemical control is quite difficult, because the mite hides into difficult to reach places. Therefore, we recommend to control the cyclamen mite biologically. This can be done by using natural enemies, including the following predatory mites: Amblyseius cucumeris (AMBLYcontrol), Transeius montdorensis (MONcontrol) and Amblyseius swirskii (SWIRScontrol).

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