Spider Mites

It’s late in the summer gardening season but there’s still a few vegetables hanging on in some gardens. Perhaps you have some plants that look a little like this. These are beans but it could be your eggplant or your okra.  Leaves which are stippled like this are usually a result of sucking insects, most likely leaf hoppers or spider mites. When temperatures exceed 90° this type of insect flourishes.  A high powered spray from a garden hose can wash some of them off.   In any event, the damage has been done and they cannot be restored to health this late in the season.  Earlier planting and crop rotation will help to reduce the threat of the same damage on next year’s crops.  For an excellent article on spider mites, how to identify them and what to do about them follow the link. https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/spider-mites