RLEM feed on plants by making holes in the cells on the upper surface of leaves and sucking up the discharged sap. This causes a silvering of the leaves which can look like frost.

RLEM have a wide range of host plants including clover, plantain, wheat, oats, canola and weeds such as ox-tongue and cape weed. They can also attack vegetables. They feed on all growth stages from seedlings to leaves and flowers.

Seedlings are particularly vulnerable with RLEM able to kill seedlings. They are also able to suppress seedling and adult plant growth which reduces dry matter production and the palatability and digestibility for stock. They can also reduce the amount of seed set which is important in self regenerating annual pastures.

Mites are often abundant in pastures and it has been calculated that 12,000 mites per square meter use as much energy as 1 DSE/ha. Mite densities well in excess of this are recorded frequently in pastures which can lead to a high level of competition with sheep for the pasture resource.

Over 8 years of trials, the number of mites in spring just prior to spraying was over 34,000 mites/m² (2.8 DSE/ha) in Western Australia and 20,000 mites/m2 (1.7 DSE/ha).

Read more about the economic benefits of controlling RLEM using Timerite®