248 Peach-Gromng 



The insect passes the winter in the egg stage, the eggs 

 being placed in or near the crotches of the branches. They 

 hatch early in the following spring. At first the mites 

 are reddish in color, but after feeding for a short time and 

 molting, they take on an olive green or brown color. 



Feeding is mostly on the leaves, but sometimes the fruit 

 is attacked. Its presence on the leaves is indicated by a 

 faded out, pallid appearance and by the presence of very 

 minute, dark colored specks of excreta. 



Methods of control of brownrmite. 



The tobacco extracts generally are effective in killing 

 the insects, but as they have little or no effect on the eggs, 

 they are not satisfactory, since eggs are more or less con- 

 tinuously present in considerable numbers on badly infested 

 trees. However, a spray composed of 10 pounds of flowers 

 of sulfur and 50 gallons of water applied in early spring 

 after the presence of the insect on the foliage becomes evi- 

 dent, is very successful, as reported by Weldon.^ The 

 presence of the sulfur on the affected parts seems to kill 

 the mites as they hatch, but the adults do not succumb at 

 once. However, within a week after an application was 

 made, practically no adult mites were to be found. Com- 

 mercially prepared forms of lime-sulfur mixture also proved 

 about equally successful. 



Red-spider (Tetranychus himaculatus) 



This insect — also one of the "mites" — is common on 

 many fruit-trees and in greenhouses. It is not widely recog- 

 nized as a serious peach pest, but it occurs to a damaging 



1 Colo. Exp. Sta. BuU. 169. 



