Good day all,

One of my apple sapling's leaves seem to be infested with what looks like
microscopic white spiders. They are turning the leaves ino nests by somehow
causing the leaves to curl into a tube, inside which, I find loads of fine
spider web, with eggs and microscopic white pests (presumably spiders,
though they are too small to see prperly with the naked eye). I couldn;t
find any reference to "tiny white spiders infesting apple trees" on Google.
Is there a non-poisonous way to eradicate the problem?

TIA

Al

"AL_n" wrote in message
...
Good day all,

One of my apple sapling's leaves seem to be infested with what looks like
microscopic white spiders. They are turning the leaves ino nests by
somehow
causing the leaves to curl into a tube, inside which, I find loads of fine
spider web, with eggs and microscopic white pests (presumably spiders,
though they are too small to see prperly with the naked eye). I couldn;t
find any reference to "tiny white spiders infesting apple trees" on
Google.
Is there a non-poisonous way to eradicate the problem?

TIA

Al

You say white but could they be described as a light tannish brown? if so it
sounds like "Red Spider Mite" (they become red in the autumn when they
hibernate) water with a few drops of washing up liquid sprayed on the
foliage on a regular basis will keep them under control, during winter use a
winter oil wash while the trees are dormant which should get rid of the
overwintering population.


--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk

On 14/08/2014 18:30, Charlie Pridham wrote:

"AL_n" wrote in message
...
Good day all,

One of my apple sapling's leaves seem to be infested with what looks like
microscopic white spiders. They are turning the leaves ino nests by
somehow
causing the leaves to curl into a tube, inside which, I find loads of
fine
spider web, with eggs and microscopic white pests (presumably spiders,
though they are too small to see prperly with the naked eye). I couldn;t
find any reference to "tiny white spiders infesting apple trees" on
Google.
Is there a non-poisonous way to eradicate the problem?

TIA

Al

You say white but could they be described as a light tannish brown? if
so it sounds like "Red Spider Mite" (they become red in the autumn when
they hibernate) water with a few drops of washing up liquid sprayed on
the foliage on a regular basis will keep them under control, during
winter use a winter oil wash while the trees are dormant which should
get rid of the overwintering population.





But make sure they are RSM and not true spiders. They could be Misumena
vatia or Enoplognatha ovata .. or indeed the young of any spider whose
colouration develops with age. Check them out with a magnifying glass.

--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

On 14/08/2014 15:09, AL_n wrote:
Good day all,

One of my apple sapling's leaves seem to be infested with what looks like
microscopic white spiders. They are turning the leaves ino nests by somehow
causing the leaves to curl into a tube, inside which, I find loads of fine
spider web, with eggs and microscopic white pests (presumably spiders,
though they are too small to see prperly with the naked eye). I couldn;t
find any reference to "tiny white spiders infesting apple trees" on Google.
Is there a non-poisonous way to eradicate the problem?

TIA

Al

Re Reading this post I don't think it's red spider.
There are a couple of spiders that curl leaves to make a "nest" for
their eggs which when they hatch give you what seem like hundreds of
very small spiderlings.
Red spider dont curl leaves, they just have a mas of web on the plants
which realy show up if you give a fine spray of water.

On 15/08/2014 21:08, David Hill wrote:
On 14/08/2014 15:09, AL_n wrote:
Good day all,

One of my apple sapling's leaves seem to be infested with what looks like
microscopic white spiders. They are turning the leaves ino nests by
somehow
causing the leaves to curl into a tube, inside which, I find loads of
fine
spider web, with eggs and microscopic white pests (presumably spiders,
though they are too small to see prperly with the naked eye). I couldn;t
find any reference to "tiny white spiders infesting apple trees" on
Google.
Is there a non-poisonous way to eradicate the problem?

TIA

Al

Re Reading this post I don't think it's red spider.
There are a couple of spiders that curl leaves to make a "nest" for
their eggs which when they hatch give you what seem like hundreds of
very small spiderlings.
Red spider dont curl leaves, they just have a mas of web on the plants
which realy show up if you give a fine spray of water.



Quite so, David. In fact, Enoplognatha ovata (one of my favourite
spiders) is nesting currently. When first woven, the small ball-shaped
egg sac is white, but slowly changes to blue. The mother *usually*
stays with the sac, but could have been disturbed.

--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

Spider wrote in
:

On 15/08/2014 21:08, David Hill wrote:
On 14/08/2014 15:09, AL_n wrote:
Good day all,

One of my apple sapling's leaves seem to be infested with what looks
like microscopic white spiders. They are turning the leaves ino
nests by somehow
causing the leaves to curl into a tube, inside which, I find loads
of fine
spider web, with eggs and microscopic white pests (presumably
spiders, though they are too small to see prperly with the naked
eye). I couldn;t find any reference to "tiny white spiders infesting
apple trees" on Google.
Is there a non-poisonous way to eradicate the problem?

TIA

Al

Re Reading this post I don't think it's red spider.
There are a couple of spiders that curl leaves to make a "nest" for
their eggs which when they hatch give you what seem like hundreds of
very small spiderlings.
Red spider dont curl leaves, they just have a mas of web on the
plants which realy show up if you give a fine spray of water.



Quite so, David. In fact, Enoplognatha ovata (one of my favourite
spiders) is nesting currently. When first woven, the small
ball-shaped egg sac is white, but slowly changes to blue. The mother
*usually* stays with the sac, but could have been disturbed.


Thanks to all for the input. I seem to have cured it by removing all the
curled leaves and spraying the remainder with washing up liquid solution.

al