Agave mite?

Use this section to discuss matters relating to any and all issues involving horticultural pest and disease management. This is where one posts unknown pest/damage photos for ID help.
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Steph115
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Agave mite?

#1

Post by Steph115 »

Okay guys. I think I may have finally seen the beast in person. This photo demonstrates what I believe could be mite damage - lesions on the underside of the leaves near the core, rusty in character, surrounding grease stains. Surrounding agaves had similar damage. However I have been wrong many times before and would love to be wrong again! Lay it on me y'all.
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Agave mite?
Agave mite?
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Gee.S
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Re: Agave mite?

#2

Post by Gee.S »

Ouch, you nailed it. Bring any Agaves home from there?
Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
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Steph115
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Re: Agave mite?

#3

Post by Steph115 »

Yikes! Unfortunately yes - two $5 A. Utahensis (which I believe to be eborispina) seedlings. I quarantined them far away from other plants, but now I figure it may be safest to get rid of them eh? They don't have any visible damage. Prior to your confirmation that this was mites, my plan was to keep them isolated and watch for normal growth / any signs of disease. I don't have anything to use for mite prophylaxis and would like to keep it that way. Especially since I didn't break the bank on these two.
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Re: Agave mite?

#4

Post by Gee.S »

If the utahensis were far enough away at the nursery, they might be OK, but it's a bit chancy. You know, I recently found something on Amazon that might be perfect for this situation. A 2-oz spray can of Pylon translaminar miticide @ $22/free ship. Keep the utahensis isolated, spray with Pylon a couple times, then see if the plants are growing come spring. My experience is that utahensis succumb to mite exposure very quickly, so you won't have to wait long.

Pylon Miticide
Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
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Steph115
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Re: Agave mite?

#5

Post by Steph115 »

Thanks so much for the tips / link to the míticide. They are super tiny (2-inch pots) so I'm sure you're right that their demise would be particularly quick.

I got some other non-agaves from this nursery and it made me wonder: while agave mires don't infect other plants, can they be carried for short periods on other plants? I'm wondering how long/if I need to isolate my aloe seedlings.
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Re: Agave mite?

#6

Post by Gee.S »

Yes, very quick. So we're talking about the chance that tiny utahensis picked up mites but are not yet symptomatic. Certainly possible, but unlikely.

Your guess is every bit as good as mine on that score. Unless the Aloes were within a few feet, I wouldn't be too concerned. But that's just me...
Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
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Re: Agave mite?

#7

Post by Brooksphilly »

Steph, I found mite damage recently on a chiapensis. Found a seller for 1 oz portions of Forbid. ($25 included shipping and syringe and gloves). Sprayed all my agaves for peace of mind and destroyed the chiapensis. The eBay seller provided Great service and product. Highly recommend. Sorry, I don't have a link here but he is from CA--only one at $25 for what I described. I only have 30 or so agaves so 1 oz will likely supply me for many years to come as (hopefully) a preventative.
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Re: Agave mite?

#8

Post by Steph115 »

Sorry to hear that Brooks. It sounds like you caught it early & took every precaution, so I hope you get those little buggers eradicated successfully. I already purchased the Pylon that Gee suggested. It should get here within the week.
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Re: Agave mite?

#9

Post by Gee.S »

Dunno if you've had any experience with translaminars, but use it sparingly. Ideal is complete, but thin coverage on only one leaf side. Too much product can actually fuse forming leaves together in the core. Don't ask how I know... ::roll::
Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
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Re: Agave mite?

#10

Post by Viegener »

Agave mites do not infect aloes, and vice-versa. Different species.
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Steph115
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Re: Agave mite?

#11

Post by Steph115 »

Hey Vieg - my initial question was about the aloes being unaffected carriers of agave mite rather than affected themselves. I'm wondering how long the pests can live without their host. From what I've read they are transmitted primarily by wind. Presumably, it takes them at least a tiny amount of time in the air and then some time to set up shop before they start chowing down on other agaves. I'm wondering if soil itself or other plants can serve as carriers for mites.
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Re: Agave mite?

#12

Post by Gee.S »

Brooksphilly wrote:Steph, I found mite damage recently on a chiapensis. Found a seller for 1 oz portions of Forbid. ($25 included shipping and syringe and gloves). Sprayed all my agaves for peace of mind and destroyed the chiapensis. The eBay seller provided Great service and product. Highly recommend. Sorry, I don't have a link here but he is from CA--only one at $25 for what I described. I only have 30 or so agaves so 1 oz will likely supply me for many years to come as (hopefully) a preventative.
I've been thinking about this, and remain extremely wary of eBay sellers. An 8 oz. bottle of Forbid can be had for around $200. So how can someone sell 1 oz for $25 and throw in "shipping and syringe and gloves"? Seriously, howzat work?
Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
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Re: Agave mite?

#13

Post by toditd »

Gee.S wrote:
Brooksphilly wrote:Steph, I found mite damage recently on a chiapensis. Found a seller for 1 oz portions of Forbid. ($25 included shipping and syringe and gloves). Sprayed all my agaves for peace of mind and destroyed the chiapensis. The eBay seller provided Great service and product. Highly recommend. Sorry, I don't have a link here but he is from CA--only one at $25 for what I described. I only have 30 or so agaves so 1 oz will likely supply me for many years to come as (hopefully) a preventative.
I've been thinking about this, and remain extremely wary of eBay sellers. An 8 oz. bottle of Forbid can be had for around $200. So how can someone sell 1 oz for $25 and throw in "shipping and syringe and gloves"? Seriously, howzat work?
I too was extremely leary of sellers with their 1 oz bottles. And not just for the "economic" reasons you mention. As far as I was able to determine an 8 oz bottle is the smallest size put out by the manufacturer. Therefore, anything smaller than that is put into a non-original bottle, most likely without proper labeling and without the manufacturer's all too important instructions, warnings, and safety data sheet, etc. (Is that legal?) Some of these sellers say that you are buying the pipette and the real product you are after is a just a free sample. To me, it just doesn't seem legit!
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Re: Agave mite?

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Post by Melt in the Sun »

I'm pretty sure it's not legal, but I guess it's too "small fry" a crime to warrant much attention. I have ordered the tiny bottles and whatever was in them cleared my plants of mites. It came with instructions, SDS, etc. Your experience may vary, but I have been satisfied!
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Re: Agave mite?

#15

Post by Gee.S »

Well, I saw one eBay seller offering 0.5 oz for $33 or some such. That may be legit, in that you might actually receive the amount and product claimed.

But the deal I referenced above is an obvious scam. Product is either diluted or a different product altogether.

Then there's this: Forbid 4F
Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
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Re: Agave mite?

#16

Post by Agavemonger »

Notice that someone changed the amount on the bottle from 8 ounces to 1 ounce. You won't get the original "1-ounce" bottle, that's for sure! ::roll:: :lol:

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Steph115
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Re: Agave mite?

#17

Post by Steph115 »

So, I treated both of my utahensis seedlings that came from the nursery with mites. One of my two utahensis seedlings resumed active growth with no signs of mite infestation. The other one never grew - the core appeared atrophied relative to the rest of the plant. This has been a universal sign for utahensis demise in my experience. No overt stigmata of mite disease yet. I've kept it isolated, but the other day I noticed that it had a small pup, and today, THREE pups.

What do you guys think? Could this be due to mites, or just a regular dying agave pupping like crazy? I feel the chances are slim that this small plant will sustain the pups, but I'm sure going to try!
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A. utahensis small core
A. utahensis small core
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A. utahensis pups
A. utahensis pups
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A. utahensis pups
A. utahensis pups
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Re: Agave mite?

#18

Post by Gee.S »

In my experience mite-infested Agaves do not usually offset.
Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
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Steph115
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Re: Agave mite?

#19

Post by Steph115 »

Good to know! Thanks Gee.
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Re: Agave mite?

#20

Post by DesertDweller »

Doesn't really look that bad to me? Is there anything wrong with the core other than seeming kind of small?
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Steph115
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Re: Agave mite?

#21

Post by Steph115 »

I agree the plant as a whole doesn't look that bad, but the core isn't kind of small, it is like a tiny needle compared to the rest of the leaves lol. Whenever I've had an agave do this for any length of time, they've died. It's also begun retiring leaves and not producing any new ones.
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Re: Agave mite?

#22

Post by DesertDweller »

Steph115 wrote:I agree the plant as a whole doesn't look that bad, but the core isn't kind of small, it is like a tiny needle compared to the rest of the leaves lol. Whenever I've had an agave do this for any length of time, they've died. It's also begun retiring leaves and not producing any new ones.
I've had several that did this and recovered, so to each their own I guess? Hopefully it pulls through, but if not, at least you'll get some offsets out of the deal. :U
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Steph115
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Re: Agave mite?

#23

Post by Steph115 »

That's good to know! I suppose we shall see :))
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Re: Agave Mite

#24

Post by Spination »

Agave potatorum Verschaffeltii Ikiri Raijin Nishiki as received from PDN. Apparently an unusual example of mite infestation damage on leaves, rather than usually limited to the base of leaves from the core...
2017 12 13 A potatorum Verschaffeltii Ikiri Raijin Nishiki b.jpg
2017 12 13 A potatorum Verschaffeltii Ikiri Raijin Nishiki b.jpg (87.17 KiB) Viewed 8848 times
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Re: Agave Mite

#25

Post by Melt in the Sun »

Crikey...actually it seems that the core is clearing?
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