Hello Korina,

I never had broad mite but you can certainly see cyclamen mite with a 30X loupe.

How are the symptoms? Maybe the distorted leaf is just a mistake in nature that should be removed and put in the garbage. Look for other symptoms.

Broad mites are usually slow moving but become highly active for about a week then go into a quiescent stage for several days. Juveniles resemble adults but are smaller.

Young broad mites have 6 legs and are white with minute ridges on the skin, and about 0.1 mill. long.

Adults have four pairs of legs and both males and females are very active. The male can disperse and carry a quiescent female to new platns where they will start a new colony.

The female lays 2-3 eggs each day on the leaf surface. Unmated females can produce male eggs; females which have mated lay eggs resulting in four females to one male.

Depending on temperature the life cycle is from four to ten days. Males live 5 to 9 days; females live from 8 to 13 days.

Adult broadmites are yellowish in color and females have a white stripe on the back.

Broad mites attack both foliage and flowers. They cause puckering, crinkling and curling of leaves. They are found on the undersides of leaves as well as in young foliage in the center and may be present in flower buds.

AV leaves that become affected become bronze in color. They may thicken, become brittle and appear deformed as they emerge (from the crown). Broad mite occassionally kills the growing center leaves. Their feeding causes deformed buds.

Leaves infected by broad mite TURN DOWN while leaves infected by cyclamen mite TURN UP.

Natural control:

Lower infested plants into water held at 111 degrees F for 15 minutes. I have never succeeded in controlling cyclamen mite with this method.

Biological control:

It has been suggested to try the beneficial insect Amblyseius ciucumeris for control but these have not proven their value.

Both cycleman and broad mite are very sensitive to heat and are more difficult to control in winter than in summer.

Chemical control:

Three treatments spaced 5 to 7 days apart are necessary.

It is possible and quite common to have broad and cyclamen mite at the same time.

Spray or dip plants with any of these chemicals. Use one for one treatment, then use a second chemical. For the third treatment, return to the first chemical.

Dicofol (kelthane)
Bifenthrin (Talstar)
Avid (abamectin)
Pylon (chlorfenapyr)

Some times it is cheaper and healthier for you and your environment to throw away infected plants and start fresh.

I hope you get the buggers!

Nancy