I wondered if that is what it was.  Thank you.

spider mites can also be controlled with plain old water.. never jump straight to chems.. if alternatives are possible ... but if water fails.. then nuke those bat turds hard.. lol ...

how about a pic of the whole plant.. and some history ... when planted...

bugs have a way of finding stressed or sick plants.. if this is a recent transplant.. and not being properly watered .. perhaps from planting error.. then solving the bug issue.. isnt really going to save the plant..

its possible.. but perhaps not probable.. but we may as well rule it out now ..

ken

IPM - Integrated Pest Management - is a practice all gardeners should follow. Its primary tenet is to control plant pests by the least ecologically disruptive method first, only resorting to stronger control methods like broad spectrum pesticides as a last resort.

Following the best cultural requirements for the plant in question is always the first step - like making sure plant has correct light exposure, decent soil conditions and adequate water during hot or dry periods. Next is picking off insects by hand or using water as a pest control method - much more effective than one would imagine for a number of issues, including controlling spider mites.

And it does not need to be high pressure water. Spider mites are highly adverse to damp conditions and high humidity and thrive when conditions are hot and dry. Just spritzing down the plants on a daily basis will make the environment inhospitable and the problem should disappear.

Resort to a manufactured pesticide only if nothing else works.

The misconception is only with you, I'm afraid. Since it is the end of July, I should have thought it was fairly obvious to anyone that we are not talking about cool season spider mites here. So no need to obfuscate the issue by bringing in an only tangentially related topic!

Two spotted spider mites - by far the most populous species to affect landscape plants - are warm season mites and most likely the culprit infesting the hydrangea. As any source will confirm, these mites thrive under hot, dry conditions. And as also any source will confirm, the first step in controlling them is with water from your hose. Not only will the water dislodge them from the plant, it creates conditions the mites dislike and will avoid.

Very simple. And very easy to research on your own, @HU-807155438, if previous commenters have confused the issue. Which they are very fond of doing :-)

Geesh!! Give it a rest!! The spider mites under discussion here are the ones that thrive in hot, dry conditions. There is no ambiguity involved at all....except in your narrow mind.