Seasonal development
and life cycle
Brown mites overwinter as eggs. Eggs are red and spherical
but do not have a stalk arising from the tops, as do eggs
of the European red mite. They are laid in masses under bark
scales and at the base of buds, and hatch at the same time
the leaf and flower buds open, usually 1to 2 weeks before
European red mite eggs hatch. Hatch is completed before full
bloom.
Immature mites feed mainly on underleaf surfaces. During the warmest part of the day, adult brown mites
rest and reproduce in woody parts of the tree. When temperatures cool off, they move onto the leaves and
feed on both upper and lower leaf surfaces.
Adult females live 2 to 3 weeks and reproduce without mating;
there are no males. Brown mites are not active during hotter
periods of the summer. Eggs laid during hot weather will
not hatch until the following spring, and populations generally
decline in midsummer. Usually two or three generations of
brown mites occur between February and early June. | 
Eggs
of the brown mite
Brown
mite nymph
|
