They are most obvious around November - January, and are least easily seen after winter, or after heavy rain. Landcare Research NZ Ltd. Copies of published research results and general information can be accessed from Hugh Gourlay at the address below. Regional Councils have gorse spider mite release sites all over New Zealand. A visit to a release site would make an excellent field trip . Alternatively you can gather your own from a farm which has plenty of gorse and well established mite populations.
Collection involves cutting off young gorse shoots which are inhabited by the mites.
The shoots can then be transported in large paper rubbish bags or chilly bins. Gorse shoots will need to be replaced every 10 days or so. Alternatively you can grow gorse bushes in pots from small seedlings or cuttings, onto which the collected populations can be transferred. Potted gorse plants enable experiments to last over several weeks. After several hours examine the mites under a binocular microscope.