During the growing season, eggs are laid on leaves. There are three instars before the adult stage. Immature mites are bright red, except just after molting when they appear bright green. The green color turns to red after the mites resume feeding.
Adults are dark red and have white spots at the base of six to eight hairs on the back.
The feeding of European red mites on leaves causes the leaves to lighten in color and become mottled or stippled. Prolonged feeding by heavy populations eventually causes leaf bronzing, and under high temperatures portions of the leaf blade or its entire surface may turn brown and dry. If European red mite populations are managed at low levels by treating with oil during the dormant season, predators can effectively help to maintain these low levels during the growing season. Apply a dormant or delayed dormant oil spray yearly. If no dormant treatment was applied, European red mite should be monitored throughout the growing season if three or more spurs were infested in the sample of 100.