Infestations of the bulb mite generally indicate that the bulbs have already been injured. This damage could have been caused by other pests, such as the bulb scale mite or bulb flies, mechanical injury, or improper storage. The root primordia of freesia and gladiolus may be bruised at planting. Apparently bulb mites can attack healthy new roots and corms, especially in greenhouses. The mites may penetrate into lily stems which become brittle.
Infested lilies are often dwarfed, distorted, and the stem roots are suppressed.
Bulb mites attack the young root tips of Hippeastrum and Eucharis . When bulb mites attack Gloriosa , the new tubers get numerous small cavities and tunnels and become distorted. Bulb mites are rarely noticed as isolated individuals, but rather as large colonies. All stages of the mite can be found throughout the year. In those forms with six stages, the life cycle proceeds from egg to larva to protonymph to hypopus to tritonymph to adult.