Mites breed continuously on wheat and summer hosts until their return to winter wheat in the following fall. The time required to complete a generation varies with temperature and is usually 10 to 20 days. Banks grass mites produce heavy webbing to protect colonies consisting of eggs, immatures and adults. Colonies usually are found on the undersides of leaves. Damaged leaves first become yellow, then brown and necrotic.
Heavy populations can kill small plants and reduce kernel size in larger plants.
Banks grass mite attacks a wide variety of grasses. In Colorado, it is considered to be a serious pest of corn and an occasional pest of turf, sorghum and wheat. Banks grass mite has been found damaging grasses in many parts of the Americas and Africa. It is found throughout the grain-growing areas of Colorado. Scouting and Treatment.