At higher temperatures, mites will breed and develop faster. The original strain of gorse spider mite which came from England did not do well in some areas. Five new strains have since been imported from Spain and Portugal. Although the different strains of gorse mites look alike, their responses to environmental conditions are different, which affects the success of populations in different climates. The new strains are expected to perform better in warmer, wetter climates than the original strain.
Mites are more closely related to spiders than to insects.
They have sucking mouth parts and feed by piercing the cell wall and extracting cell contents. Gorse foliage becomes a bleached yellowish-white colour, and growth is reduced where mites have been feeding. Research trials are underway to measure the effect that mites have on gorse. Gorse spider mites are generally available from October to March. They are most obvious around November - January, and are least easily seen after winter, or after heavy rain.