It is easily dispersed by winds. The mite can develop from egg to adult in 8 to 10 days. It produces rapidly at temperatures ranging from 75-80 o F. Dry conditions also favor the mite's development. It can over-winter as an egg, nymph, or adult either in the crowns of wheat plants or other host grasses. This enables the mite to survive freezing temperatures for several months.
Survival is even greater in mild winters.
Although wheat is the preferred host for Aceria tulipae , many other species of grasses are hosts for both the mite and the virus. These include corn, oats, foxtail, barnyardgrass, and others. Volunteer wheat is the primary means by which the wheat curl mite populations and the wheat streak mosaic virus are maintained. In the absence of a host with live green leaves the wheat curl mite will only survive for a few days. Cultivars can very in their susceptibility to the virus.