Occasionally, vary the sample to examine shoots near the top of the tree. Examine the shoot front and back with a hand lens, looking for mites or mite eggs. There is no need to count the number of mites or eggs, just note their presence or absence. If the shoot has any mites or mite eggs, count it as a SSM infested tree. Keep count of the total number of shoots examined as well as the number that are infested with spider mites.
Most scouts use hand counters or a note pad to keep track of the counts.
To keep moving and spread the survey out more uniformly, walk past at least six to seven trees after finding a positive SSM shoot. Though the survey should encompass the entire field, be aware that SSM are more likely to be found on trees grown on windy ridges and on dust-covered trees near roads. Examine anywhere from 15 to 30 shoots per acre. The exact number of shoots examined and the exact acreage scouted doesn't matter since the treatment threshold is based on the percentage of shoots with mites or mite eggs. Treatment threshold .