The early 2020s will go down in history as the era of the COVID-19 pandemic. But as plant growers and hobbyists, we must remain mindful and diligent regarding pandemics that can infect and harm our precious plants. Recently Aceria aloinis, more commonly known as aloe mite, has slowly infiltrated Haworthia and other succulents. And lately, a much deadlier mite, dubbed the “orchid red mite,” has jumped to succulents. As emerging pathogens are always on the horizon, a heightened level of suspicion when inspecting new plants and introducing them to one’s existing collection is prudent. The mites are becoming more and more widespread (they seem to be endemic in “big box store” aloes) and hide deep within the plants so they are not visible. Precautionary treatments of new plants with a suitable miticide will prevent inadvertent introduction into one’s collection.
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