Left: A severe infestation of two-spotted mites on a calendula
growing in Bonnefont garden. Right: A detail of the damage done
by this common hot-weather garden pest, which sucks the
chlorophyll from the leaves of the host plant. Photographs by
Corey Eilhardt The hot, dry weather that has us struggling to
keep the gardens watered is all too welcome to the two-spotted
mite, Tetranychus urticae, a worldwide pest of crop plants,
ornamentals, and houseplants that is as much at home in
greenhouses and apartments as it is outdoors. Two-spotted mites,
along with other members of the Tetranychus family, are commonly
known as spider mites. They are arachnids but are more closely
related to ticks than to spiders. The most common mite pest in
the United States, the two-spotted mite has always been one of
the most prevalent pests at The Cloisters; the heat and light
that reflect off the brick and stonework in our enclosed gardens
create just the sort of baking heat these destructive creatures
thrive on. The depredations