Annals of Applied Biology (2002) 141, 67-71

S. Hellqvist (2002)
Heat tolerance of strawberry tarsonemid mite Phytonemus pallidus
Annals of Applied Biology 141 (1), 67-71
Abstract: The heat tolerance of the strawberry tarsonemid mite Phytonemus pallidus ssp. fragariae was studied in northern Sweden by treating adult mites in hot water at temperatures 44°C, 46°C and 48°C. During the summer, the shortest exposure times required to kill all adult mites at these temperatures were 6, 2.5 and 1.25 min, respectively. It is concluded that hot-water treatment of strawberry runners for 6.5 min at 46°C would suffice to kill all tarsonemid mites on infested runners. This exposure time includes the time needed to raise the temperature of the plant material to that of the water bath. In the autumn, from the middle of September and later, the mites became successively much more heat tolerant as they prepared for hibernation. It is expected that longer exposure periods are needed to kill mites on frigoplants.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
control - general

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Phytonemus pallidus	Strawberry (Fragaria)	Sweden