Walnut: Walnut blister mite

Biology

The walnut blister mite is an eriophyid mite. These tiny, whitish, sausage-shaped mites cause raised green to yellowish blisters on the upper leaf surfaces. Beneath the blister, on the underside of the leaf, is a yellow to orange felt-like mass, in which the mites can be found. Later in the season, the velvety areas turn brown. The blisters can be large and unsightly, but damage caused by the walnut blister mite is primarily aesthetic.

Management Options

Use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for successful plant problem management.

Non-chemical Management

Select non-chemical management options as your first choice!

• Provide proper culture. Healthy trees are unharmed by some blister mite feeding.
• Avoid use of broad-spectrum insecticides which kill natural predators, especially predacious mites.
• A strong, direct spray of water may help wash mites from trees. It also reduces dust, which seems to favor eriophyid mite infestations.

Chemical Management

IMPORTANT: Visit Home and Garden Fact Sheets for more information on using pesticides.

• None recommended.

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