small spots

Many of my plants' leaves are getting tiny white speckles on them. I can't find any insects or scale-type dots, I don't see any webbing, and it's driving me crazy!
For the most part, they are still doing ok, but the amount of leaves with this speckling is increasing extremely rapidly - and it's all over my yard - on honeysuckle, roses, lilacs, syringas...
Does anyone know what it is?

Why don't you think it's scale? Do any of these white dots fly when you disturb the plant they're on?

no, the white dots can't be insects - they are just the discoloration of the leaves. I didn't think it was scale because I can't see anything on the undersides of the leaves, or any humps anywhere on the plant.

Powdery looking? Is it a mildew? Does it respond to fungicide?

It's not powdery looking at all. i thought it might be leafminers, but there are no trails. It's definately a discoloration of the leaf itself and not something like powedery mildew on top of it. I don't think it's nutrient deficiency since it has not pattern (ie, doesn't follow the veins or anything like that). Also, the leaf itself isn't mishapen like how some bacterial diseases make the leaf narrower in certain points.

Are the white spots raised a little? Or flat like the rest of the leaf?

That just sounds crazy. I don't blame you for being concerned. Anyone spray pesticides or other chemicals nearby? I'm wondering about chemical drift.

Could you post a photo maybe?

Spots can signal a deficiency. For example, white spots on African violets points to a copper deficiency.

This message was edited Jul 8, 2006 2:41 PM

i went away for a few days, and when I looked at the plants tonight, I'm fairly certain it's spidermites. It's been really hot and dry, and now I can see tiny black dots on the undersides of some leaves and very fine webbing (occasionally). Yuck. I don't like spraying pesticieds - what else can I do for them? Also, if some plants are infested this year, is it a gaurantee that they will be next year too (we get cold winters here)? Thanks!

MOSC,
Well, looks like you either spray, or live with them. I'd recommend the former. Thats what I did, and NO problem since spraying.

Best;
bluelytes

The non-chemical approach is to use water. Spider mites like it hot and dry. They hate water. Use a hose end nozzle that has a spray setting, and then get up and UNDER those leaves . Do this several days in a row, and they'll go away. Repeat in another week. Watch closely for any return. I know this works - I used it on a young maple tree that was infested. Other plants too. It is hard to do with plants that are low to the ground, like lantana. Just can't get up under those leaves.....

I think I'll try the water first. I'm finally getting a lot of ladybugs (the aphids are going crazy this summer - and the ladybugs have started to gather where the aphids are), and I don't want to kill them. Will the spidermites necessarily return to the same plant next year?

That's hard to say. Probably. They never returned to my maple tree, however. I guess that was just a fluke. Probably hotter and drier than usual, and they love that. So weather has a lot to do with it.