Insects are six-legged creatures that are often common pests of the landscape. One of the control measures used against them is a category of pesticides called insecticides.

Another group of common pests on landscape plants are the spider mites or "mites" as they are called. Many home gardeners just lump them in with the insects as tiny critters that cause problems. However, they are actually quite different creatures.

Spider mites, as the name implies, are relatives of spiders and have 8 legs. They belong to a whole different classification than insects. True, some insecticides will also kill spider mites but generally, if you are going to use a pesticide option, you need to use a specialized group of chemicals called miticides.

These pesticides also called Acaricides are aimed specifically at these tiny pests. Many of these products will kill eggs and larvae in addition to the adult mites. Some of them may be toxic to honeybees and other beneficial insects.