As mentioned in an earlier ICM News article, twospotted spider mites are problematic in droughty years. We recommend scouting corn and soybean fields for mite infestations this year because they thrive in hot and dry conditions. Twospotted spider mites can aggregate at the field edges, especially if there are weeds surrounding the borders. Eventually they can disperse with the wind to develop a field-wide infestation. I encourage people to look at the edge rows first to see if mites can be found. If their presence is confirmed, then estimate populations throughout the field by walking a “Z” or “W” pattern.