Urban Ag Pest Updates: Twospotted Spider Mite

March 3, 2022


If you are an urban farmer in NYC and your tomato or cucumber leaves start showing small light-colored specks in summer, turning into yellowing, wilting, and "drying up," there's a good chance you have twospotted spider mites. The tiny yellow and black mites are the top pest of tomatoes in NYC, and can be a big problem for cucumbers, eggplant, beans, and various other crops grown both outdoors and indoors.

In this lunch session, CCE Urban Agriculture Specialist Sam Anderson will give an overview of what we know about twospotted spider mite in NYC, including how to recognize it early. We will see what has and hasn't worked for other urban farmers, and we will talk through some strategies you can try this year, leaving plenty of time for Q&A and farmer-to-farmer sharing. This is a free event!

Rochester Soil Health Day

September 1, 2026
4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Rochester, NY

Join Cornell Cooperative Extension Harvest NY, New York State Soil Health, and Foodlink for interactive activities focused on soil health and an opportunity to get your garden soil screened for lead (reservation required).

IPM Field Day for Urban Growers

September 10, 2026
3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Buffalo, NY

Join us for a hands-on field day exploring integrated pest management and season extension tools for urban growing spaces and the opportunity to build community with local growers!

This event will focus on best practices for using row covers and rat mitigation. Check out our CCE demonstration trial using insect exclusion netting to manage swede midge, an invasive fly that causes damage to brassica crops. Explore how to identify rat activity, reduce attractants, and strengthen site management. Hear from local growers on how they manage pests with a focus on organic management and how they extend the season on their farms and gardens.

Resilient Gardens Conference

September 18 - September 19, 2026
Fri: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm; Sat: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Poughkeepsie, NY

The third Resilient Gardens Conference will focus on culturally relevant gardening skills and community garden management for the unique resource needs of urban gardeners. This two-day event will feature education and practical skills on day one; we'll hear from leaders of diverse stakeholder groups on strategies to overcome these issues in cities and rural communities and connecting resources between Cornell Cooperative Extension and leading community gardens. The second day is optional and will include tours of local gardening projects across Poughkeepsie and Kingston NY. 

This event is primarily open to Seed to Supper Garden Educators, CCE Educators, Master Gardener Volunteers and Upstate Seed to Supper Program Participants, as well as partner Community Gardens involved with Harvest NY.