Is it just me, or are the bedstraw (Galium aparine) or cleavers, and spider mite levels this year over the top? I see spider mite damage on wild plants, as well as more than usual on the garden ones. The bedstraw came up in every planting bed, as well as on the edges of the forest far from human influence. I don't remember it doing that previously. I remember it only being in one specific area that had been forest that I am trying to make part of the garden. (And no, I did not track it there, lol, these were areas I had not been to for a long time).
I don't think I was just not paying attention, I think both are more prevalent this year. Is it just me? Or just here? It was a relatively warm winter with a lot of rain. Perhaps it didn't get cold enough long enough to put a dent in them.

They might be depending upon your area. If you had a dry season, abnormally so, mites thrive in drier conditions with lower humidities.
Their lifespan is really short, a couple of weeks for most. So populations in theory
Could go up and down depending upon rainfall for one.

I am sure that you are correct, Nick. I still find it hard to believe that I can live in an area that gets 40 inches of rain per year, yet has none or very little in summer. Seems odd to me, but it is the norm here. We have had no rain at all in June and July, and so far in August. May was below normal, too.
The bugs just seemed more prevalent this year.

40" of rain isn't really all that much. It is not about how much you get, it is when you get it.
Just look at what you just said, below normal in May, dry in June and July and little in August. That sounds like a dry spell to me.
These things, thrips, aphids, spider mites, false spider mites, mealy bugs, and scale can almost explode overnight in terms of numbers. They are kind of born pregnant, live hard and die quick.
They can easily escape early detection if you are not looking. Sprays can offer some control. But if you kill 90% of them in a first spray by missing some hiding here and there, that population can build up and explode quickly.
This is exactly why I try to feed the birds, so many eat insects, and I welcome spiders. They probably eat more nuisance insects then we could ever hope to kill. So much
Of gardening is a delicate ballet where everything is in sync. Dry spells upset that sync and that's when insects explode!

East coast vs west coast. No comparison Nick. What Wavymouse is describing is the normal weather pattern, nothing unusual. What's unusual is this summer, there is an explosion of spider mites and Bedstraw.

We had a warm, wet winter and warm spring. Lots of bugs this year but I chalked it up to warm, wet winter and warm spring. It didn't get cold enough to kill the bugs. The Bedstraw I can't explain.

We see mid summer massive bug die off when it gets to 110 (and stays there) but some bugs, like spider mites and grasshoppers, revel in dry hot weather, especially if its dusty. This summer's smoke weakens plants and makes them more susceptible to things like spider mite infestations. Still can't explain the Bedstraw.

Are you sure it's Galium aparine? That's a spring ephemeral plant here, disappearing by the end of May.

Yes, Tiffany, unfortunately, I am sure it is Galium aparine. It is as clingy and nasty as it could be. I have had a heck of a time getting it out of the ground covers. And I am amazed at the strength of those little tiny roots!

I agree with you, Nick, I love my spiders (especially the Argiopes!), and Harvestmen, and do not use insecticides, just try to promote the frogs, snakes, and natural predators. I do remember being shocked when my Entomology professor told us that aphids are born pregnant. Who knew? More reason to hate them.

Thank you for jumping in, Lucy. I think I did not phrase the question as clearly as I should have. It wasn't meant to be a woe is me, or I need help fixing this, it was more of sheesh, this is not good, am I the only one seeing this sort of thing? And you said you are seeing it, too. I think we are in for a different way of managing gardening problems.

And yes we learned that dusty = mites and such. An example was that almond trees on the edge of the orchard where the dirt road was would have a much higher incidence of spider mites than the rest of the orchard. Luckily for them, the solution was as simple as hosing down the trees with water to get the dust off. So apparently that is a help. It has not helped me so far, but there you go. I will keep trying!

LOL! I grew up in Sacramento very close to the river. Our favorite playground was of course, the river. We had to go through the hops fields to get there, kicking up dust as we went. The farmer caught us once - there was a lot of yelling, but my small child take away was we were causing his hops to have spider mites. I'm not sure it works that way but dust = spider mites so maybe.

Erin, that's just interesting that it would show up during summer where you are. I see you're also in zone 8, but wonder if summer is a lot cooler there? It's about 95 here every day at this time of year.

Oh, Tiffany, I wish! It is slightly cooler than your area, today was 88, yesterday was 92, so July and August are quite hot here. It is not unusual to be over 100. And of course, we have had over the top heat waves lately.

These plants did get started in spring with all the rain, and just never gave up. Some in the sunnier areas have died back, but I just found some in the forest today that is green and still growing. So I guess I cannot get away from the little monsters. Another job on my to-do list now, pulling weeds in the forest.

Ugh, sound just as hot.