Photo illustration, photos by the United States Department of Agriculture, NASA

Well I just finished a page about a monstrous looking bug invading South Florida. The Raoiella indica Hirst, alias red palm mite, can’t physically take on Florida but can do major damage to 32 species of palm and various other plants. The Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Affairs, has basic info on this little monster.

Stop back by on Sunday for an interactive explainer of how the mites attack plants — and which plants you are likely to have in your garden. If you think you have the mites, we'll tell you how to send in plant samples for identification.

And don't forget to check out my page in Sunday’s edition of The Sun-Sentinel. It's on the back of the Outlook Section and it’s full of information you need to know. It also shows the mite up close. I mean REAL close.