Telltale yellow speckling of the leaves is the first noticeable sign of spider mite damage on any plant.
Spider mites look like a dust on the back of rose leaves - notice the white dust built up along the spine of the leaf in the photo below. Close observation will show movement.
Spider mites usually appear in the dog days of summer, when everything is hot and dry, and especially when there has been no rain for an extended period of time. They usually cannot be seen with the naked eye until they are in huge, established numbers already, and the damage to the plants is already visible. If you flip the leaves over, this is where you will find them. You can also see the fine webbing on the tips of leaves and buds if they are in epidemic proportions already. Don't fool yourself by thinking you can wait even a day if you see them and their damage - they will kill a plant in a matter of weeks once established, as they suck all the juice out of the plant and dehydrate it to the point of death.
Good old, reliable garden-grade sulfur still appears to be the best control for spider mites, and is also an economical, effective fungicide for control of diseases at the same time. Sulfur can be purchased in powder or liquid form. I find the liquid more effective, but the limitations of spraying are often a problem as it cannot be sprayed when temperatures are very warm or very cool. Winds must be calm, and bright sun hours away. This can be overcome by spraying late in the evening or very early in the morning. The biggest drawback of the sulfur is the smell which can last for days.
Often it is recommended to control mites by hosing the plants down regularly, but you may also invite fungal problems on certain plants by doing this. We have used Safers END ALL to control small numbers, but sulfur works better and I like the dual action of fungicide/miticide as a preventative measure too.
I have never, in more than 20 years of gardening seen spider mites on lilies.
Other articles in Growing Lilies
A Short Primer on Lily Types 02 December 2002
Aphids & Lilies 15 December 2006
Asiatic Dwarf Lily Varieties 15 December 2006
BEWARE LILIES...You May Become Hooked for Life! 01 January 2008
Botrytis - Most common disease of lilies 22 November 2004
Botrytis Control On Lilies 27 January 2009
Drought & Lilies 15 July 2002
Extend Your Lily Bloom Season 15 December 2006
Growing Lilies From Seed 10 December 2002
Growing Lilies in Pots 28 October 2005
Hail Storm Damage to Lilies in 2008 09 June 2008
Latest Bloomers - Asiatics List 20 December 2004
Leaf Scorch on Lilies 10 September 2007
Lilies in Cold Climates 26 January 2004
Lily Beetle - C. Ernst 03 March 2009
Lily Beetle Reference Card 09 April 2009
Lily Leaf Beetle 01 December 2003
Lily Leaf Beetle Alert - ALBERTA 02 May 2007
Lily Tree Nonsense 26 February 2009
MYKE Trials 13 December 2004
OT Hardiness Trials Part 1 02 December 2002
OT Hardiness Trials Part 2 10 November 2003
OT Hardiness Trials Part 3 16 December 2004
Overwintering Oriental Lilies on the Prairies 10 June 2002
Planting Lily Bulbs 10 June 2002
Recipes for the Gardener - Fungicides 20 November 2006
Recipes for the Gardener - Pesticides 20 November 2006
Recipes for the Gardener - Weed Killer 20 November 2006
Tetraploid Lilies 29 October 2003
Tips & Tricks 18 December 2006
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