After 2 light mite years (1991/92 and 1992193) the cotton industry experienced a season in which outbreaks of mites were widespread. In most regions mites were reported from seedling cotton and mite populations began to increase in mid-December to early-January, about a month earlier than usual. A number of factors contributed to produce the potential for such outbreaks to occur and other factors made management of outbreaks very difficult. The key factors involved, as I see them, are detailed below.