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Red spider mite

arneilarneil Posts: 313
in Problem solving
I’ve never seen these around before , but they are all over the walls and some in the house , are they bad for plants ? I’ve a few in the greenhouse , do I need to spray them with something ?

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    They can be a pest on some plants and whilst I do see plenty of them I've not had any plant damage caused by red spider mites.
    The two-spot spider mite (which needs magnification to be seen) can be a problem. You'd notice tiny spots on the leaf surface and there would be tiny webs toward the top of the plants. The mites live on the underside of the leaves.
    General bug sprays don't' usually work on them as they are related to spiders.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • arneilarneil Posts: 313
    Thank you for the answer , I’ll leave them alone then but watch out for the webs
  • Arthur1Arthur1 Posts: 542
    Are you sure it's red spider mite you have seen? They are tiny,  not red and you would be unlikely to see them on walls. However predatory velvet mites are bright red, larger (therefore easier to see) and often seen on walls. I presume they like the warmth. They are good guys and spraying anything would likely kill them. Do make sure that you have confirmed what you are seeing first.
  • arneilarneil Posts: 313
    Thank you , yes I have teeny tiny red critters scuttling over the rough cast walls , in the sun , I’m not spraying anything but plain water to damp down the green house so no intentional harm done
  • Arthur1Arthur1 Posts: 542
    If they are scuttling then definitely not RSM. They are predatory mites. Good guys.
  • arneilarneil Posts: 313
    Great, thank you 
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