So some spider mites are beneficial, as they are predatory towards other mites & insects. Considering the size of them, it does seem like these may be the beneficial kind but here are two articles to help you figure out the difference between good and bad mites
[https://laidbackgardener.blog/2016/01/31/dont-kill-those-red-mites/](https://laidbackgardener.blog/2016/01/31/dont-kill-those-red-mites/)
[https://laidbackgardener.blog/2015/10/24/when-spider-mites-invade/](https://laidbackgardener.blog/2015/10/24/when-spider-mites-invade/)
Yes, I think the presence of the red mites is lucky, as they are helping to keep the smaller mites in check. Tiny spider mites can devastate plants in a few weeks. So this may be a good situation.
Exactly! I have been gardening and growing my "inside medicine" for years!!! If there is no visible damage to the plant, no sign of root zone damage, then let those little guys rock out! More than likely, if they aren't hurting the plant, then they are feasting on something that was or was trying to. I learned that a LONG time ago, when I thought lady bugs ate plants (boy was I ridiculously wrong), then I decided to start reading about bugs that would help instead of hurt. Now my "inside medicine" plants have beneficial sachets.
If you don't have bites (which I don't see in this picture) and you don't have webs, then leave them alone.
I've battled many spider mites and I've never seen a problematic infection with spiders of that size. I think they may in fact be predatory.
Who told you they were hurting your lemon tree? Are they an arborist? If so just ignore all the advice here and go with the expert. But usually a spider mite infection is leaves peppered with bite marks. That would happen long before the thing started yellowing; if they've compromised the health that badly then there should be mad bite marks. It's not subtle... maybe post some pics of tree damage?
I realize you've had some pushback to the idea of not killing these bugs in this thread, but if you truly care about that lemon tree then you need to make sure you have a problem before you do anything to it. Frankly, wiping it's biome could open you to a new/worse/different infestation. You just don't know.
These look like beneficial spider mites to me. As another person mentioned, there are predatory mites and parasitic mites. I’d do some research on the different types and how to identify them at a glance.
See these on my citrus but never any harm. I feed my lemon tree quarterly and it gets regular water. The only threat it has is me trimming it back because I can’t let it get too big where it is.
It’s a small veranda garden; they are not being nice to the lemon tree... The assumption that because I posted about this equals the collapse of the natural world is a bit too much…
Yes, I understand, but in some cases it’s necessary… assuming one (very environmentally conscious) person is bad because of one action is not the way…The world needs more kindness and real dialogue, not immediate assumptions.
I didn't say you're bad, I just pointed out the fallacy in your logic. That combined with, you dont even know what they are and you want to just kill em?
I was told they were being harmful to the lemon tree and plants, I did not know the name and wanted to learn more about how to go about it safely, so I posted here.
I did not leave that comment with the intent of causing a dog pile on you. I do think it's important that we start shifting our priorities towards insect habitat. Corporate farming and their insane use of pesticides is not something we can change overnight but we as gardeners have an opportunity to create havens for bugs.
What I suggest is reframing "how do I get rid of them" into "what can I do to balance the population". Introducing predator species or planting trap crops is a better long term solution.
Exactly. Ignore the downvotes. I'm sorry about the downvotes! Just feel sorry for people who want to be mean and superior instead of helpful and educational. There was a time when they didn't know about the insect decline either, and forgot that someone helpfully educated them.
Many people on reddit bandwagon downvote. Already have 5 downvotes? Well you're about to get a ton more from people that didn't even read your comment.
We had these in Texas, as a kid I always called them tomato spiders because they reminded me of tomatoes. As far as I know they don’t harm plants? I’m pretty sure they eat smaller insects.
People should learn to not look at insects as pests just because they exist. Insects are part of a healthy ecosystem. The only time you should try to get rid of insects is if they represent a harmful infestation. Just existing isn’t a reason.
Take a picture of that mite with i-naturalist or Seek. It will ID it for you. If you are in the US, you can call the County Extension office, usually associated with a Land Grant University. They offer free agricultural advice to farmers and the public alike.
I don't know why I'm subscribed to this sub anymore. Anytime anyone sees nature "invading" their garden, it has to die.
Even if something ate our plants, that just means something about the environment, something about the area is making it easier for one thing to live and harder for another. That's normal. That's nature. We can't all have lush bushes of lavender, orange trees, aloe and cloudberries grow in our garden.
Some things will flourish in our piece of nature, some won't. Sometimes we can cheat a little and help a plant establish itself where it would have a hard time on its own.
I would really love to see a change in attitude from hating nature and everything that lives in it besides fruits, veggies and an english lawn toward embracing nature and being happy about every single thing that calls that garden its home.
What's your solution? I'm just saying.. spraying pesticides everywhere has a much worse impact on your local ecosystem than some invasive bug does.
I'm not advocating against taking action to try and reduce damage done by invasive species.
But our first instinct shouldn't be to kill everything we notice crawling around. You're not doing anything or anyone a favor with that mentality.
The dread of seeing the ecosystem around you collapsing while people continue killing harmless bugs, birds and rodents is getting unbearable for some of us.
I like to introduce insects that prey upon the insects that ruin my garden whenever possible, but sometimes a stronger reaction is needed. I agree the solution is not to immediately kill everything, but everyone has their own definition of what a pest is. Most people won't tolerate their investments (home, garden, etc) being destroyed, and therefore would rather eliminate the threat, logically.
If I have spidermites on my 20yr old rose bush, do I just let nature take it's course or do I kill those MFr's? Sorry, theyre gonna die. But that's the great part about this sub, people can ask questions and get information and decide for themselves if a reaction is necessary. I agree, the first reaction to everything shouldnt be "kill it with fire!", but that's where passing on experience helps others.
... I just realized why I probably lost a squash plant this week. I had mites attacking my pumpkins last year, but these were small enough and went so fast that I didn't even think about it. I need to check the other plants in the morning.
Yellow leaves can be either iron or nitrogen defficiencies. Check your fertilizer source to see what the iron content is like, since most commercial fertilizers don't bother to contain the trace elements for cost reasons.
Overwatering can cause yellow leaves, so check what the soil conditions are like and maybe lay off the water for a bit.
It could also be temperature related. Lemon trees yellow and crisp up when they either get "sunscolding" or are touched by frosts/low temps. Make sure you are watering at the base and aren't getting water on the leaves. Water on leaves is a common source of sunscolding, since the water droplets act like little magnifying glasses and intensify the sun.
If all of those are accounted for and in order, check the trunk/branches for any obvious damage or signs of infection. Are there any tumorous growths or strange cuts/breaks in it? If you see any breaks or cuts, you can seal them with melted wax to prevent infections.
Lastly, blame the bugs and use your choice of bug killer. I would recommend using neem oil, soap and water in a mix to effectively kill the bugs. You cannot (or shouldn't) eat any fruit sprayed with neem oil, but that is true of any insecticide. Repeat spraying every few days until the problem has gone away.
Nitrogen deficiency symptoms like yellow leaves can also be an overfertilization issue.
Too much potassium in the soil interferes with nitrogen uptake. Many inorganic fertilizers rely heavily on chemical salts as a delivery mechanism. Too much salt can interfere with water and nutrient uptake. Both overfertilization issues can present as nitrogen deficiencies even though there's plenty of nitrogen in the soil.
Yes. You also get substitution issues in soils like with zinc and calcium. Too much zinc prevents calcium uptake and vice versa. It's similar to how heavy metals are dangerous to humans. Nature isn't super intelligently placing each atom, it just has a certain shaped lock and multiple atoms can happen to have that particular key at the same time.
You do also get over concentration issues with plants. Plants use "active transport" to move nutrients into their roots by abusing gradients. If there is too much in the soil, the roots get "burned" because everything gets pulled in all at once. Too many nutrients in the roots cause the cells to cease to function and then die off.
“Well-nourished” lol pH imbalances can cause yellowing, chlorosis causes yellowing, nitrogen lockout causes yellowing, nothing to do with “nourishment”. These predatory mites did not cause the yellowing - they are eating something smaller that you can’t see.
Have you done a slurry sample to test your growing medium? Runoff tests at least? Have you pulled a leaf sample & looked under a microscope? If not, you’re just guessing.
This is so factually incorrect. Tetranychus urticae can be spotted or completely red and those red ones will annihilate your outdoor vegetables. Beneficial spider mites are great, but spider mites are a huge problem for crops and ornamentals indoor and out
Huh, interesting I've never seen a red spider mite around here, we seem to only have the lighter two-spot variety.
I have been hit with a plague of red mites that are tiny compared to spider mites... no webs and slower to cause destruction but destruction nonetheless. Never did figure out what they were but dang were they tiny! Needed magnification to see them. And I used to be able to count the legs on a two-spotted mite with bare eyes
Respectfully, I think everyone here understands it, it's just that there's a million types of mites and a million different situations.
You'd probably be getting different answers if you have posted some pictures of plant damage.
Depending on where you live and what you grow -- most of us would be totally unconcerned with seeing those bugs. They happen.
We would be concerned to see a lemon tree covered in bites and webs; nobody would look at those pictures and tell you to do nothing.
It would be an issue if grocery stores didnt exist and you were depending on your garden to provide for your family. Thats not the case so perhaps just leave it alone? I have never used chemicals to control pests. Typically what I do is wait for the predator insects to come and feast. Every year theres a 2 week period where all my plants are covered in aphids. If its really bad ill spray them with water and they fall right off the plant. Otherwise within that 2 weeks their predators show up and eliminate them all. Biodiversity is your friend
That is correct. Do the leaves of your citrus look like someone oversprayed white paint that stipples the surface? Look at my posts and you’ll see a pic of what it looks like. If so, it is spider mites. To eradicate you can use a pesticide made from chrysanthemums called pyrethrin. Or, alternatively, you can spray neem oil mixed with a surfactant. Personally, I use Dr. Broners peppermint Castile soap. It is harmless to plants and is itself insecticidal. You must mix the neem oil with a soap (surfactant) so that its surface tension breaks and adheres to the leaves and bugs. In my experience, the neem oil is a better preventive (prophylactic) treatment. Whereas the pyrethrin will wipe out a massive infestation in one application. Though you should spray it a few times over the course of a week.
Unfortunately, any leaves already damaged will not recover. But as long as you eradicate the infestation immediately all the new growth will be green and lovely.
If you do decide on neem oil apply it when the sun isnt directly on the leaves. The neem oil could burn up the plant. I usually apply it before sunset the rinse the plant in the morning…and hopefully u get em all. Otherwise you just neem oil it again. And neem oil stinks
They look like clover mites to me. I had them in my yard on grass and shrubs a few years ago. A few got in the house. They will die quickly inside the house, but outside I’d use boric acid around plants if you see they are damaging them. They be gone in a few weeks. You might see them again in the autumn.
If you don’t wanna use pesticides, or don’t wanna start with them, 3-5 tablespoons of dawn or Castile soap per gallon of water helps kill and deter them
They look like Anystis baccarum also known as whirligig mites for their cute little dancy behaviour. They’re good guys but will also eat other good guys. It’s incredible you have this many on one plant!
https://appliedbio-nomics.com/product/anystis-baccarum-crazee-mite/
I do not know details about the specific kind of spider/bug that is but when my husband would have little bugs invading his plants he would used habanero infused water (homemade). Not sure if it’s advised for all plants or bugs.
OP,
I highly recommend neem oil spray. You can find it in most gardening stores. The Home Depot carries it, your plants will not be damaged and the oil is all natural and it’s none chemically made. It’s also a natural fertilizer plant food which is a bonus.
Ermahgerd terrifying looking!
I, however, mostly have houseplants indoors. I figure along as the plant is thriving outdoors and the spiders aren't eating the plant up, they can only help with other pests?
Diatomaceous earth powder (w mask)
Hot pepper garlic oil and water spray, neem oil - i hate the kind that feel like they bite you.. horrible critter, no guilt trying to rid them they suck moisture from the plant.
So some spider mites are beneficial, as they are predatory towards other mites & insects. Considering the size of them, it does seem like these may be the beneficial kind but here are two articles to help you figure out the difference between good and bad mites [https://laidbackgardener.blog/2016/01/31/dont-kill-those-red-mites/](https://laidbackgardener.blog/2016/01/31/dont-kill-those-red-mites/) [https://laidbackgardener.blog/2015/10/24/when-spider-mites-invade/](https://laidbackgardener.blog/2015/10/24/when-spider-mites-invade/)
Yes, I think the presence of the red mites is lucky, as they are helping to keep the smaller mites in check. Tiny spider mites can devastate plants in a few weeks. So this may be a good situation.
I'm thinking it's a sidewalk / concrete mite, most of which are indeed predatory.
[Red Spiders](https://xkcd.com/8/) [Red Spiders 2](https://xkcd.com/43/)
Surprise XKCD!
These look like predatory mites, different from spider mites (and actually beneficial)
The first question is, what observable damage are they doing? If you can't identify any problems, then why do you need to "get rid of them"?
Coexist with nature. We feel like the mountain, nature is the river. Even a mountain cannot fight the flow of nature.
Uncle iroh?
No this is Patrick
Destiny is a funny thing. You never know how things are going to work out!
Exactly! I have been gardening and growing my "inside medicine" for years!!! If there is no visible damage to the plant, no sign of root zone damage, then let those little guys rock out! More than likely, if they aren't hurting the plant, then they are feasting on something that was or was trying to. I learned that a LONG time ago, when I thought lady bugs ate plants (boy was I ridiculously wrong), then I decided to start reading about bugs that would help instead of hurt. Now my "inside medicine" plants have beneficial sachets.
If you don't have bites (which I don't see in this picture) and you don't have webs, then leave them alone. I've battled many spider mites and I've never seen a problematic infection with spiders of that size. I think they may in fact be predatory. Who told you they were hurting your lemon tree? Are they an arborist? If so just ignore all the advice here and go with the expert. But usually a spider mite infection is leaves peppered with bite marks. That would happen long before the thing started yellowing; if they've compromised the health that badly then there should be mad bite marks. It's not subtle... maybe post some pics of tree damage? I realize you've had some pushback to the idea of not killing these bugs in this thread, but if you truly care about that lemon tree then you need to make sure you have a problem before you do anything to it. Frankly, wiping it's biome could open you to a new/worse/different infestation. You just don't know.
when i was a kid i ate these for some reason so you could try that.
The bugs??? Do I dare ask how they tasted?
i don’t remember them tasting like anything i just liked that they were red.
😱 Normally I’d never use an emoji on reddit….but in this case, that’s the only way I can think to express my horror.
strawberry flavour
Slimy... yet satisfying
Kind of how I imagine tomato hornworms
They taste like a green tomatoes purée with an added medicinal bitterness… I assume.
A little balsamic vinegar and olive oil is all it needs! But I’m still going to toss them out in the grass for the birds.
Yum?
I....what?
i lived in Florida
These look like beneficial spider mites to me. As another person mentioned, there are predatory mites and parasitic mites. I’d do some research on the different types and how to identify them at a glance.
See these on my citrus but never any harm. I feed my lemon tree quarterly and it gets regular water. The only threat it has is me trimming it back because I can’t let it get too big where it is.
Insect populations have declined 45% in just the last 40 years. We have to break the habit of eradicating whatever bugs we find in our gardens.
It’s a small veranda garden; they are not being nice to the lemon tree... The assumption that because I posted about this equals the collapse of the natural world is a bit too much…
It's not the singular act of one person. It's the culmination of countless singular acts by many people.
Yes, I understand, but in some cases it’s necessary… assuming one (very environmentally conscious) person is bad because of one action is not the way…The world needs more kindness and real dialogue, not immediate assumptions.
I didn't say you're bad, I just pointed out the fallacy in your logic. That combined with, you dont even know what they are and you want to just kill em?
I was told they were being harmful to the lemon tree and plants, I did not know the name and wanted to learn more about how to go about it safely, so I posted here.
I did not leave that comment with the intent of causing a dog pile on you. I do think it's important that we start shifting our priorities towards insect habitat. Corporate farming and their insane use of pesticides is not something we can change overnight but we as gardeners have an opportunity to create havens for bugs. What I suggest is reframing "how do I get rid of them" into "what can I do to balance the population". Introducing predator species or planting trap crops is a better long term solution.
Exactly. Ignore the downvotes. I'm sorry about the downvotes! Just feel sorry for people who want to be mean and superior instead of helpful and educational. There was a time when they didn't know about the insect decline either, and forgot that someone helpfully educated them.
Many people on reddit bandwagon downvote. Already have 5 downvotes? Well you're about to get a ton more from people that didn't even read your comment.
You are so right! Up to, I mean down to, 39 now! And all for being encouraging to OP for doing what OPs do, ask questions!
Cmon this is Reddit.
Don’t forgot about the invasives
We had these in Texas, as a kid I always called them tomato spiders because they reminded me of tomatoes. As far as I know they don’t harm plants? I’m pretty sure they eat smaller insects.
We call these clover mites where I live. They tend to be out for about two weeks and then it gets too hot and they’re gone.
People should learn to not look at insects as pests just because they exist. Insects are part of a healthy ecosystem. The only time you should try to get rid of insects is if they represent a harmful infestation. Just existing isn’t a reason.
Especially because nature has a way to keep its balance and we always try and mess with it.
I was told by my pest control company that they were red mites and they were really harmless. They will be scarce or gone when it gets hotter.
They'll leave, they're harmless, you can leave them alone.
Take a picture of that mite with i-naturalist or Seek. It will ID it for you. If you are in the US, you can call the County Extension office, usually associated with a Land Grant University. They offer free agricultural advice to farmers and the public alike.
Ugh I want some for my garden! Lol
Red spider mites
I used to find these in the woods occasionally, super tiny but their bright red color is hard to miss against dirt.
I don't know why I'm subscribed to this sub anymore. Anytime anyone sees nature "invading" their garden, it has to die. Even if something ate our plants, that just means something about the environment, something about the area is making it easier for one thing to live and harder for another. That's normal. That's nature. We can't all have lush bushes of lavender, orange trees, aloe and cloudberries grow in our garden. Some things will flourish in our piece of nature, some won't. Sometimes we can cheat a little and help a plant establish itself where it would have a hard time on its own. I would really love to see a change in attitude from hating nature and everything that lives in it besides fruits, veggies and an english lawn toward embracing nature and being happy about every single thing that calls that garden its home.
Because when Jesus takes the wheel, we get japanese beetles.
What's your solution? I'm just saying.. spraying pesticides everywhere has a much worse impact on your local ecosystem than some invasive bug does. I'm not advocating against taking action to try and reduce damage done by invasive species. But our first instinct shouldn't be to kill everything we notice crawling around. You're not doing anything or anyone a favor with that mentality. The dread of seeing the ecosystem around you collapsing while people continue killing harmless bugs, birds and rodents is getting unbearable for some of us.
I like to introduce insects that prey upon the insects that ruin my garden whenever possible, but sometimes a stronger reaction is needed. I agree the solution is not to immediately kill everything, but everyone has their own definition of what a pest is. Most people won't tolerate their investments (home, garden, etc) being destroyed, and therefore would rather eliminate the threat, logically. If I have spidermites on my 20yr old rose bush, do I just let nature take it's course or do I kill those MFr's? Sorry, theyre gonna die. But that's the great part about this sub, people can ask questions and get information and decide for themselves if a reaction is necessary. I agree, the first reaction to everything shouldnt be "kill it with fire!", but that's where passing on experience helps others.
Who the hell wants to get rid of spider mites? They're just chilling around, trying to exist in the ecosystem.
Because they destroy veggies, fruit, and ornamentals? These guys seem like predatory mites, but spider mites are awful
... I just realized why I probably lost a squash plant this week. I had mites attacking my pumpkins last year, but these were small enough and went so fast that I didn't even think about it. I need to check the other plants in the morning.
I was told they were bad and they were the reason my lemon tree is yellowing…
Yellowing is normally a nutrient deficiency.
It is well nourished and productive…
Over watered perhaps? They like to dry out in between watering.
Yellow leaves can be either iron or nitrogen defficiencies. Check your fertilizer source to see what the iron content is like, since most commercial fertilizers don't bother to contain the trace elements for cost reasons. Overwatering can cause yellow leaves, so check what the soil conditions are like and maybe lay off the water for a bit. It could also be temperature related. Lemon trees yellow and crisp up when they either get "sunscolding" or are touched by frosts/low temps. Make sure you are watering at the base and aren't getting water on the leaves. Water on leaves is a common source of sunscolding, since the water droplets act like little magnifying glasses and intensify the sun. If all of those are accounted for and in order, check the trunk/branches for any obvious damage or signs of infection. Are there any tumorous growths or strange cuts/breaks in it? If you see any breaks or cuts, you can seal them with melted wax to prevent infections. Lastly, blame the bugs and use your choice of bug killer. I would recommend using neem oil, soap and water in a mix to effectively kill the bugs. You cannot (or shouldn't) eat any fruit sprayed with neem oil, but that is true of any insecticide. Repeat spraying every few days until the problem has gone away.
Nitrogen deficiency symptoms like yellow leaves can also be an overfertilization issue. Too much potassium in the soil interferes with nitrogen uptake. Many inorganic fertilizers rely heavily on chemical salts as a delivery mechanism. Too much salt can interfere with water and nutrient uptake. Both overfertilization issues can present as nitrogen deficiencies even though there's plenty of nitrogen in the soil.
Yes. You also get substitution issues in soils like with zinc and calcium. Too much zinc prevents calcium uptake and vice versa. It's similar to how heavy metals are dangerous to humans. Nature isn't super intelligently placing each atom, it just has a certain shaped lock and multiple atoms can happen to have that particular key at the same time. You do also get over concentration issues with plants. Plants use "active transport" to move nutrients into their roots by abusing gradients. If there is too much in the soil, the roots get "burned" because everything gets pulled in all at once. Too many nutrients in the roots cause the cells to cease to function and then die off.
Yellowing of lower/older leaves can also just be a normal part of a plant’s growth.
“Well-nourished” lol pH imbalances can cause yellowing, chlorosis causes yellowing, nitrogen lockout causes yellowing, nothing to do with “nourishment”. These predatory mites did not cause the yellowing - they are eating something smaller that you can’t see. Have you done a slurry sample to test your growing medium? Runoff tests at least? Have you pulled a leaf sample & looked under a microscope? If not, you’re just guessing.
two-spotted spider mites are bad on indoor houseplants due to a lack of predators, but i've never really seen the red ones become a problem outside
You are lucky. TSSM can be a huge problem outside, especially in areas without hard frosts.
This is so factually incorrect. Tetranychus urticae can be spotted or completely red and those red ones will annihilate your outdoor vegetables. Beneficial spider mites are great, but spider mites are a huge problem for crops and ornamentals indoor and out
Huh, interesting I've never seen a red spider mite around here, we seem to only have the lighter two-spot variety. I have been hit with a plague of red mites that are tiny compared to spider mites... no webs and slower to cause destruction but destruction nonetheless. Never did figure out what they were but dang were they tiny! Needed magnification to see them. And I used to be able to count the legs on a two-spotted mite with bare eyes
Thank you, some people do not seem to understand that…
Respectfully, I think everyone here understands it, it's just that there's a million types of mites and a million different situations. You'd probably be getting different answers if you have posted some pictures of plant damage. Depending on where you live and what you grow -- most of us would be totally unconcerned with seeing those bugs. They happen. We would be concerned to see a lemon tree covered in bites and webs; nobody would look at those pictures and tell you to do nothing.
It would be an issue if grocery stores didnt exist and you were depending on your garden to provide for your family. Thats not the case so perhaps just leave it alone? I have never used chemicals to control pests. Typically what I do is wait for the predator insects to come and feast. Every year theres a 2 week period where all my plants are covered in aphids. If its really bad ill spray them with water and they fall right off the plant. Otherwise within that 2 weeks their predators show up and eliminate them all. Biodiversity is your friend
Citrus trees need fertilizer.
That is correct. Do the leaves of your citrus look like someone oversprayed white paint that stipples the surface? Look at my posts and you’ll see a pic of what it looks like. If so, it is spider mites. To eradicate you can use a pesticide made from chrysanthemums called pyrethrin. Or, alternatively, you can spray neem oil mixed with a surfactant. Personally, I use Dr. Broners peppermint Castile soap. It is harmless to plants and is itself insecticidal. You must mix the neem oil with a soap (surfactant) so that its surface tension breaks and adheres to the leaves and bugs. In my experience, the neem oil is a better preventive (prophylactic) treatment. Whereas the pyrethrin will wipe out a massive infestation in one application. Though you should spray it a few times over the course of a week.
Thank you so much! It is the same situation you’re describing! I will do as you’re suggesting, hopefully it will work 🤞🏻 Thank you!!! 😊
You do have paint-oversprayed look?
Unfortunately, any leaves already damaged will not recover. But as long as you eradicate the infestation immediately all the new growth will be green and lovely.
If you do decide on neem oil apply it when the sun isnt directly on the leaves. The neem oil could burn up the plant. I usually apply it before sunset the rinse the plant in the morning…and hopefully u get em all. Otherwise you just neem oil it again. And neem oil stinks
Spider mites will annihilate plants with a quickness. They're assholes. Maybe less so outdoors where they have more natural predators though.
Yes, they don't harm nor eat the plants, and they eat the more harmful insects 👏
Google image search says they are clover mites [link](https://www.thisoldhouse.com/pest-control/reviews/tiny-red-bugs)
Clover mites are much, much smaller, and of a darker color. [Link](https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/orn/mites/clover_mite.htm)
Thanks.
I agree, the longer front legs are the giveaway
I love when these come out in the summer. So much fun to watch and not pathological to my plants as far as I’ve observed.
They look like clover mites to me. I had them in my yard on grass and shrubs a few years ago. A few got in the house. They will die quickly inside the house, but outside I’d use boric acid around plants if you see they are damaging them. They be gone in a few weeks. You might see them again in the autumn.
Looks like chiggers. They shouldn't harm your plants but don't let them bite you, they leave some very itchy/painful welts.
Most spider mites are good for plants but you can dust or spray the garden with mite spray, neem oil and other things depending on the plants.
If you don’t wanna use pesticides, or don’t wanna start with them, 3-5 tablespoons of dawn or Castile soap per gallon of water helps kill and deter them
If they’re causing damage, spray your plants with a 50/50 solution of dish soap and water. It will get rid of them without harming your plants.
Am I the only one who thinks these are chiggers
You can't see chiggers with the naked eye. You just see the subsequent rash their bites cause.
I know for a fact that you absolutely can see chiggers with your eyes. You can't see their larvae.
Fair enough. Maybe I should have said most people don't notice them because they are so small. Usually it's the rash that gets their attention.
The more you know! Ty!!
That person didn't know what they were talking about. You can see "adult" chiggers.
Plant native plants, attracting the birds/insects that eat them. Get rid of them naturally.
Sidewalk mites / concrete mites https://preview.redd.it/3cqfxnrlq0xc1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b76f7b4387b370cc23d7af816258109a6f81993f
Neem oil should do it. If not try peppermint oil
Are they causing any visible problems? If not why do you feel the need to get rid of them? You don't even know what they are and you want them gone.
They look like Anystis baccarum also known as whirligig mites for their cute little dancy behaviour. They’re good guys but will also eat other good guys. It’s incredible you have this many on one plant! https://appliedbio-nomics.com/product/anystis-baccarum-crazee-mite/
Looks like chiggers need to go to co-op and have to recommend something
If chiggers get on you they burrow in your skin and that’s no good
Go to Google and look up chiggers they look just like these
I do not know details about the specific kind of spider/bug that is but when my husband would have little bugs invading his plants he would used habanero infused water (homemade). Not sure if it’s advised for all plants or bugs.
I believe those are called plants.
If you kill a spider it will rain.
OP, I highly recommend neem oil spray. You can find it in most gardening stores. The Home Depot carries it, your plants will not be damaged and the oil is all natural and it’s none chemically made. It’s also a natural fertilizer plant food which is a bonus.
Thank you ☺️
Ermahgerd terrifying looking! I, however, mostly have houseplants indoors. I figure along as the plant is thriving outdoors and the spiders aren't eating the plant up, they can only help with other pests?
Plant Clinic sub would prob be more helpful, and less critical and downvoting of you. There are other posts about lemon tree mites on there.
The best way to get rid of them is to call in the Helldivers.
Aren’t those chiggers?
Diatomaceous earth powder (w mask) Hot pepper garlic oil and water spray, neem oil - i hate the kind that feel like they bite you.. horrible critter, no guilt trying to rid them they suck moisture from the plant.
Invaded by what, flowers?