Tiny red 'mites' all over rocks?

[organicgardenerswife]

Hi,

I have seen these a few different places already. They are so bright red & tiny that you can hardly see them. The places I have seen them most is around flowerbeds on rocks.

Where ever they are, there are thousands of them, and they are scurrying over everything. Does any one have the same problem, and are these 'bad' in any way?

What are they, and do they harm plants?

Been wondering for a long time,
Ruth

[BostonianChick]

They could be spider mites. These can kill your plants. An organic way that people seem to use is mixing garlic salt water and vinegar. and spray it on your plant this will work because the bugs do not like the taste or smell of garlic. I hope this helps.

[rainbowgardener]

Garlic & hot peppers are a common insect repellant spray that people use. (You can type garlic pepper spray in the Search the Forum Keyword Box and find a variety of recipes here).

Salt and vinegar both kill plants. A salt-vinegar solution is a good homemade herbicide for killing weeds, but is not something you would want to spray on plants you don't want to kill.

[!potatoes!]

spider mites are usually ON plants...fast-moving mites on rocks & such doesn't sound like them to me.

[rockhound]

A picture of those bugs would help clear up what kind they are. And I agree, no vinegar or salt on plants. Garlic and pepper spray can be made with garlic powder, not garlic salt tho, and use plain water not vinegar.

[ruggr10]

I get something that looks like that in my worm bin. To me, they help the decomposition process.

[Gary350]

Spider mites.



Chiggers look like RED ticks.

[Little Homestead]

I have seen what I think you are describing...and I have never seen any damage from them.

I hate to spray anything until I know it is doing damage. Sometimes it comes back to bite me in the butt.

[sleigh_2001]

I have just found thousands of tiny red mites all over my dry stack garden wall. I'm sure they are all over the plants in the beds as well. Will soapy water spray kill them?

[richygarden]

If they really are spider mites, spray them with ice cold water for a while. It will cause some serious discomfort to them. And if that doesn't work, buy a bunch of lady bugs and set them free, they should eat them all up in no time!

[soil]

i wish people wouldn't resort to spraying so fast, or at all. i am betting they are not spider mites but.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trombidiidae

the red velvet mite.

[hgs]

Lady bugs is the best option if you don't want to spray your plants!

[Sage Hermit]

Just get a nuke and nuke them all. : D


Identify what they are.

[lisavantil]

They seem like spider mites to me but yes, you’d find them more in plants. I have some velvet spiders in my garden but they have been pretty helpful so far.

I agree with the nuking! haha I kid

[cassi22]

I have these little red spider looking things all over just one of my plants. But some are an off white color. They have nested at the top of my plants. What is easiest safest way to get rid of them? I tried to upload a pic but said file was too big.