Spider Mites (should I panic?)

[Rabidbun]

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!

Basically just spotted five red spider mite adults (total) on the leaves of various plants (indoor and outdoor). This happened last year and the year before and nothing came of it apart from a slight squishing feeling between finger and thumb as they departed this world slightly flatter. I have never seen more than a couple on the occasional plant and would wet them each day as per advice in one thread I saw, if this wouldn't run such a risk of leaf scorch and Botrytis (which took out my 15 tomato plants last year along with the whole crop).

This year I have planted a heck of a lot more and am therefore wondering if I should do something about a mite sighting, as I am rather paranoid of losing a whole crop to something like this.

Is it worth mixing up a batch of Neem Oil - and is this safe to do on all edibles or should I just spray everything with soft soap and try that instead?

Alternatively I can panic and camp out next to the plants at night with a torch ready to squish, though that may worry the OH.

[onefivenine]

I thought all spiders were carnivores so would be a good thing to have near plants as they would eat aphids, blackfly etc? Or is that wrong?

[sewer rat]

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!

Basically just spotted five red spider mite adults (total) on the leaves of various plants (indoor and outdoor). Alternatively I can panic and camp out next to the plants at night with a torch ready to squish, though that may worry the OH.

You must have pretty good eyesight to see individual spider mites are they are microscopic beasties - are you absolutely certain that they are red spider mite or are they velvet mites?

Spider Mites And Their Control, HYG-2012-92 - red spider mites
Red Velvet Mite - a garden friend - velvet mite

[starloc]

If they are spider mites, tiny specks but they can be seen like bits of fine ground pepper size they dont look red,, i would spray with something, neem oil solution works well, as does cooking oil solution ( both with a tiny speck of dishwash liquid to make it mix) , make sure you do the bits between the leaves and the stems and under all the leaves, before they spread

[Rabidbun]

Eek, I've been squishing friendly bugs!

Thanks oodles for the info, huge help and has cut down on my paranoia massively! With the spider mites that we would get in the UK would I be looking just for webs to see if the plants are affected (unless I look at the leaves a lot with a magnifying glass) or do they not always make the webs before getting established?

On the negative side though I have just spotted a possible problem with my indoor chilli though while squishing aphids - teeny thin grey bugs a mm long, thereabouts. Goodness knows what they are but I do seem to be spotting all the bugs this week!

Spose on the plus side I was nice to a ladybird the other day, which might let me off the hook for squashing those poor wee Red Velvet mites! Wow am relieved it isn't spider mites in the greenhouse!

Thanks again!