Red Spider Mite

[Jeanied]

Velvet Mites ??

That looks like a very promising line of enquiry, Sewer Rat - I've been googling and it looks just like the little devils. But the wiki entry talks about India not London!

[Liza]

Mine are defo red spider mites, has been confirmed by another lottie holder.

Weather has been really warm and no rain so quite dry up lottie, caught the sun a bit yesterday.

Is there any particular plant they like or all of them ?

[Jeanied]

Ah, Liza - I think you have the same problem with fellow lottie holders as I do - they say things with such conviction that you think they know what they are talking about - trouble is, sometimes they don't.
These are definitely litte red spiders - but they aren't definitely red spider mites which are loads smaller and only seem to attack greenhouse plants and houseplants.
Our little red spiders (we seem to be having the same kind) - well until I've seen them attack plants with my own eyes, I'm not going to treat them as anything other than harmless.
I have also been told that one of the two species of centipede on my plot are wireworms, and advised to do all sorts of spraying, chucking out and destroying because I am seen as one of those weird organic females faffing around!

[Liza]

Ok I think we have the same spiders, you are only about an hour away from me.

Will keep an eye on them and maybe get to the bottom of it, they could be new to the UK ?

[sarraceniac]

I agree Jeanied. It is far too early in the year for red spider mites to be running around in the open air. The temperature at night is still going down to 4 or 5° which they just won't tolerate. I have had 2 infestations over the years. One virtually wiped out my tropical greenhouse, bananas, cannas and small palms mainly. The second attack was in the open air at the end of July when we had that roasting summer, I think it was 4 years ago. They nobbled a couple of baby palms then. The sure sign is very fine webs (yes they are a true spider, not a mite, just the size of a mite) on your plants. They will kill I think anything by sucking the sap rather like aphids or fungus gnats, only 20 times more voracious. They are very fond of plants with fleshy leaves, which on GYO means mainly brassicas I think, but they will happily decimate legumes or the tomato family. As I said, in my weird garden, they loved young palms, cannas, bananas etc. but left the sarracenias alone (maybe they knew they would get eaten). I managed to control them before they got to the outdoor veggies but they did get a couple of tomatoes under glass.

[Jeanied]

So I think we are going to have to accept that we have a new variety of English red velvet spider (good description of them as they are almost translucent in their colouring) living and thriving in the south!
My insect book only covers insects not arachnids - and the search engine has not thrown up anything useful yet. Liza and I will be monitoring the situation!

[sarraceniac]

Red Spider Mite pest control

Red Spider Mites

These 2 sites are informative about the RSM. The second is more detailed except it says they are invisible to the naked eye. Not strictly true. You can just make them out if you know what you are looking for and have good eyesight.

Just editing to add a site which explains the difference, very briefly.

http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.c...velvetmite.htm

[Liza]

Red Spider Mite pest control

Red Spider Mites

These 2 sites are informative about the RSM. The second is more detailed except it says they are invisible to the naked eye. Not strictly true. You can just make them out if you know what you are looking for and have good eyesight.

Just editing to add a site which explains the difference, very briefly.

Red Velvet Mite - a garden friend

Thank you Sarraceniac for your research, will keep you up to date on my orangey red spiders with short legs whatever they may be things

[Liza]

Took some pictures yesterday, close as I can get without going blurry.

[sarraceniac]

A wee bit difficult to make out Liza but I do get the feeling that they are too red and too large for the true red spider mite. I think Jeanied is right with her theory on velvet mites but whether they are a new species to the UK I don't know. I live too far north to be bothered by them as most 'new' species come across (or nowadays, under) the Channel and spread out from the south-east.

[Nicos]

I had those on our lottie in Cheshire.
We did discuss them quite a while ago on another thread- but I can't find it just now .

I seem to recall they were OK as they ate insects ( but they could bite you???? - or was that a dream???)

[oliveoyl]

I found a red velvet mite on my patch a couple of days ago... like this little fella


"Red velvet mites are members of the subphylum Chelicerata, a group of critters that have tiny lobster-like claws that serve as mouthparts, a feature that relates them closely to spiders, scorpions, and harvestmen. Red velvet mites make their home in the litter layer of woodlands and forests. They live from one to several years, depending on the species. As larvae, they attach themselves to a variety of arthropods and feed parasitically. They will suck blood from a gnat or grasshopper, for instance, sometimes hitching a ride with several other mites. When red velvet mites become nymphs and then adults, they take to the soil to devour much smaller prey, including other mites and their eggs, the eggs of insects and snails, and primitive wingless insects. They do not bite humans, neither do they sting.

The presence of red velvet mites is extremely important to the environment. These mites are part of a community of soil arthropods that is critical in terms of rates of decomposition in woodlands and in maintaining the structure of the entire ecosystem. By feeding on insects that eat fungi and bacteria, they stimulate the decomposition process."

So if it's one of those, count yourself lucky... point him in the direction of the slug & snail eggs!

[Jeanied]

Thanks for that Oliveoyl - Liza and I are rather chuffed at that bit of news, I'm sure!!

[Liza]

Yey thats them ! thankyou !