Friend or foe? Baby spiders or spider mites?

[mostnonymouse]

Forgive my ignorance, but I've been fortunate enough to have never dealt with spider mites before. While these look to me like red baby spiders, I'd like a second look for some peace of mind. They are fast as fuck and look (to my untrained eye) to be far too large to be spider mites... They've just been bolting up, down, and all around my leaves nonstop. For reference, that blade he's on is about the width of my fingernail.

 

[schwagg]

i doubt it's a mite. unless you happen to have the queen mother herself.

 

[mad librettist]

spider mites don move fast.

their predators do.


first sign of mites will be little white stipling along the veins

 

[mostnonymouse]

spider mites don move fast.

their predators do.

Fuck yea. I was hoping this was the case...After taking the macro shot and comparing it to images on google I can clearly see the difference, but when I googled small red spider and every result was noting spider mites you can imagine my concern. I caught and introduced a lady bug today too Thanks fellas.

 

[Stress_test]

Damn I hate being the guy who gives bad news!

Damn I hate being the guy who gives bad news!

Clover Mites in Indiana, Kentucky, & Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado and in 14 other states.


CLOVER MITE
Description

Clover mites are tiny red mites about 1/64”.
They invade home in spring and summer.
They prefer clover as a plant host but most plants and shrubs can be used by clover mites to feed.
They live a red stain when smashed and are often seen by the thousands running around on concrete or block walls.

Control:
Exterior perimeter treatments must be performed to control clover mites.
Window and doorframes must be treated from exterior and interior.
Pipe openings in bathrooms and kitchens should be treated.
Grass should me maintained and landscape vegetation should be kept trimmed.
Insecticide Granules can be used for lawn treatments

Clover Mites
Bryobia praetiosa

Clover mites sometimes invade homes in enormous numbers, in early spring and late autumn, overrunning floors, walls, drapes, window sills and furniture, even occasionally getting into beds and clothing. They may become troublesome in hospitals, nursing homes, apartments, food processing facilities, etc. If crushed, they leave a reddish stain quite noticeable on linens, curtains, walls and woodwork. They are a nuisance by their presence but do not bite humans or animals, transmit disease nor feed on household furnishings or pantry supplies. Skin irritation may be caused in sensitive persons. They live outdoors feeding on various plants.

Identification
Clover mites are about 1/30 inch long (smaller than a pinhead), oval-shaped arachnids, reddish-brown to olive to pale orange or sometimes green-brown after feeding. They are eight-legged with the front pair of legs very long, protruding forward at the head. These front legs are sometimes mistaken as antennae or feelers. There are featherlike plates on the body and fan-shaped like hairs along the back edge of the body when viewed under a magnifying glass. Young are smaller and bright red. Also, eggs are bright red. Crawling mites are sluggish, slow-moving and normally invade the home where the sun is warmest at south, southwest and east side of the house.

Life Cycle and Habits
Clover mites develop from unfertilized eggs (no males needed). Females lay about 70 eggs each, singly or in masses, in cracks and faults in concrete foundations, in mortar crevices, between the building walls, under loose bark of trees, and other protected places. Eggs lay dormant during the hot summer, hatching in early autumn when temperatures fall below 85 degrees F, followed by two nymphal or resting stages and the adult. Each stage lasts two to six days, and the life cycle is completed outdoors in one month with two or more generations per year. Mites may live one to seven months depending on climatic conditions. Most mites overwinter as eggs, but all life stages can be present. Overwintering eggs hatch in early spring.

Mites can be found infesting homes from November through June and again in the autumn months. They are sensitive to temperature changes (most active between 50 to 75 degrees F) and tend to move upward as the sun warms the surface above them. They may invade the home during the summer if host plants are dried up or cut off. Hosts include grasses (heavy feeding gives a silvered appearance), clover, dandelion, shepherd's purse, strawberry and iris, to name a few. Most heavy outbreaks occur in early spring in well-fertilized lawns growing close to the house foundation on the sunny side of the house; although in the fall, thousands of clover mites may congregate on vegetation around homes and on foundation walls, crawling into protected places as cold weather arrives. They hide under shingles, under siding, behind window and door casings or even indoors, becoming active again in the spring.

Prevention
Remove all grass and weeds (lush vegetation) from around the house foundation perimeter, leaving a bare strip 18 to 24 inches wide, especially on the south, southwest and east sides of the building. Mites will not cross bare, loose soil as readily as grassy surfaces touching the foundation. This bare strip can be planted with flowers such as geranium, zinnia, wallflowers, marigold, salvia, rose, chrysanthemum and petunia, or shrubs such as juniper, spruce, arborvitae, yew or barberry, which are unattractive to these mites deterring buildup and migration. An application of pea gravel in the strip will also discourage mite invasion. Some apply bark mulch, stone or black plastic. Be sure to seal cracks and gaps or other points of entry with caulking compound, putty and weather stripping around foundations, windows and doors. Use tight fitting screens on windows and doors.

Mechanical
It is often difficult to control large numbers of clover mites indoors. Use a vacuum cleaner with proper attachments to effectively collect live mites without crushing them. Dispose of the sweeper bag after collection by burning or taking to a garbage disposal far from the house. Mites can escape from the bag in the sweeper.

 

[mostnonymouse]

I know clover mites. I have them on my concrete front steps. They're MUCH smaller than these guys. I'm still calling 'em baby spiders.

 

[MIway]

CLOVER MITE
Description

They live a red stain when smashed and are often seen by the thousands running around on concrete or block walls.
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Yeah... we've got these all over the place in MI, just everywhere it seems. Things are hatching no doubt... spilling into the house...

And the hopping ones in the garden too... kinda leavin those be.

 

[mad librettist]

clover mites are welcome to come feed on my clover anytime.

they probably already are.

 

[Stress_test]

Well you all do what you like...

Personally I kill ALL bugs in my ID garden unless I import em for a reason. Otherwise they have no business being on my plants.

 

[mostnonymouse]

Well you all do what you like...

Personally I kill ALL bugs in my ID garden unless I import em for a reason. Otherwise they have no business being on my plants.

I get new ones every time I mulch or stick em outside and I did both today. I figure the spiders were in the mulch.

 

[h.h.]

When I see spider mites, I usually see a whole bunch at once. Usually I notice leaves wrapped up in web first.

 

[Stress_test]

Forgive my ignorance, but I've been fortunate enough to have never dealt with spider mites before. While these look to me like red baby spiders, I'd like a second look for some peace of mind. They are fast as fuck and look (to my untrained eye) to be far too large to be spider mites... They've just been bolting up, down, and all around my leaves nonstop. For reference, that blade he's on is about the width of my fingernail.

I get new ones every time I mulch or stick em outside and I did both today. I figure the spiders were in the mulch.

I know man and I completely understand. Believe me, I DO understand; I've worked in nurseries and greenhouses enough that I've seen about every kind of pest a plant can get.

I just always keep in mind that I'm not the gardener with some questionable spiders cruising around crapping, having sex and dying in my buds that I will be smoking in a couple more months and asking for help in identifying before they make a picnic out of my garden.

Peace and toke out man. Worst case scenario you can call the Pied-Piper...

 

[mostnonymouse]

I know man and I completely understand. Believe me, I DO understand; I've worked in nurseries and greenhouses enough that I've seen about every kind of pest a plant can get.

I just always keep in mind that I'm not the gardener with some questionable spiders cruising around crapping, having sex and dying in my buds that I will be smoking in a couple more months and asking for help in identifying before they make a picnic out of my garden.

Peace and toke out man. Worst case scenario you can call the Pied-Piper...

It's all experimental. Sometimes I think I'm more into learning about soil and plants than I am weed. I've never had issues with spiders having crappy sex orgies in my outdoor buds so I'm hoping it won't happen indoors either.

 

[h.h.]

It's all experimental. Sometimes I think I'm more into learning about soil and plants than I am weed. I've never had issues with spiders having crappy sex orgies in my outdoor buds so I'm hoping it won't happen indoors either.

As long as they bring their own weed, I don't care what they do.

 

[mad librettist]

Friend or foe? Baby spiders or spider mites?

I know man and I completely understand. Believe me, I DO understand; I've worked in nurseries and greenhouses enough that I've seen about every kind of pest a plant can get.

I just always keep in mind that I'm not the gardener with some questionable spiders cruising around crapping, having sex and dying in my buds that I will be smoking in a couple more months and asking for help in identifying before they make a picnic out of my garden.

Peace and toke out man. Worst case scenario you can call the Pied-Piper...

I find people in the horticulture biz have very different values and reasons for growing compared to a hobbyist.

whenever someone brings up horticulture experience, I tend to put them in a box and I don't expect them to have a good imagination.


I noticed you used a lot of loaded words to describe what spiders and others are up to in your grow.

I would wager, if such a thing could be proven, that the inclusion of many different life forms in my indoor garden means I get more pests, but less infestation.

 

[mad librettist]

When I see spider mites, I usually see a whole bunch at once. Usually I notice leaves wrapped up in web first.

Then you are missing some big signs! I don't think I have ever let a mite invasion go so far I see webbing. I have seen it in gardens outside that use a lot of insecticide, and it means the infestation is very far along.

Always keep your eye out for stippling.

 

[h.h.]

I've only had them on a few miniature roses and I pulled a wild cucumber that was being sucked dry a few days ago. Never a problem with MJ. Caterpillars are have been my only problem really. Some gnats inside when I was using a fibrous mulch. More pest than problem.
Spiders are our friends.
Looking at the cucumber, totally covered, while nearby plants weren't shows a potential benefit. A few host plants, just outside the garden, to attract pests away from the garden, while providing food to attract predators to the area.

 

[mad librettist]

A few host plants, just outside the garden, to attract pests away from the garden, while providing food to attract predators to the area.
__________________[/QUOTE

very good plan. this is what farmers were supposed to do with GMO crops - leave a place for the pests to eat and get eaten.

 

[jaykush]

you guys and your insect hate are all funny...

http://www.organicgardeninfo.com/predatory-mite.html

 

[mostnonymouse]

Oh wow...looks like we could have a dead ringer jay. Fucking SICK. Thanks dude!