It tingles here, it crawls there - at the latest in the warm season all kinds of animals can be found in the garden again. Small, red spiders, more precisely mostly red velvet mites, are also part of it. You can find out here which other red spiders there are and what to do against the red velvet mite.
Red Spiders
When small red spiders are discovered, they are usually of one of the following two types:
- fruit tree spider mite (Panonychus ulmi)
- red velvet mite (Trombidium holosericeum)
fruit tree spider mite
The fruit tree spider mite is one of the pests. As the name suggests, it does its work especially in fruit growing. Apple trees in particular are one of her favorite dishes. The red spider mites suck the sap from the flowers and leaves, which can lead to reduced sprouting and ultimately to the failure of the harvest in the following years.
Look
You can recognize the fruit tree spider mite by the following characteristics:
- oval, domed and red-brown body
- long bristles and light warts
- Females up to 0.4 mm long, males slightly smaller
- yellow-green to light red larvae
Source: \ldblquote, Red Spider, Edited by Plantopedia, CC0 1.0
damage picture
The small, red insects lay their eggs near plants, they are small and have red hairs. The effect on the budding of the plant becomes noticeable after a few weeks, the leaves change color and become reddish-brown. In most cases, however, you have already discovered in advance that your plant is infested with fruit tree spider mites.
- light spots on the leaves
- are getting yellower
- Eggs, larvae and adults mainly on undersides of leaves
- thin webs on the plant
- Leaves dry up and fall off
Red velvet mite
The red velvet mite is one of the running mites. Although mites, such as spider mites, are often considered pests, Trombidium holosericeum is a beneficial insect. Because instead of attacking people, animals or plants, the velvet mite attacks all kinds of insects and pests. She sucks their eggs and "cleans" our gardens.
It is relatively easy to recognize a red velvet mite:
- up to 4 mm long
- dense scarlet hairs, velvety
- small, stalked eyes
- scissor-shaped jaws
- long front legs
- prefers dry, warm environment
- often on terraces and walls
danger: Do not confuse red velveteen with female ticks, which grow to about ten times the size.
The normal life cycle of a velvet mite is that it is active and busy in the summer, but remains in the ground and slows down its metabolism in the winter. However, if the temperatures are not cold enough for this - in the apartment, for example - the metabolism remains active and food is constantly due.
Prevent
increase humidity
If the humidity is too high, the climate is ideal for the small, red spiders. It is therefore an advantage if the humidity in your home is kept low. Special dehumidifiers can help.
insect screen
To prevent the little red spiders from entering your living space in the first place, fit windows and doors with fine-meshed insect screens or nets. These are available in different versions and are usually very easy to attach.
Red velvet mite, Trombidium holosericeum
Fight
The little red spiders are welcome guests in the garden. But they like to gather on terraces and house walls and then quickly get into our living area. And there we want to get rid of the red velvet mite quickly.
How are red spider mites controlled?
There are several tips and tricks on how to successfully combat the small, red spiders. Once you've spotted a few specimens on your plants, it's time to decimate them. To do this, proceed in several steps.
shower off
The first step is to give the plant a thorough shower to remove spider webs and active mites. However, since the animals are useful for our garden, we would advise against killing them. Bring the plant outside and gently spray it with the hose.
Plant-dependent care measures
Depending on the plant, you can stop the mite infestation with a radical pruning. It also makes sense to replace the soil and rinse off the entire roots.
Small Red Spider, Trombidium holosericeum
Notice:However, if the little red spiders get out of hand and invade your home, consider an exterminator.
Wrong recommendations
Internet forums are full of exciting tips and tricks on how to get rid of red velvet mites. However, many of these are far from healthy for your plants and deadly for beneficial insects. You should steer clear of these methods below.
- pull an airtight plastic bag over the plant
- Shower with soapy water or alcohol
- Neem oil for cleaning
- Spray with high oil content
- Plant protection products for indoor use
Red Spider, Red Velvet Mite