I do not know details about the specific kind of spider/bug that is but when my husband would have little bugs invading his plants he would used habanero infused water (homemade). Not sure if it’s advised for all plants or bugs.
Atarlie
So some spider mites are beneficial, as they are predatory towards other mites & insects. Considering the size of them, it does seem like these may be the beneficial kind but here are two articles to help you figure out the difference between good and bad mites
The first question is, what observable damage are they doing? If you can’t identify any problems, then why do you need to “get rid of them”?
Live_Canary7387
Who the hell wants to get rid of spider mites? They’re just chilling around, trying to exist in the ecosystem.
DoubleFisted123
Diatomaceous earth powder (w mask) Hot pepper garlic oil and water spray, neem oil – i hate the kind that feel like they bite you.. horrible critter, no guilt trying to rid them they suck moisture from the plant.
timeforplantsbby
Insect populations have declined 45% in just the last 40 years. We have to break the habit of eradicating whatever bugs we find in our gardens.
Burning_Blaze3
If you don’t have bites (which I don’t see in this picture) and you don’t have webs, then leave them alone.
I’ve battled many spider mites and I’ve never seen a problematic infection with spiders of that size. I think they may in fact be predatory.
Who told you they were hurting your lemon tree? Are they an arborist? If so just ignore all the advice here and go with the expert. But usually a spider mite infection is leaves peppered with bite marks. That would happen long before the thing started yellowing; if they’ve compromised the health that badly then there should be mad bite marks. It’s not subtle… maybe post some pics of tree damage?
I realize you’ve had some pushback to the idea of not killing these bugs in this thread, but if you truly care about that lemon tree then you need to make sure you have a problem before you do anything to it. Frankly, wiping it’s biome could open you to a new/worse/different infestation. You just don’t know.
Hemarroids
These look like predatory mites, different from spider mites (and actually beneficial)
Roster2777
If you kill a spider it will rain.
sh1t-p0st
Looks like chiggers. They shouldn’t harm your plants but don’t let them bite you, they leave some very itchy/painful welts.
Beingforthetimebeing
Take a picture of that mite with i-naturalist or Seek. It will ID it for you. If you are in the US, you can call the County Extension office, usually associated with a Land Grant University. They offer free agricultural advice to farmers and the public alike.
dyablo0932
The best way to get rid of them is to call in the Helldivers.
Where-arethe-fairies
when i was a kid i ate these for some reason so you could try that.
Bobbiduke
Am I the only one who thinks these are chiggers
gottagrablunch
People should learn to not look at insects as pests just because they exist. Insects are part of a healthy ecosystem. The only time you should try to get rid of insects is if they represent a harmful infestation. Just existing isn’t a reason.
I, however, mostly have houseplants indoors. I figure along as the plant is thriving outdoors and the spiders aren’t eating the plant up, they can only help with other pests?
mojozworkin
Plant Clinic sub would prob be more helpful, and less critical and downvoting of you. There are other posts about lemon tree mites on there.
FerretSupremacist
If you don’t wanna use pesticides, or don’t wanna start with them, 3-5 tablespoons of dawn or Castile soap per gallon of water helps kill and deter them
Chr15tafarian
They look like clover mites to me. I had them in my yard on grass and shrubs a few years ago. A few got in the house. They will die quickly inside the house, but outside I’d use boric acid around plants if you see they are damaging them. They be gone in a few weeks. You might see them again in the autumn.
The_Zoo_Exotics
These look like beneficial spider mites to me. As another person mentioned, there are predatory mites and parasitic mites. I’d do some research on the different types and how to identify them at a glance.
davilller
See these on my citrus but never any harm. I feed my lemon tree quarterly and it gets regular water. The only threat it has is me trimming it back because I can’t let it get too big where it is.
elCrafty_Growth
OP,
I highly recommend neem oil spray. You can find it in most gardening stores. The Home Depot carries it, your plants will not be damaged and the oil is all natural and it’s none chemically made. It’s also a natural fertilizer plant food which is a bonus.
Krazy_Granna
If they’re causing damage, spray your plants with a 50/50 solution of dish soap and water. It will get rid of them without harming your plants.
24 Comments
I do not know details about the specific kind of spider/bug that is but when my husband would have little bugs invading his plants he would used habanero infused water (homemade). Not sure if it’s advised for all plants or bugs.
So some spider mites are beneficial, as they are predatory towards other mites & insects. Considering the size of them, it does seem like these may be the beneficial kind but here are two articles to help you figure out the difference between good and bad mites
[https://laidbackgardener.blog/2016/01/31/dont-kill-those-red-mites/](https://laidbackgardener.blog/2016/01/31/dont-kill-those-red-mites/)
[https://laidbackgardener.blog/2015/10/24/when-spider-mites-invade/](https://laidbackgardener.blog/2015/10/24/when-spider-mites-invade/)
The first question is, what observable damage are they doing? If you can’t identify any problems, then why do you need to “get rid of them”?
Who the hell wants to get rid of spider mites? They’re just chilling around, trying to exist in the ecosystem.
Diatomaceous earth powder (w mask)
Hot pepper garlic oil and water spray, neem oil – i hate the kind that feel like they bite you.. horrible critter, no guilt trying to rid them they suck moisture from the plant.
Insect populations have declined 45% in just the last 40 years. We have to break the habit of eradicating whatever bugs we find in our gardens.
If you don’t have bites (which I don’t see in this picture) and you don’t have webs, then leave them alone.
I’ve battled many spider mites and I’ve never seen a problematic infection with spiders of that size. I think they may in fact be predatory.
Who told you they were hurting your lemon tree? Are they an arborist? If so just ignore all the advice here and go with the expert. But usually a spider mite infection is leaves peppered with bite marks. That would happen long before the thing started yellowing; if they’ve compromised the health that badly then there should be mad bite marks. It’s not subtle… maybe post some pics of tree damage?
I realize you’ve had some pushback to the idea of not killing these bugs in this thread, but if you truly care about that lemon tree then you need to make sure you have a problem before you do anything to it. Frankly, wiping it’s biome could open you to a new/worse/different infestation. You just don’t know.
These look like predatory mites, different from spider mites (and actually beneficial)
If you kill a spider it will rain.
Looks like chiggers. They shouldn’t harm your plants but don’t let them bite you, they leave some very itchy/painful welts.
Take a picture of that mite with i-naturalist or Seek. It will ID it for you. If you are in the US, you can call the County Extension office, usually associated with a Land Grant University. They offer free agricultural advice to farmers and the public alike.
The best way to get rid of them is to call in the Helldivers.
when i was a kid i ate these for some reason so you could try that.
Am I the only one who thinks these are chiggers
People should learn to not look at insects as pests just because they exist. Insects are part of a healthy ecosystem. The only time you should try to get rid of insects is if they represent a harmful infestation. Just existing isn’t a reason.
Google image search says they are clover mites [link](https://www.thisoldhouse.com/pest-control/reviews/tiny-red-bugs)
Ermahgerd terrifying looking!
I, however, mostly have houseplants indoors. I figure along as the plant is thriving outdoors and the spiders aren’t eating the plant up, they can only help with other pests?
Plant Clinic sub would prob be more helpful, and less critical and downvoting of you. There are other posts about lemon tree mites on there.
If you don’t wanna use pesticides, or don’t wanna start with them, 3-5 tablespoons of dawn or Castile soap per gallon of water helps kill and deter them
They look like clover mites to me. I had them in my yard on grass and shrubs a few years ago. A few got in the house. They will die quickly inside the house, but outside I’d use boric acid around plants if you see they are damaging them. They be gone in a few weeks. You might see them again in the autumn.
These look like beneficial spider mites to me. As another person mentioned, there are predatory mites and parasitic mites. I’d do some research on the different types and how to identify them at a glance.
See these on my citrus but never any harm. I feed my lemon tree quarterly and it gets regular water. The only threat it has is me trimming it back because I can’t let it get too big where it is.
OP,
I highly recommend neem oil spray. You can find it in most gardening stores. The Home Depot carries it, your plants will not be damaged and the oil is all natural and it’s none chemically made. It’s also a natural fertilizer plant food which is a bonus.
If they’re causing damage, spray your plants with a 50/50 solution of dish soap and water. It will get rid of them without harming your plants.