Clover mites?

[billmoe93]

So recently I saw some small red bugs crawling on the side of one of my pots. I assumed they were spider mites.


The problem I was having that the mites were not acting like spider mites. I could not find any on the plants or any leaf damage. This led me on a search for other bugs.

My conclusion from everything I could find is they might be Clover mites. A couple factors that led me to this.

1. The mites were only on the sides of a couple pots. They seemed attracted to a certain edge of a pots that was closest to one of my side lights. I read that clover mites are attracted to warmth and light.

2. They were all on the side of the pot but not the plant itself. In some of the clover mite control methods it says to clear a a 24 inch wide area of dirt between your house and any foliage because the mites have problems traversing it.

I was hoping there is someone with experience with these little bastards. Or tell me Im wrong and that they are spider mites. There is not that much literature on Clover mites and Cannabis.

So I guess my question is, assuming they are clover mites should I treat them like spider mites regardless or are there better products I should be using?

 

[billmoe93]

Follow up.

I am 99% sure these are not spidermites. My best guess leads me to believe that they are in fact clover mites.

Through googling and searching forums including ornamental and vegatable forums, I believe that these are clover mites and that some cases are being misdiagnosed as spider mites. This thread lead me on the search

Red Tiny Bugs?

Who cares if the extermination methods are the same right? Well the SNS barely slows these fuckers down. Right now I am rotating between Neem and SNS and have been battling them for a little under 2 weeks. No mite crap, no leaf damage, no mites on the actual plants. Just every couple days or so a few show up on the side of a pot.

I guess I am writing this just so its out there. I am no expert on mites, just did a lot of reading and connecting dots. I might be totally wrong but if you think you got spider mites but they don't act like spider mites, you might want to look into clover mites and diagnose for yourself.

 

[AcesFull]

I can now spot spider mite damage and see where I think they are with the naked eye, but still need a scope to verify. I guess what I'm saying is there's no way I'd detect them crawling up the pot. I just don't think that's possible with a human eye, mine anyway.

 

[billmoe93]

Yea, I read that spider mites are smaller than clover mites. I don't know if that is a general statement though because I know there are different types of spider mites.

Right now Im using some crappy white pots so seeing things and detecting movement is a little easier than a standard black pot.

I will say Id rather have these mites than spider mites. If they are feeding on the plant, I can't find any damage.

 

[DeanB]

Does anyone know about these clover mites? I think I saw one moving up and down a stalk pretty fast. I can see it with my eyes even from a distant. It moves like how a lady bug is searching for something. I took a picture and zoomed in but it was blurry. I don't see any leaf damage like a spider mite makes. I do see some holes in some leaves on another plant but not the one it was in. Wondering if they are a threat or not. If I leave em do they keep other more damaging pest away?

 

[Sluicebox]

Does anyone know about these clover mites? I think I saw one moving up and down a stalk pretty fast. I can see it with my eyes even from a distant. It moves like how a lady bug is searching for something. I took a picture and zoomed in but it was blurry. I don't see any leaf damage like a spider mite makes. I do see some holes in some leaves on another plant but not the one it was in. Wondering if they are a threat or not. If I leave em do they keep other more damaging pest away?

Hey DeanB, I'm looking at the same thing. I see them on some cedar fencing that we brought home to reuse, old stuff. They are fast and red, thousands of them on these boards. I figure that their speed means they are a predator. If you consider the speed of a spider mite I'm sure you've dealt with many times, these are much faster.

I would love to find out if these are a beneficial bug. If so I will introduce them to my plants. Currently seeing aphid damage on outdoor in organics. Just fed worm tea and sprayed with the same tea, hope that helps.