FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hello.
I keep noticing these red mite-like bugs crawling around my plants, mainly Venus Flytraps. They look like spider mites, but they're have a few differences. I've read that spider mites form small webs and are very hard too see. These bugs are very clearly visible, although tiny, and I have yet to see a web of any kind. They also like to venture beyond the plant and onto the pots and trays, almost as much as on the plants themselves when I do occasionally see them.

Are these spider mites that could cause harm? If so, what's a good miticide and how should I use it? I have neem oil if that can be used.
Thanks.

Watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbRCdJ8ZNF0

That sounds like them. Very distinctly red (kinda like your typing ) and erratic crawling, frequently checking small bits of matter before resuming.

However, when googling what a "red velvet mite" is I found some rather horrifying videos of mites way bigger to the ones on my plants. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtHYSIRCZ1c

[quote="DragonsEye"]Before jumping on the poison bandwagon, figure out what you have.
I like the idea of not killing everything so fast. Soil is alive with bugs, many symbiotic to plants.
Sounds good

I agree. I'm fine with any amount of minuscule creatures near my plants if they don't bother them in any way. I was just concerned because I've heard that mites can do some pretty serious damage to plants if their not controlled.

_-SphagnumFromHell-_ wrote:I agree. I'm fine with any amount of minuscule creatures near my plants if they don't bother them in any way. I was just concerned because I've heard that mites can do some pretty serious damage to plants if their not controlled.

I have not had to use any pesticides so far.
But if I did I would not have a problem using it and definitely wouldn't feel bad. We cant use a insecticidal soap.
This one time I got some unhealthy plants with mites in them. One started looking unhealthy and I pulled on the plant and it came right out of the soil. The roots had been eaten.
I read you can drown the mites, so I submerged the pots in water for a few days. I then cleaned off all the dead growth on the plants and washed them clean, threw out the moss and repotted them and no more mites.