A 1001 things you did not know about Red Spider Mites....

Ok... so there are only ten but we have had quite a few of these tiny little critters in the wildlife garden at Rainham Marshes over the last week and having been sent a cracking shot of one by Craig Burnett, I thought I would dod some digging so here we go....

• Spider mites are arachnids and are related to all spider species.
• These tiny, highly destructive pests are common in greenhouses and on house plants and can also be found on outdoor plants during the warmer summer months.
• Spider mites can feed on at least 200 different plants, including many common flowers, fruits and vegetables.
• They feed on the content of plant leaf cells by piercing them with their mouthparts. This results in a fine brown speckling effect on leaves where the cells have died.
• Adult mites also spin a fine silk webbing over leaf surfaces. With heavy infestations this can cover most of the plant.
• When active, the spider mites are light green with two dark spots on their back, but during their inactive periods they become dark orange or red.
• Spider mites emerge from hibernation during March and April and begin laying their minute, spherical eggs on suitable host plants.
• Adult females can lay up to a hundred eggs during their lifetime.
• Juveniles will hatch a few days later and begin feeding. They start life with six legs, but develop eight as they mature.
• The webbing provides a protective shield for the spider mite colony against predators and adverse environmental conditions. It also provides a means of spreading the colony to other areas of the plant.
• As autumn approaches, females stop laying eggs and begin to seek out places away from the plant to overwinter. They'll usually choose places, such as cracks in walls, fences and old plant material.

I did not realise that they were quite such a garden problem and thanks to the BBC Gardening website for all the info!

A HUUUUGGGE Red Spider Mite. They are actually about the size of two grains of sand

....and as an aside... thinking about these sparked off a memory of a kids book I had when I was a little nipper called 'Yan and the Firemonsters'. For some reason I am sure that the giant beasts in the book turned out to be mega Red Spider Mites.  So intrigued I have tracked down a copy and ordered it!  Will let you know if I was right or that it was a mid-1970's child day dreaming!