Marianne's Response
Red spider mites and red sugar ants
Every year since I have been here (since ’09) teenie tiny red bugs are all over the bricks of my large octagon planter, and the white rock area where I set my container plants. They are all over the containers too. Don’t seem to see them much on the plants. They must be soft bodied because when you smash them with your finger, they leave a red smear. What are they and how do I get rid of them?
Posted by Teena Hayhurst on May 18, 2015
Marianne's Response
Not sure if you have red spider mite (very small, hard to see with the naked eye) or red sugar ants (a bit larger) but the big question is are they destroying your plants? If you do not see them much on your plants they could be ants with a colony beneath your pavers. If you send a photo I could give you a more accurate ID and ideas on how to control them. You just want to ignore them if your plants are doing fine.
Keep growing,
Marianne Binetti
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