Help! Are these spider mites?

[Karen]

Saw the whole swarm of them in the corner of the polytunnel! I have been squishing each one of them…

These are yellow spider mites? I thought there were only the red kinds?

Any advice as to how to deal with them and how to prevent them from appearing again! I am in a state of panic now!

[charles]

No they are not spider mites which are barely visible and do not appear until its warmer usually in June.
Maybe aphids, I would simply wash them off.

[nodiggety]

These look like young garden spiders to me!

[Karen]

Thanks Charles, it is reassuring. I do remember seeing them last year too. I am not sure if they are problem to cucumbers. Coz I remember too that the cucumber leaves got so dry that whitish yellowish film were seen on them. I gather those are spider mites.

Nodiggty… you are quite right. I looked closer and they seem to look like spiders. At the same time…. I saw 3 pinkish cotton ball like thingy at the bottom corner of the polytunnel. I reckon that´s their nests as I saw these yellow spider thingy. Not sure if they are considered as garden spiders as I don’t see them anywhere else outside of the polytunnel.

I also seem to notice they like to be near my cucurbits seedlings… I am just very apprehensive. And I thought aphids were only light greenish insects that I usually see on rose plants.

I can only hope that they are harmless coz it´s truly no fun trying to squish harmless creatures.

[nodiggety]

Hi Karen, hopefully this will ease your worries!

http://www.wou.edu/~baumgare/European_Garden_Spider

[Karen]

OMG!

The left photo looks exactly the same as I have been seeing.

Thank you sooooooooooooooo much nodiggety. 🙂

I definitely can sleep a whole lot better now. Coz truth be told, it has been bugging me as I have always wondered about them as I know I have seen them last year too.

I feel terribly bad now that I have killed some of them.

[Author]

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