My first pest...is it a spider mite?

[nekoshi]

Hello I'm dealing with my first creepy crawlies and I think they might be spider mites but I heard there may be some good mites out there so I just figured I'd ask before I kill them all. I'm treating with a homemade mix of soap, water and rubbing alcohol anytime I see them active. until they go away. No other plants have them and I'm keeping it as far away from the others as possible. No visible damage on the leaves yet but I think I just caught it early. They were crawling all over the media, bulbs and leaves but less now that they have been treated. None jumped but they are quick for their size.

[aliceinwl]

They do look like mites but I can't say for sure without higher resolution. Is there any webbing on the plants?

I was able to get rid of my spider mites using an insecticidal soap. Due to the short generation time these guys are able to develop resistance to many insecticides so sprays that work by physically smothering them may be more effective. I had to treat my plant every five days for about five weeks to take get rid of them.

The predatory mites tend to be loners so I wouldn't expect to see the big aggregations you're describing if it were one of the good ones.

[katrina]

Pics are pretty fuzzy when zoomed but I think I see antennae and if that's the case...those are not mites of any kind.

Most insects are not harmful and if you're going to grow plants, you just have to accept a few creepy crawlies come with the territory.

FWIW - Too much insecticidal soap over long periods can weaken the plant and cause problems. It will eventually strip the protective, waxy coating from the leaves...which will open up possibilities for a whole host of other issues.

[nekoshi]

To aliceinwl : Thank you for your reply. I didn't see any webbing that looked like mite webbing...just one tiny spider and a single strand of web leading to him. Probably was eating those mystery invaders for me.

To katrina : Thank you also for your reply! I too thought those looked like antennae so it's good to know these are likely not mites. It helps knowing what to look for to id them which was what I was hoping to learn. Also thanks for the insecticidal soap warning too I'll be careful to not over apply.

Today the bugs are pretty much gone. I will keep an eye out though. I don't really mind them as long as they aren't damaging things. I had feared the worst and treated to be extra cautious because they did kinda look like mites to me and this is my favorite plant and it's getting it's first new growth in my care. I really appreciate this forum though and you guys for taking time to reply to my noobie questions.

[estación seca]

Hard to see, but I wonder whether it could be an aphid.