red pests

bermary

Hello everyone,In our back garden we have crawling about red ant like creatures and if you squash them on anything that is white they leave a red coloured smear that is a devil to remove,does anyone have any idea what these are and how to get rid of them. Thanks

martinthebandit

Just a wild guess but they are probably red ants

gazza975526570

is it red spider mite?

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=red+spider+mite&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=cup&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&prmd=ivns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=8S0HTrP8JMexhAfW4YzTBw&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CCwQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=617

Davesnave

Red spider mites aren't red! Poultry red mites can be, but they're something else. :eek:

The red mites probably referred to are smaller than ants and harmless to plants. They are often seen on stonework, plants etc and yes, if you squash 'em they'll produce a red stain. They're called Red Velvet Mites.

http://my.opera.com/Ukwildlife/blog/red-velvet-mite-trombidium-sp

As they are harmless and very small, I'd suggest leaving them alone and look instead for the best biological stain detergent.