Please tell me these aren't spider mites

I found some tiny red/orange critters crawling on some of my grafts. I really hope they aren't those red spider mites, but if they are, how do I treat them??

Here's a couple of photos of some of the seedling damage:



This Mam Teresae was growing flat out, then has slowed, and is not looking too healthy now.



Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in Advance,
IX

I would say it looks like it. Maybe some orange rot in the first pic too.

I would zap the lot with confidor and cross my fingers.

The usual treatment for red spider mite is to increase humidity - the little buggers hate it - however, with the possible beginnings of orange rot humidity might well prove fatal.

Good luck mate!

I'll go to Bunnings tomorrow and see if they have any Confidor. If they don't have it, then I will go to some of the other local nurseries. Thanks.

If Bunnings is of no value - safeway carries Yates Rose Gun. Same active ingredient.

Ahhh, good to know. I managed to catch one of the little buggers in a piece of spider web on one of my grafted plants, and I got a few photos of it. I'll post them after dinner (I'm cooking right now).

I had luck in exterminating a spidermite problem with Yates Folimat aerosol spray, should be available from either bunnings or flowerpower.

Yates folimat

Here's one of the horrid little b******s. Like I said, I caught it on a strand of spiderweb and got my camera out fast.

Might add here since I was the one to mention Yates Folimat that whatever you do don't ever use it on a Lophocereus scottii monstrose, I did yesterday and this is the result.

Ouch! That going to recover?

Time will tell I guess.
A member of another forum suspects it might not be the spray itself but that I rather gave it a freezer burn by holding the aerosol can to close while I sprayed. Guess it's as plausible as the chemical itself doing the damage.

Ahhh yeah, that is a distinct possibility. I am trying a few kinds of chems on my cacti to see which will end up working and won't. If you could update the post in a while though that would be a great help too.

SnowFella,

I believe all you have done is taken off the natural "glaucous" substance that forms on the skin. If you take your finger and rub a section of the plant that has the blue/shimmer look you will find it will eventually come off and you will be left with green skin. I don't think you have caused any long lasting damage.

HN

IXOXI,

I have found Mamm Teresae is a spider mite magnet ! and will attract the buggers like nothing else. I have had constant issues with Teresae, Saboae and Leuthyi all attracting and being eaten by mites.

HN

Problem there though is that it's the green skin that's the healthy colour, the white/grey/blue is the damaged area.
Here's what it looked like the day I brought it home.

It does look like spider mite damage, but the one you took a pic of would appear to be a bit too big for a spider mite...they're very small to the point they look like a tiny orange spec, your can't make out legs or anything. The one you photographed is still likely a mite, but not the type damaging your plant... I think I've read that the bigger red/orange ones are actually good guys and can kill the real rsm...