I had after school supervision duty this past week. While I was standing next to the rock wall of the stairway in front of the building, I noticed little red bugs on the rocks. They were super tiny. I’ve seen them before, and I always wonder what they are. I’m pretty sure they have eight legs, not six. That would make them mites? They seem to always be moving, except when you blow on them – then they all stop. I made myself lightheaded by blowing on them, then letting them walk, then blowing on them some more. It was fun.
I tried to find out from the internet what they are. Googling “red mites on rocks” doesn’t help, so I titled my post with those words, hoping that someday I could know the answer and add it here for future searchers. The closest thing I’ve come to is Neomolgus littoralis, but all the literature keeps saying they’re on beaches. I’ve seen these little red bugs on rocks all over the place.
It was hard to get a picture because they’re so tiny.
And zooming in on the picture:
TO ANYONE WHO COMES TO THIS POST FROM AN INTERNET SEARCH:
If you find out what these bugs are, could you please leave a comment and tell me? I’d be very grateful. Then if anyone else came along later, they would see the answer. Thanks.
Beats me – but they look like something from a B SciFi movie, something that would enter your body through any opening and wreak havoc once inside. I’d be wary…oh, what’s that on your pant leg?
Clover mites? If you search for red bug, 8 legs……Bradaptation is number one on the list!
Remind me to tell you my stink but story.
I’ve seen those, too. Back in the day when I used to read and lay out in the sun, they’d be crawling all over my book when it was on the patio. When you close your book on them, your book will be full of unnecessary red punctuation.
The teeny red mites are spider mites….and, if I remember correctly, they bite!
They’re called “red velvet mites” or Neomolgus littoralis. Apparently they attack and eat small flies.
I have them on the rock wall at my house. If you put anything down on it, it will get covered in these little red bugs, it’s gross. How do I get rid of them??
Hi Priscilla. I never tried to get rid of the bugs because they were at my workplace, not my home. When I’ve had red spider mites on my plants, using soapy water always killed them. I don’t know how often you’d need to spray your wall to keep them away though.