This article discusses the dangers of red spider mite bites on humans.
Whatever pest issue you’re dealing with, one thing is paramount; your safety. Now, a lot of pests are known to cause all sorts of pains. These range from bites, stings, and the likes.
Asides from these, there’s also the risk of diseases spreading.
If you’re a gardener, you’ve probably encountered or had a red spider mite problem. These plant-feeding mites cause significant damage to crops.
Their feeding activity needs to be curtained to safeguard your plants.
Homeowners with infested indoor plants might be uncertain about the level of risk posed by these pests.
About Red Spider Mites
To better understand what you’re dealing with, red spider mites are basically parasitic arachnids that are tiny and cause havoc to both indoor and outdoor plants.
True to their name, these mites are red in color. If you can’t seem to figure out the color, you might want to knock off some of these into a piece of paper for closer assessment.
Like other spider mite species, red spider mites feed on plant sap.
These are so tiny that they’re sometimes difficult to find under plant leaves. Similar to spiders, red spider mites weave webs on plant foliage.
Of course, an increasing red spider mite population will signal worsening infestation and damage.
Harmful to Plants but Harmless to Humans
Red spider mites are clearly harmful or deadly to plants in the sense that they suck vital plant juices that eventually cause the death of such plants.
While this is true for plants, these pests are practically harmless to humans. This is better understood by the fact that red spider mites are exclusively herbivorous pests.
With the perceived threat to humans debunked, what remains is to find out ways to curtail their presence in your garden or indoor plants.
When eliminating spider mites, there’s no need to fear personal harm as you’re safe from bites or the spread of diseases.
Are Red Spider Mites Harmful to Animals?
A lot of people also fear for the safety of their pets.
Having discovered that red spider mites pose no danger to humans, the next question most people ask is whether these pests are harmful to animals.
No harm is caused to your animals or pets when they come in contact with these mites.
Pets will readily run through your garden, thus shuffling infested plant leaves as they move. This action exposes them to red spider mites which could fall on their body.
As such, it becomes necessary to ask whether any form of harm is posed not only to humans but also to animals.
Remember we said red spider mites are herbivorous.
As such, they pose no danger to anything outside of plants, including your pets. You can safely say that the trouble with red spider mites ends with plants and nothing more.
Why are Red Spider Mites thought to be Harmful to Humans?
In discussing the effects of red spider mites on humans, it’s necessary to trace the possible reasons why these plant pests were considered harmful.
While there are no clear-cut reasons as to why these mites are erroneously considered dangerous to humans, there’s a possible explanation for that.
Their red body coloration could be one reason why.
The color red is mentally associated with blood. Now, these pests being parasitic to plants can easily make people draw up conclusions about their potential to cause human harm.
This could be a possible explanation even when it’s clear they aren’t harmful to humans.
Do they live on Humans?
Without a shadow of a doubt, red spider mites will cause no harm to humans. However, a valid question arises that borders on the possibility of these arachnids living on humans.
First off, you’ll need to consider the fact that a perceived pest needs to be close to a suitable host.
Since such pests live off of the host or target, then there’ll be no reason to stay away unless they need to move to a newer host. Now, humans aren’t suitable hosts for spider mites, as such are unsuitable to these pests.
However, there are times when red spider mites will want to move to other plants.
Under such circumstances, they can cling to your clothes, carpets, and get transferred to other plants. In terms of whether they live on humans, red spider mites do not.
This will be a relief for many who consider these pests to be creepy.
Skin Irritations might emerge from Contact
In rare situations, contact with red spider mites might lead to skin irritations. One thing is sure; you will never feel any bites from these creatures. So, what causes such skin irritations?
The only possible explanation is that a bite might have happened.
That’s only a possibility and not definite proof that you’ve been bitten by a red spider mite. There’s no incentive in biting you because there is no sap to suck.
These are only references to extremely rare cases that are unlikely to occur. It’s best to use a glove when gardening or working on plants.
You Still Need to Get Rid of Red Spider Mites
Even when these parasitic arachnids pose no danger to humans, they still need to be gotten rid of. A variety of treatments are used for such including showering your plants frequently, and the use of diatomaceous earth.
Other remedies include neem oil, rosemary oil, soap spray, and rubbing alcohol.
Any, or a combination of these remedies does a lot to kill and repel red spider mites. Your plant is kept safe with no molting of leaves resulting from this pest activity.
Both indoor and outdoor plants can be infested with spider mites. So, treatment will be required for all types.
You can never be too careful
Even though red spider mites cause no harm to humans and animals, it’s important to still take precautionary measures on how close you get.
This is because you could spread such pest problems to other plants.
Red spider mites are not harmful to humans. However, that isn’t enough reason to keep them around because your plants are still exposed to them.
It’s best to have these treated with the assurance that your safety isn’t in any way in jeopardy.
Here are some chemicals that work for red spider mite control.