Peter, HELP! We have red spider mites everywhere! We have a stone patio with walls and pillars the length of the back of the house (faces SE direction). The tiny red mites have spread to the siding of the house and over the patio furniture, and are even crawling on the patio door frame. They try to come into the living area if we leave the patio door open with the screen for fresh air and breeze. What do you recommend we use to get rid of these annoying insescts?
The good news is that this will be a temporary situation. It sounds to me like you have clover mites invading the area probably coming from the lawn. They enjoy all the dampness and it sounds like you have a population explosion this year. You can get Bonide Eight in the disposable hose end sprayer to spray the stone patio but make sure to test it on a small area of paint before spraying large painted surfaces to make sure it won’t damage the paint. If they get inside you’ll want to vacuum them up since they can stain is squashed. They will subside within a week or so even if you don’t spray. This may happen every few years or so. Here’s a link to more information. http://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/resources/clovermites312.shtml