Author Topic: Swarming soil mites?  (Read 3537 times)

Hector

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,868
Swarming soil mites?
« on: May 30, 2016, 15:35:19 »
My teenage daughters had a mild trauma today when hand weeding. There's are thousands of tiny brownish swarming mites all over the raised bed compost/ soil mix. I take it they are friends not foe....even if they climb up shorts!
Jackie

johhnyco15

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 2,277
  • clacton-on-sea
Re: Swarming soil mites?
« Reply #1 on: May 30, 2016, 20:05:32 »
hand weeded 1 row of parsnips and 2rows of carrots today i know i have to do it but it really is a tedious task :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :BangHead: :BangHead:
johhnyc015  may the plot be with you

galina

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 5,456
  • Johanniskirchen
Re: Swarming soil mites?
« Reply #2 on: May 31, 2016, 11:52:14 »
Hector, no such mites here, just as well  :BangHead: :sunny:

4 weeks ago I was bitten by tiny flies.  The bite did not hurt at all, just a tiny speck of blood on my legs.  I ignored it and in the end had about 20 bites on both lower legs.  Later my legs swelled dramatically, turned very hot and red.  I nearly went to A and E with it, but after a few days antihistamin cream took its effect.  Now all fine, although still visible.

We looked the beasty up and it was a sandfly that did it.  Apparently they have spread from the South and East Anglia and are certainly now in the Southern East Midlands as well.  Horrible things.   :BangHead:
« Last Edit: May 31, 2016, 11:58:33 by galina »

Hector

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,868
Re: Swarming soil mites?
« Reply #3 on: May 31, 2016, 12:22:23 »
Ooh, that sounds very unpleasant, Galina :( Glad it's improving.

I have never seen anything like these wee things in those numbers before. They are absolutely everywhere in the beds. When I water it's alive as they scramble around.

I suspect they live on either wee things in the soul or decaying matter....no bites on the weeding-daughters.

They are usually quite blasé about wildlife but youngest a bit more reactive after having to remove several ticks after a Scotland hiking trip.

Johnny....weeding is one of those things........try it with mites crawling up your shorts....makes you faster ;)

« Last Edit: May 31, 2016, 12:24:03 by Hector »
Jackie

 

anything
SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal