tiny red spider things

[OliveOil]

I lifted up the fleece on my peas the other day and there were lots of tiny bright red spider/tick things on the soil - they didnt seem to bother the peas but they were running around on the soil.

What are they? Friend or foe?

[OliveOil]

[Palustris]

They are exactly what you say they are, tiny red spiders. If you can see the individuals then they are not Red spider mite (which is not a spider and is not red!). They must have enjoyed the protection to hatch out. They are friends in that they eat all sorts of insects.

[Robert_Brenchley]

those are mites (closely related to spiders), but carnivorous ones, so leave them be. You never know what they're exterminating for you.

[OliveOil]

Well they are still around - just on one section of my peas - I've taken the fleece off now so maybe they will go away. Dont seem to be eating the peas anyway thank goodness.

[debjay]

do these spider things bite ? ::)
anybody know where they originate? :-\

[Palustris]

They are just tiny red spiders. they have not the strength to bite a human and they are all over the environment, but you do not see them normally because they are in small numbers except when they first hatch or when there is a nice place to live, like under the fleece.