The mites most likely are not spider mites, but erythraeid mites of the subfamily Balaustiinae, species of the genus Balustium. Common names include sidewalk or concrete mites. Very common this time of year and species are pollen feeders. An old reference in the 1960s noted that some children had been bitten (tasted) in a hospital children's ward. Just a mistake on the mite's part crawling outdoors and up through the windows.
Louis N. Sorkin, B.C.E. (Retired) Entomologist, Arachnologist, Myriapodologist Insect Cuisine & Entomophagy Research [cid:90149da6-83c2-4fec-9b4b-55a4c2f01ebb] Visiting Scientist | Division of Invertebrate Zoology | American Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th Street | New York, New York 10024-5192 sor...@amnh.org<mailto:sor...@amnh.org> 212-769-5613 voice | 212-769-5277 fax | 917-953-0094 pager-voicemail-text https://www.messagemanager.americanmessaging.net/SendMessageFree.aspx https://www.amnh.org/research/invertebrate-zoology/staff/collections-staff/louis-n.-sorkin https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Louis_Sorkin [cid:40b6f240-f309-4fac-921c-329e19bb67f2] The New York Entomological Society, Inc. Treasurer & Monthly Meeting Organizer www.nyentsoc.org<http://www.nyentsoc.org/> n...@amnh.org<mailto:n...@amnh.org> [cid:20477b2a-b30f-4f77-9632-b57fc86b152c] ________________________________ From: pestlist@googlegroups.com <pestlist@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Helen Coxon <hel...@rom.on.ca> Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2021 9:12 AM To: pestlist@googlegroups.com <pestlist@googlegroups.com> Subject: [PestList] RE: red spider mites EXTERNAL SENDER They are probably coming in from outside - we have the same problem every year. They manage to find small holes around the windows, I think. Lasts about three weeks and then they are gone until the next year. We are a somewhat further north than you, and we don’t expect to see them until June. Just be careful not to squish them on anything you care about – they leave a wonderful red stain! Best, Helen Helen Coxon Senior Conservator, Preventive Conservation Royal Ontario Museum 416-586-5897 From: 'Oliver, Margaret' via MuseumPests <pestlist@googlegroups.com> Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2021 8:50 AM To: Museumpests <pestlist@googlegroups.com> Subject: [PestList] red spider mites [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Hi everyone, It's spring and for the first time I'm noticing a marked increase in red spider mites around the office spaces. I have not noticed any inside our herbarium collection space, which is well temperature and humidity controlled, but I'm wondering how concerned I need to be. We don't keep live plants anywhere in the building and from what I've read online that's their typical food source. I'm hoping as it warms up to summer temps that I'll see fewer of them. What are folks thoughts on this? Thanks! Margaret Oliver, M.S. Herbarium Collections Manager (she / her) The University of Tennessee, Knoxville University of Tennessee Herbarium (TENN) 114 Temple Hall 1818 Andy Holt Ave. Knoxville, TN 37996-2800 moliv...@utk.edu<mailto:moliv...@utk.edu> 865-974-6213 http://herbarium.utk.edu<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fherbarium.utk.edu%2F&data=04%7C01%7Csorkin%40amnh.org%7Cc7af7ef320cb43a7792d08d903fe0306%7Cbe0003e8c6b9496883aeb34586974b76%7C0%7C1%7C637545211782642300%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=zGpjP%2BgQC44mX5jWShxImg7RlFF9yOJbOjfS0%2BXMTpM%3D&reserved=0> Facebook<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FUTKHerbarium%2F&data=04%7C01%7Csorkin%40amnh.org%7Cc7af7ef320cb43a7792d08d903fe0306%7Cbe0003e8c6b9496883aeb34586974b76%7C0%7C1%7C637545211782647278%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=tAzyWRz9%2FzPwJoH8h%2BEj8kLlrqfxoEPwXT%2FdH8bZQyY%3D&reserved=0> | Instagram<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Futkherbarium%2F&data=04%7C01%7Csorkin%40amnh.org%7Cc7af7ef320cb43a7792d08d903fe0306%7Cbe0003e8c6b9496883aeb34586974b76%7C0%7C1%7C637545211782652255%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=CA0sWvO1BPbghE3hkPAmzG%2BpDH4k3noMK4TlHWfN5DQ%3D&reserved=0> | Twitter<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FUTKHerbarium&data=04%7C01%7Csorkin%40amnh.org%7Cc7af7ef320cb43a7792d08d903fe0306%7Cbe0003e8c6b9496883aeb34586974b76%7C0%7C1%7C637545211782657236%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=A67oXFcUcMcYkNbuoNhFB9a0VUDWSzQgihmXvaz0QDI%3D&reserved=0> Big Orange. Big Ideas. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MuseumPests" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to pestlist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<mailto:pestlist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com>. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pestlist/BL0PR02MB491687D91C91E04DBAD1DCAED7489%40BL0PR02MB4916.namprd02.prod.outlook.com<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgroups.google.com%2Fd%2Fmsgid%2Fpestlist%2FBL0PR02MB491687D91C91E04DBAD1DCAED7489%2540BL0PR02MB4916.namprd02.prod.outlook.com%3Futm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dfooter&data=04%7C01%7Csorkin%40amnh.org%7Cc7af7ef320cb43a7792d08d903fe0306%7Cbe0003e8c6b9496883aeb34586974b76%7C0%7C1%7C637545211782662213%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=fm017%2F5i97k4g1rcAQ2YxEZABPdlQTR1RgJD8F1CHC0%3D&reserved=0>. Following guidance of the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health, the ROM is temporarily closed to the public. Visit www.rom.on.ca<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rom.on.ca%2F&data=04%7C01%7Csorkin%40amnh.org%7Cc7af7ef320cb43a7792d08d903fe0306%7Cbe0003e8c6b9496883aeb34586974b76%7C0%7C1%7C637545211782667193%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=d3sLHvd%2B7F4dLHEgBozMNSu3WnigosyAY0XoUPBT7ys%3D&reserved=0> for further updates. ________________________________ Suivant les conseils du médecin hygiéniste en chef de l’Ontario, le ROM est temporairement fermé au public. Des mises à jour seront publiées à www.rom.on.ca/fr<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rom.on.ca%2Ffr&data=04%7C01%7Csorkin%40amnh.org%7Cc7af7ef320cb43a7792d08d903fe0306%7Cbe0003e8c6b9496883aeb34586974b76%7C0%7C1%7C637545211782672169%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=Zfvx0HRA3TvDbPt355LQ2pITEjUSW3a6cUyA9kw4oO8%3D&reserved=0> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MuseumPests" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to pestlist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<mailto:pestlist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com>. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pestlist/YT1PR01MB2745F8BDC8E8BF5EC83ABA4F80489%40YT1PR01MB2745.CANPRD01.PROD.OUTLOOK.COM<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgroups.google.com%2Fd%2Fmsgid%2Fpestlist%2FYT1PR01MB2745F8BDC8E8BF5EC83ABA4F80489%2540YT1PR01MB2745.CANPRD01.PROD.OUTLOOK.COM%3Futm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dfooter&data=04%7C01%7Csorkin%40amnh.org%7Cc7af7ef320cb43a7792d08d903fe0306%7Cbe0003e8c6b9496883aeb34586974b76%7C0%7C1%7C637545211782677146%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=RlV8opIyfqQbkNlOOVoatBQwVlzuHxpyuNO1JdMsHqg%3D&reserved=0>. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MuseumPests" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to pestlist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pestlist/MN2PR14MB4221757FF577364A0851AEC6A6489%40MN2PR14MB4221.namprd14.prod.outlook.com.
