Impossible to be sure without seeing them, Alice, but from what you've described my first guess would be red spider mites--and, yes, they DO squish red! They're fairly common in Illinois--far less so out here as far as I know, and I've been lucky enough to never get them on anything out here---I just get the plain old "average" non-red mites!

If you have a very strong magnifying glass--or, better yet, a "loop," check them out to see what you can see. (But, just a warning, if you do have a loop what you're gonna see will be downright creepy!) If they are mites, I'd use just plain old Palmolive (green) dishwashing soap in water. Have never used neem oil on anything, spraying any kind of oil on plant foliage just scares me! If you're gonna keep using the stuff with the neem oil in it, be absolutely sure there's no sun at all shining on them when you do it--and at least until they're totally dry. Hard to tell how spraying small seedlings with ANYTHING will work, I'd say it depends on just how small they are. If they have at least a couple true leaves by now you'll probably be ok. Even with just soap water I'd keep them totally out of the sun until they're completely dry. And if it is mites that you have, you'll probably need to keep "treating" them a couple times a week for a while to get rid of ALL of them.

Carefully check anything that was near them. Mites seem to "prefer" just about ANYTHING that gets close enough for them to get onto!

Good Luck,
Skybird

Here is a link that might be useful: Red spider mites!

I second Skybird--if they're squishing red, they're probably red spider mites, but I disagree with their rarity--I've had them in every yard I've ever had in Colorado. They don't seem to do much damage to the full-grown plants that I have (and I've never been overrun by the little buggers, but there is one corner in my yard where I can always find some in the summertime), but I'm not sure about babies.

On a side note, they are kinda fun to squish, and it's kind of a game in our yard! If I could collect a bunch of them, I might make a painting... I may have to see about checking them out under magnification--they move quick when they want to!

Wow, Mayberry! That's the first time I've ever heard from somebody who had them out here! I had no idea! Have to admit, tho, when I was a kid in Illinois I always thought it was kinda fun to squish them too--and make a Red Spot! :-)

I don't remember from my "Illinois Days" how much damage they do! If you get a bad infestation, do they not destroy the plants the same way regular spider mites do? Regular mites can decimate even big plants if they get bad enough!

Expect a definite Creep Out Factor if you magnify them "enough!" When I was at the place before Paulino's we had a bunch of daylilies with (regular) mites one time and I was cleaning them up. I took my loop along so I could see just what this microscope thing was that was doing so much damage! C-R-E-E-E-P-Y! They really DO look just like spiders (and I'm an arachnophobe!), and they were ALL over EVERYTHING! Up and down their tiny webs, and all over the foliage---and all over ME! Tried to ignore what I had seen, but had trouble staying till the end of the day that day! And when I got home my clothes--ALL my clothes--went straight in the washer, and I went straight in the shower--and washed, and washed, and washed! Took me a few days to get over the creepiness of it! Never looked at red mites that closely--and not sure I'd want to even if I had them, based on my reactions when I looked at the regular mites! So be forewarned if you decide to do a good looky-see!

Skybird

Thanks so much for your quick replies. I definitely think that's what I have after googling my fingers off this afternoon instead of working! (sshhh..don't tell my clients) These buggers are so tiny - more like pin pricks than pin heads. Mayberry - I will gladly bottle em up for you! I got totally paranoid when I later saw some of them on the ws candytufts and scabiosas. So I sprayed the seedlings and everything else close to it until the sprayer broke! (it was an el cheapo one, not that I was violent with it ) although I sounded like a sailor and if any neighbours saw me they probably think I'd gone off the deep end with my milk jugs outside in the crazy howling wind. I have a magnifying glass some where still in a box ( haven't completely unpacked yet ) but I tried peering as close as possible and they have legs like spiders so I am pretty sure that's what they are. I've never seen them before and never had them before - not even on my houseplants. About half of the liatris is already starting to sprout it's second set of leaves and the other half only have the cotyledons on so shall see if the neem and soap will affect them otherwise what do I have to lose. The little buggers are going to have a smorgasboard of all the ws plants anyways. I am going to check others and start separating then away from each other to other corners of the yard. The neem soap mixture seems to halt them. Not sure if they are dead due to the mix or just drowned in it.

So I checked this morning and didn't see any signs of them including the liatris jug which I sprayed to kingdom come yesterday and actually switched to a new jug. The specs I see aren't moving so I can't tell for sure if it's them dead or just specs of dust. ( buggers are that tiny ) Maybe it's a little cool out this morning? 50s so I'll check later this afternoon when the sun is out. My DH laughed at me this am because I was tossing and turning all night last night. Good thing he's a sound sleeper. Anyways it's officially mite combat all the way! *Sigh* I was hoping to bring a bunch of ws seedlings since they are doing really well so far to the swap but I think it's best not to in case there is a hitch hiker and I won't be able to live with myself knowing that I totally brought on the demise of all RMG gardens swarming with spider mites. I hope we get a huge thunderstorm today and blow those buggers off.

Well...it's hot out and I don't see anymore of these buggers. DH finally got the sprinkler's fixed yesterday and we ran it this morning and I was hosing the back patio yesterday ( more like a small slab of concerete now ) and sprayed the concrete and the outside of the jugs with more neem mix. It does look like that killed a ton of them. I see nothing moving, just them dead bodies! nothing moving on sprout leaves so I really hope I've at least gotten it under control.

I have several recently rooted buddleia cuttings that were infested with these mites, and I used the same Safer insecticide soap spray I've used several times on these same plants before, same dilution, same bottle.

Except this time, all the leaves fell off.

David - the neem oil seemed to have worked and it looked appears that death descended on them upon spray contact. It's been about 3 days and my seedlings look ok. However I did wait several hours and sprayed them with water hoping to dilute it so that could have helped? So far this morning I don't see any signs of the mites so I am hoping and crossing my fingers although I am onto battle aphids next!