Fig Tree issue? (spiders, lawns, palms, grass)

[Rickcin]

We have a very small brown fig tree in a pot that we purchased last year on line and it does yield a bunch of figs.

I just watered the plant and I’m noticing ultra tiny red bugs/ants on top of soil.

What should I be doing about this?

[Isleofpalms85]

Originally Posted by Rickcin

We have a very small brown fig tree in a pot that we purchased last year on line and it does yield a bunch of figs.

I just watered the plant and I’m noticing ultra tiny red bugs/ants on top of soil.

What should I be doing about this?

It’s probably sprouting from the root system; I’ve noticed here In Fort Worth Texas many fig trees down here were killed to the ground by that arctic outbreak in February, perhaps something similar is happening in your neck of the woods, if I were you I would take a wait and see approach as it is still early in the season at least for fig trees

[Rickcin]

Originally Posted by Isleofpalms85

It’s probably sprouting from the root system; I’ve noticed here In Fort Worth Texas many fig trees down here were killed to the ground by that arctic outbreak in February, perhaps something similar is happening in your neck of the woods, if I were you I would take a wait and see approach as it is still early in the season at least for fig trees

I can’t even photograph these critters since they are microscopic and don’t want to wait until they kill the plant❗️

[Zoisite]

Mites. Are they scurrying about busily on top of the soil? If they are scurrying those are most likely red clover mites if they're on the soil - not to be confused with red spider mites which attack plants, although clover mites are also a type of arachnid too. Clover mites are a brilliant scarlet red, they mostly feed on clover, grassy lawns and weeds and tend to appear by the thousands in the spring and fall months. Really heavy infestations can get into your house and congregate on window sills or warmy, sunny corners.

If they are clover mites that you have they won't attack or harm the fig plant unless there are thousands of them. But I would still recommend that the fig be re-potted in fresh new sterile potting soil in a washed and disinfected container and spray the whole plant everywhere with some soapy water. The soap won't hurt the plant and you can rinse the soapy residue off later.

On the chance that they actually may be the far more harmful red spider mites instead of clover mites, use a magnifying glass and look at the branches and the undersides and tops of the leaves and at the joints where the stems of the leaves come out of the branches to see if there are red mites visible anywhere on the plant. Look for very thin strands of spider silk or webbing with mites moving around on the webbing, and look at the leaves (top and undersides) to see if there is what appears to be dust that is moving over the surface, or if there are tiny little white or beige specks that look like scabby freckles on the leaves where they have been punctured and had plant juices sucked out of them, or leaves that may be drying up and shriveling or turning brown. If you are seeing signs of any of those then they are red spider mites.

If you have red spider mites the same suggestion applies to remove the plant from the container, hose it down well outside and re-pot it in all new soil in a new pot, then spray it with soapy water - thoroughly drench all parts of the plant until it is dripping copiously into the soil as well. You may need to spray the plant more than once over the course of the next month.

Or you may prefer to use a miticide that you can get at a garden supplies store, and follow the instructions that come with the miticide product. Or if you have heavy infestation that has gotten into your house you may want to consult with a pest management consultant.

Here is a bit more information about red clover mites vs. red spider mites: https://burgerfarms.com/gardening-ti...spider%20mites.

.