What happened to all the tiny red spiders?

[BarkandCheese]

Okay, having just looked them up they’re not actually spiders and are called clover mites, I thought I’d get that in before someone corrects me.

I’m sitting out on my patio looking at the three foot high retaining wall around my lawn, there are plenty of black ants and other assorted critters busying themselves doing whatever insects do, but not a single tiny red spider. I’ve realised I haven’t consciously noticed one for years, but when I was a child (70s and 80s) they were everywhere, especially on walls in gardens. They were one of those background things of playing out in the garden, like snails and ants and daisies and dandelions, but they seem to have disappeared.

Is the disappearance of the tiny red spiders one of the great mysteries of our time? Or has lockdown cabin fever set in?

I enjoy national flying ant day, but that won’t happen for 2-3 months yet.

They are extinct from kids squishing them and pretending they're bleeding

I saw three crawling on the outside ledge of my window last year, it was like a flashback to my childhood of slapping brick walls and pretending I needed a bunny plaster

Loofar I'm sorry!!

Blimey. The memory of those wee creatures has taken me right back to primary school in the 70s.

We called them money spiders in Scotland. Maybe because they were a coppery red colour like coins.

We called them concrete spiders - we still get them on our breeze blocks, but it need to be really warm for a prolonged period - so July/August when we see them.

Money spiders are different aren't they?? Money spiders are just wee tiny spiders, bloodsuckers are even wee-er bugs

Red mite are still living happily as any chicken keepers would tell you. But I agree in the, 80/90s they were everywhere.

I remember them too, 1980s childhood

I haven’t seen them since I was about 10. We used to call them bloodsuckers too 😊

DC saw them today. I haven't seen them for years... Perhaps my eyesight has got worse!

I’d forgotten all about them

I haven't seen those since 1979, same as white dog poo and tab cola.

I'd forgotten about them too. They used to be all over brick garden walls in my childhood (late 80s/early 90s).

I'm going to keep an eye out this year.

Seem to have played a big part of my 80s childhood! We used to lick our fingers and draw saliva circles around them which they wouldn't cross.

Omg i haven't seen any either in years!!!

I currently have loads of these on my patio!

Plenty here this last week or so

The are all in my garden, disporting themselves on my patio furniture.

We've had loads this year too.