Soil mites or spider mites?

I’ve looked through a bunch of these threads and I’ve seen a lot of people have the same issue as me… tiny white bugs.. but identifying them is an issue.. First off let me just say I’m 6 almost 7 weeks in and hadn’t seen anything until about a week ago when I transplanted 2 party cup seedlings into 1 gallon pots. First I saw one in the soil and one on the side of the pot but just squished em with my finger.. more recently I’ve seen them in my soil, on the side and rim of the pots and on lower leaves that touch the soil. And bizarrely on the bottom of my pots. I found one on a higher leaf one time but it was a leaf that was resting on the side of the pot.

I used to see them very very infrequently maybe only one time until I watered my plants a day or 2 ago and noticed 5-6 running out of the soil on the inside of the pots.. I got worried so I grabbed a 50-50 alcohol water mix and gave my pots a good shower all around then spray a VERY little amount in the soil and saw maybe 10 scurry out of the pot on the sides..

also have not found a SINGLE web around my plants or on the pots..

Does anyone have any idea what they could be?

I am attaching images with the thread so you can see what they look like. I would love to say they are just soil mites but I really don’t know. I’ve seen picture of spider mites and I just can’t decide.. I am attaching a picture of a larger one..I have seen them about half he size of the ones in the pictures

You can’t see mites with the naked eye
At least I can’t

Herb & Suds said:

You can’t see mites with the naked eye
At least I can’t

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Do you have any idea what they might be?

Pictures are fuzzy blown up. Possibly aphids.

hotrodharley said:

Pictures are fuzzy blown up. Possibly aphids.

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Yeah the were quite small… Maybe aphids tho I’ll do a little research. no damage to my plants at all though

hotrodharley said:

Pictures are fuzzy blown up. Possibly aphids.

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I’d say there more like spiders though when they crawl.. I feel like they look more like tiny clear oval ticks with either long fore legs or maybe antenna Idk

I'm gonna guess hypoaspis miles or similar, based on how they went running from the soil. Also in general, plant-eating bugs = slow, predatory/bug-eating bugs = fast.

weedstoner420 said:

I'm gonna guess hypoaspis miles or similar, based on how they went running from the soil. Also in general, plant-eating bugs = slow, predatory/bug-eating bugs = fast.

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Just did a little research.. it almost looks like a match to me.. I’m just kinda curious now how I could have gotten predatory mites in my soil naturally..? I transplanted into pots that were in the garage and soil that was in the garage.. maybe that has something to do with it?? Not sure though.. I asked a friend who has been growing for a couple years and he said spider mites and I was skeptical because they came out of the bottom holes of my pots.. (not natural spider mite behavior) and I have no damage to my plant and see ani webs at all but see plenty of bugs when I pick up the pots or squeeze them a little bit..

Fine$$eGod said:

Just did a little research.. it almost looks like a match to me.. I’m just kinda curious now how I could have gotten predatory mites in my soil naturally..? I transplanted into pots that were in the garage and soil that was in the garage.. maybe that has something to do with it?? Not sure though.. I asked a friend who has been growing for a couple years and he said spider mites and I was skeptical because they came out of the bottom holes of my pots.. (not natural spider mite behavior) and I have no damage to my plant and see ani webs at all but see plenty of bugs when I pick up the pots or squeeze them a little bit..

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They're beneficial predators. Leave them alone. The can come in soil or EWC.

Spider mites leave webs. And if you aren't seeing flying gnats? Pad is most likely correct.

Fine$$eGod said:

Just did a little research.. it almost looks like a match to me.. I’m just kinda curious now how I could have gotten predatory mites in my soil naturally..? I transplanted into pots that were in the garage and soil that was in the garage.. maybe that has something to do with it?? Not sure though.. I asked a friend who has been growing for a couple years and he said spider mites and I was skeptical because they came out of the bottom holes of my pots.. (not natural spider mite behavior) and I have no damage to my plant and see ani webs at all but see plenty of bugs when I pick up the pots or squeeze them a little bit..

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Spider mites know what they're doing, they're not gonna hang out in the dirt when there's a plant nearby to eat...