Question
I have a meyer lemon tree and an navel orange tree. I've noticed round tiny rust (in color) like insects. When I crush them with my finger it kindof looks like blood. I live in new york and had sprayed the trees with an insect spray called,HI-yield 55% Malathion spray, it did not help the insects are back. The problem is every thing I have read on line does not describe these bugs. Here and there I see them hanging from what looks like a web.--thanks sue

Answer
  This article will detail the spider mite.
You will learn a brief biology of this pest,
how and why it is a nuisance around the home
and how to control it.
  Spider mites are little red arachnids which
exist throughout the United States. They are
very small - smaller than a poppy seed.
Spider mites used to be strictly an outside pest.
They would infest cotton, corn and other food crops
causing enough damage to ruin the harvest.
Awareness and treatments for this pest has enabled
farmers to control populations, but the
spider mites have remained persistent. They
are now common around the home choosing to
live on any plant or shrub they can find.
Juniper, arborvitae, succulents and pine
trees are common hosts, but just about any
vegetation will do. In recent years, spider
mites have found their way inside. The increase
of plants in the home and the practice of
keeping some plants outside for the summer
and inside for the winter have allowed the
spider mite to become an indoor pest. They
do not commonly migrate inside but in fact
are being carried in by the homeowners and
horticulturists.
  Plants that have spider mite damage will
have the mites themselves, web like material
on the bottom sides of plant leaves, bronzing
of the plant stem and leaves where activity
is highest and in extreme cases, plant death.
Unlike other mites, spider mites can reproduce
quickly. Several cycles may be complete in
one season. If conditions are good, they may
go through all cycles in under a month. Their
cycle includes egg, nymph, two molts of the
nymph and then adult. Since they don't migrate
quickly, most populations will grow around
each other, slowly moving outward as their
population increases. The main part of their
nest is usually where damage is most prevalent.
Expect to find dead leaves and plant parts.
Upon closer observation, you will see the mites
feeding or slowly moving if you disturb
them.
  Spider mite control should be implemented
as soon as activity is diagnosed. This will
prevent further damage and help to  minimize
treatments. However, spider mite control will
almost always take several treatments. This
is because the spray will not kill eggs.
Consequently, eggs will be hatching following
your first treatment. To insure you kill all
activity, treat once a week for 3-6 treatments.
This schedule is necessary in the warmer months
when cycles develop quickly. If it is the
off season and development is slower, treat
2-4 times every two weeks. Don't waste your
time with standard materials like dursban or
diazinon. Like most arachnids, spider mites
are not too vulnerable to these active ingredients.
The best material for spider mite control is
called CYFLUTHRIN. This concentrate uses a synthetic
pyrethrin which has no odor and is very active on
mites. More importantly, it is very gentle
on treated plants. Use it to treat as many
plants that you believe may have activity.
Spider mite activity may be centralized,
but don't limit your coverage area to just
the active plants. The more you cover the
better protection you will get. Cyfluthrin can
be used inside for household plants which have
activity. If possible, take the plant
outside for treating purposes. You can bring
it inside once the spray has dried. Be sure
to inspect all plants in the home to catch
any activity before it is too late. In most
cases, treating plants around the infested
one is a good practice. Cyfluthrin is gentle
enough to use and getting the mite before
it causes damage is important.  If the spidermites
have moved off the plants and have been found
in the home, use Cyfluthrin to spray all
baseboards, moldings and any other location
activity has been found. This will insure
they will not be able to establish themselves
in the structure.
  If the mites are being found on an edible plant
or tree which will produce fruit or vegetables,
you will need to use something other then the
Cyfluthrin. There are several choices and you
must make your decision based on how each product
works. The safest product to use which only kills
nuisance insects when applied is INSECTICIDAL SOAP.
This material can be applied to any plant and though
it will kill insects when applied, it is important
to understand that it provides no residual. This
means you will have to use it over and over - sometimes
once every couple of days - to break the cycle of
most any spider mite infestation. The benefit of
Insecticidal Soap is the fact that it is so safe
to use presenting no hazard to anyone that might
be eating the produce or plant. If you want something
a little stronger, you should apply PERMETHRIN CONCENTRATE.
This product will last 7-14 days providing a mild
residual so that there is something left behind to
kill off rogue mites which are missed with the
first spraying. It is both odorless and very effective
on just about any pest and is probably the single
most used insecticide on vegetable and fruit plants
in the world.