Tiny Red "Blood Mites"??

[Ian King]

A couple of weeks ago during the hot weather here in the UK, I saw somethings I havent seen since I was a child.

On my driveway I noticed a colum of ants, as I was watching them I also noticed these tiny red insect/mite things, the more I looked the more I noticed, there were hundreds of them.

They were bright red, more than a 5th smaller than the ants, I think only one body part and the reason I call them blood mites is because when I was young, when you squished them there would be a rather large red splat.

Ive tried searching for red/blood, insects/mites etc. with no luck.

Thanks

:-)

[Chillum]

These could be the same things that were asked about a couple of weeks ago. If I remember correctly some bright ABer said they were "velvet mites".

[Romeo]

These are red velvet mites and are often seen on concrete paths and walls. They feed on insect eggs or even the blood of adult insects. Harmless to humans, but can cause disease in cage birds.

[gasper]

I have known them as red spider mites, my son is refitting a battery farm, there are some little red mites in the grain that when they settle on you suddenly turn dark as it sucks your blood! eeuhrgh!!!