> Are their any bio-controls that work on spider mites, red or otherwise?
Yes - there is another mite called Phytoseiulus persimilis (hope I
spelled it correctly). They are available in the U.K. from the
various companies who sell such things. They are a bit bigger,
redder, and more active than red-spider mite. Maybe they would suit
a terrarium - I'm not yet convinced of the effectiveness of these or
other predators in a mixed greenhouse - they often seem to require
warmer conditions to thrive than their intended victims, or else they
disperse and are never seen again. I have heard of predators being
used successfully in monocultures of food crops, such as tomatoes or
capsicum peppers.
-- Clarke Brunt (clarke@brunt.demon.co.uk)