They do look like spider mites. If they are about the only readily available insecticide that works on them is Pyrethrin. They eat the Sevin for dessert after they pig out on your plants. Malathion is somewhat effective, but you don't want to use it when pods are forming.

Red spider mite I believe. The link below describes spider mites in general. Note that it mentions spraying insecticides to get control may aggravate the problem because you can kill off the beneficial insects that prey on them (and bad guys always come back first!). They thrive in hot dry environments, so cultural controls would include creating a humid environment and periodically spraying off foliage. Here is a link that might be useful: Colorodo State Extension-Spider Mite Fact Sheet

It's worth mentioning that aphids are often found without any ants hanging around. Spider mites, gill, are sooooo teeny teeny that they can be difficult to see. Are your critters that small, or a bit larger than that? I'm really thinking that you have aphids, just as sparrowhawk suggests. Do a quick google of aphids and tell us what you think.

Ezzirah, If they are the size of the point of a needle or the point of a straight pin (or, say, the size of a 'period' here on this page), then I'd say Red Spider Mites, which are normally seen more often in the summer....but maybe this year's heat has brought them out early? If they are the size of the head of a pin, then I'd say red aphids. I've linked a photo of red aphids. Do they look like that? In either case, usually taking your water hose and hitting them with a strong stream of water will knock them off the plants and encourage them to go elsewhere. If it is aphids, they often make a big appearance in early spring and then, if you are patient, lady bugs come along a week or two later and gobble them up. (Watch for the lady bug larvae---they are very helpful and gobble up tons of pest insects, but they don't look like ladybugs. They are gray and orange and look like tiny alligators.) If you don't have naturally-occurring lady bugs, you can buy a bag or small carton of them at some nurseries or garden centers. They are the best pest control solution in the world. Since your pests are laying eggs, you need to get rid of those eggs or you'll have more pests. You can scrape them off the plant with a fingernail and drop them into a cup of soapy water and them dump the whole thing down the sink. You could spray the plants with Neem Oil, but I normally just wait for the lady bugs to show up. They always show up about a day after I've finally decided they aren't going to show up after all. If they don't look like aphids, they probably are red spider mites and we can talk about them if you decide that's what you have. Aphids don't really bother me. If you have plants at all, there's a chance aphids will show up in early spring. Normally, as long as your plants are not overfed nitrogen, they are a minor problem and lady bugs will take care of them. They can carry and transmit plant diseases though. The worst thing you can do is run out and buy a chemical pesticide to treat them because that will also kill off the beneficial insects who normally keep pest insects under control. One thing to know about beneficial insects is that they do not show up until the pest insect reaches a high enough level to feed them. So, when you have enough aphids, for example, the Mama Ladybug believes there's enough food to sustain her young, she'll show up, lay eggs, and in a few days you'll have a whole platoon of aphid-eating lady bug larvae.) The people I know who always have the worst and most persistent pest problems are those who quickly grab a chemical and spray, so be patient and let Mother Nature send you some lady bugs to control the little pest bugs. Please note that the aphids in the linked photo are not life-sized. In real life, they are smaller...about the size of the head of a pin. Dawn Here is a link that might be useful:...