Poly tunnel wiped out - any ideas?

Hi

This is happened in less than a week - everything in the poly is affected by it and I'm probably going to lose the lot - any ideas what it is? It's spread to toms, all types of peppers and aubergines. Nothing has escaped so it likes anything and everything.

I think it started on the gherkins? I got rid of those and sprayed everything with my bug spray mix (I don't use proprietary, just a mix of 1/3 soft soap, 1/3 veg oil and 1/3 water and bicarb). Obviously too late. Never had anything like this before and done no different this year.

If you can't make out on the pics it's basically tiny pin prick black dots on the leaves. they then curl and drop off quite quickly.

Thanks! G

Agree with NS - first time ever I've had to bin an indoor cayenne pepper plant whose leaves were totally destroyed, and yes, there were several small silk webs crawling with tiny yellowish spiders (they're not always red.)

They don't like high humidity, but once established you might have to consider a proprietary insecticide as a desperate emergency measure. 

Have you thought about sulphur bomb. Everything starts of fresh when I use it.

Hi, I tend to agree with the others as we have very definite red spider in the conservatory on a nectarine. But, as you are in a poly tunnel I wonder if it could be something else although can't suggest what, to be fair. Poly tunnels, well ours, gets very humid even with doors open, it's like a Turkish bath and red spiders avoid humidity as much as possible. I'd also be loathe to clear and leave said tunnel until the spring - clear out, fumigate, get the humidity really up and sow Chinese Cabbage, Pak Choi, December potatoes etc etc. Keep your eyes peeled too and spray with Neem Oil in water with a bit of Ecover or similar as soon as or before you see anything. What about cutting back some of the best peppers, potting them and taking outside. Bring them in when/if they survive and keep them through the winter? Can't waste a good poly tunnel for those expensive veg over the winter.