What Are Clover Mites
Adult clover mites live for about two weeks outdoors as long as weather conditions are suitable for their development.
What are clover mites. Clover mite eggs and nymphs can often be found in cracks in concrete between building walls under the loose bark of trees under shingles and in other protected areas. Clover mites are parthenogenetic which means that they develop from unfertilized eggs and their population is composed entirely of females. They have the potential to leave behind ugly stains on your drapes carpets rugs and other furniture if you smash them. If your dog or cat gets clover mites in their fur washing them thoroughly with soap and water should remove the infestation completely.
Clover mites are most often noticed when large numbers of them are seen together crawling. A generation lasts approximately one month. They are especially numerous in lawns with a heavy growth of succulent well fertilized grass. They vary in color from rusty brown to dark red.
Clover mites are a complete nuisance. For the best results purchase an insecticidal soap from a home improvement gardening supply or pet store. They do however invade in very large numbers and can get into curtains linens and furniture and can cause irritation in some people. They are extremely creepy to look at and have eight legs.
Like chigger mites clover mites are very tiny and reddish which is why people assume incorrectly that they suck blood. They are only 1 64th inch long soft oval and flattened from top to bottom. A distinguishing characteristic is the very long pair of front legs. Clover mites can become a nuisance in multi story buildings since they can live on rooftops and patios where mold or mildew provide sources of food.
Clover mites mechanical treatments. Clover mites are not blood feeders but feed on plants getting their nutrition from sucking plant juices from grasses clover and other plants common to lawns. Both mites are visible to the human eye but just barely. Remove clover mites from pets using soap and water.
They do not bite or pass diseases to humans. Clover mites are very tiny arachnids that live and reproduce outdoors but are frequently encountered as a household pest in early summer and in the fall when they migrate into dwellings by mistake. Clover mites are polyphagous feeding on a wide range of plants including lawn grasses ornamental flowers clover dandelion shepherd s purse strawberry daffodil salvia alyssum and primrose. Clover mites are considered to be a nuisance pest.
Clover mites feed by sucking nutrients out of lawn grasses clover dandelion ornamental flowers and other forms of vegetation. Clover mites however can be found indoors at certain times of the year. The most effective prevention is removing any grass and weeds up to 24 inches away from the foundation of the house.