Clover Mites are a very tiny grass feeding insect that are most frequently seen during the spring season. While typically Clover Mites stay outside of your home, they can invade your home in certain circumstances such as after a heavy rain or a change in the season.
How do I identify Clover Mites? Clover mites are very tiny and therefor hard to see, but here are some tips for identifying Clover Mites.
- Clover Mites are very tiny, to the naked eye can appear as tiny dark spots crawling around walls, windows, and doors.
- They are reddish brown, while the younger ones are bright red.
- They have 8 legs, but the front two are close to double the length of the others.
- Their bodies have an oval shape to them.
How do I avoid getting Clover Mites? Since grass and weeds that grow next to foundations provide favorable conditions for clover mite development, clearing them can help prevent Clover Mites in the future. There are certain types of plants and flowers that repel Clover Mites and these are beneficial since they do not provide the mites with a food source.
Mite repelling flowers include: geranium, rose, zinnia, marigold, chrysanthemum, petunia, and salvia.
Mite Repelling shrubs include: barberry, juniper, spruce, yew, and arborvitae
