Clover Mites: Elimination, Description of Clover Mite Infestations

The Clover Mite is an arachnid that invades homes in the spring and fall of the year. Many of our clients contact us, asking about very tiny bugs seen crawling on their walls around windows and doors of their homes. When mashed, the dead mite leaves a red mark that resembles blood. This red mark leaves most people to believe that they are dealing with a tick or other blood-feeding bug, which is not the case.
Clover mites feed on juices from plants, not the blood of animals or humans.
This mite has a habit (in their natural surroundings) of migrating to trees where they hide in the tree's bark. If close to a home, the arachnid considers the building the same as it would a tree - a wonderful place to hide from extreme temperatures. Entering through tiny openings around windows and doors, the clover mite invades the wall voids of the structure and then enter the house itself.
There are mechanical (non-chemical) methods for preventing these invasions but most people are not willing to totally rid the perimeter of their homes of turf grasses and ornamental shrubs that enhance the beauty of their homes. Most people also neglect the watering needs of their lawns in the cooler seasons of the year, which attributes to larger populations of clover mites.

Elimination of Clover Mite Infestations

Treating the interior and exterior of homes with a good clover mite spray will not only kill existing mites but will also greatly reduce the numbers of future mites in the home. Spraying with Talstar Concentrate indoors and on the exterior surfaces of the home as well as vegetation around the home is recommended. If you have large numbers of clover mites crawling on the walls of your home, you can kill them with a Pyrethrin aerosol spray.
For more information on how to treat for clover mites, go to the
Clover Mite Spray information page.