Clover mites are the ultimate home invaders, coming in by the thousands.
This spring, you will likely see clover mites all across Virginia. In the Richmond area, these little bugs will be descending on homes and structures in large numbers. Here's what you should know.
Even bugs this small can be a big nuisance!
To learn more about clover mites, check out our pest library.
What Do Mites Look Like?
Clover mites are very small, the largest adults measuring slightly less than 1mm long. Clover mites can be reddish or greenish in color. You won't really be able to see this with your naked eye, but they do have one pair of longer legs on the front and feathery scales on their abdomen. In fact, you'll probably just recognize them as tiny red bugs - almost more like little moving dots.
Clover mites are closely related to ticks and spiders, but they will not attack or bite you and cannot give you harmful diseases. These pests are also pretty fast, like many of their relatives. Be careful when you smash one of these little guys, though, because they can leave a stain!
Where Do Mites Like to Live?
Mites are plant feeders, so they like to be in locations with access to vegetation. In general, these pests will infest the exterior of your home, but can also enter the interior in large numbers. You will often find them on windowsills, railings, and exterior sunny walls. They lay eggs in cracks in sidewalks, between the walls of buildings, and in crevices in structures. When the eggs hatch in early spring and in the fall, these infestations can become a huge nuisance.
Interestingly, mites will engage in a type of hibernation through the warm summer weather, called aestivation, so the populations are greatest in the spring and fall. In the greater Richmond area, the time of greatest infestations begin as soon as the temperatures rise about freezing, which means they start as early as mid-January with small spells of warm weather and continue to increase throughout the Spring, peaking in April.
How Do I Get Rid of Mites?
Mites are difficult to eradicate. Because of the large numbers of mites inside a typical infestation, as well as the fact that they are so small, they can get through the smallest of entry points around your home.
As with many other pests, it will help to keep vegetation away from the foundation of your property. DIY methods are rarely effective. Fortunately, though, exterior professional strength pesticide is often enough to eliminate the need for any interior applications.
Call us today for safe and effective treatment!
To learn more about local Virginia pests, check out our Pest Library!
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