Clover Mites
How to Kill Clover Mites Indoors and Outdoors
Clover mites are small red arachnids that feed upon plants, mold and algae. They tend to infest tree bark or feed upon mold that has grown into cracks and crevices of siding, especially wood siding or pressboard. They often go unnoticed for several years until their numbers reach a point where they can’t be ignored. To treat outdoors, soak the perimeter of your home with our outdoor concentrate. It’s 100% organic and safe for application to infested trees that touch the home. To kill clover mites deep within wood decks and wood siding, apply our termite treatment with a paintbrush. To treat indoors, spray cracks and crevices around doors and window frames with Dr. Ben’s Evictor, our indoor formula. Be sure to hit molding and seams where walls and ceilings meet. For advanced infestations, our cedar oil fog machine will help penetrate unseen cracks and crevices around the home.
More Facts About Clover Mites
SIZE AND APPEARANCE: Clover mites look like small red spiders. They are quite visible to the naked eye. The red stains they leave behind are notorious.
MODE OF TRANSMISSION: Clover mites do not fly. They typically invade homes by crawling into cracks and crevices around windows or under siding.
ABILITY TO INFEST PEOPLE AND HOMES: Clover mites do not bite people or animals or cause structural damage. They are mainly nuisance pests that invade homes in unbelievable numbers, especially in the spring. If smashed, they leave bright red stains on floors, walls and furniture. To prevent the damage that can result from swatting or smashing large numbers of clover mites, it’s best to fog with an organic pesticide and vacuum the dead mites that remain.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS: When nesting areas inside wood siding begin to fill up, clover mites can invade homes through cracks and crevices. Homeowners may see thousands of red specks running around in circles, especially in the spring.
ABILITY TO TRANSMIT DISEASE: Clover mites do not transmit disease.
LIFE CYCLE: Clover mites are parthenogenetic: there are no males. Females are asexual. There are at least two generations per season with emergence in early spring and late fall.
Treatment Instructions:
OUTDOORS: Spray the perimeter of your home with our outdoor concentrate. One quart makes eight gallons of solution that can be applied with a hose end sprayer. Soak mulch beds, wood chips, pine straw and other landscaping materials that harbor clover mites. Be sure to spray a four foot high band around the base of your home in addition to treating as described above. For chronic infestations that return every spring or fall, you should first apply cedar granules to penetrate pine straw, wood chips, mulch and thatch. The granules will seep down where nesting sites are located to kill clover mites at the source. Since our outdoor concentrate is completely organic and chemical free, feel free to spray any trees or shrubs that surround your home.
INDOORS: When clover mites begin to invade the interior of your home, it usually means that the level of infestation outside is quite advanced. More than likely, they’ve penetrated several layers deep under wood shakes or around window frames. At this point, an aggressive indoor/outdoor treatment plan is necessary. To kill insects deep within wood siding or wood window frames, apply our termite treatment with a paintbrush. Inside the home, spray cracks and crevices around doors and window frames with Dr. Ben’s Evictor. Be sure to hit molding and seams where walls and ceilings meet. Since clover mites tend to hide in unseen areas around the home, our dry fog machine may help you eliminate them faster and more effectively. A good dry fog will penetrate hidden cracks and crevices in a way that traditional spraying methods can’t duplicate.