Identifying and Controlling those Tiny Red Bugs

The tiny red bugs that you see are clover mites, although they may look like tiny red spiders. To the naked eye they appear no larger than the head of a ball point pen. For the most part they feed on clover, lush and healthy lawns, and other ornamental plants and weeds.

Clover mites tend to appear in Maryland by the thousands, during the first warm months of spring. These home-invading pests will crawl from the ground to enter through tiny fissures and small openings around your home’s doors and windows.

Inside, you may find these tiny red bugs crawling around or on windowsills, on walls, or directly on windows. On the exterior, you may find thousands of them congregating in large numbers on siding, brick walls and other outside surfaces.

These household mites are often attracted to the sunniest side of the house or foundation.

The good news is that clover mites are incapable of biting humans or pets and are not harmful. They do not cause structural damage to your home, however, they may leave stains on walls, carpets and furniture when they are accidentally crushed.

Often times these red bugs can be found outside on the concrete in the spring as well. For this reason, clover mites are considered a nuisance pest.

Clover mites can be a particularly difficult pest to eradicate. That's because they tend to infest homes in significant numbers.

Here are some helpful tips on how to keep these tiny red bugs out of your home:

• Locate and seal potential entry points around the home with caulk or similar materials.

• Create an area between your foundation and lawn that is free from grass and other foliage.  An 18-20" gravel or stone barrier between the lawn and the foundation will help reduce the incidences of clover mites.

• Reduce excessive moisture around the home’s foundation, specifically paying attention to downspout areas and sprinkler systems. Keeping moisture away from the home will also reduce the likelihood that other pests will be drawn to your lawn during periods of little rain.

When all else fails, you can contact American Pest. Our professionals are happy to create a pest control solution that will suit your clover mite problems. Clover mites are included in our Preferred Care plans and are just one of the many pests that we target during the spring and summer months.