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What Are Clover Mites?
Clover mites are problematic because females can reproduce without a mate.
They reproduce quickly, laying up to 70 eggs at a time with babies maturing within 30 days.
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Any outdoor insecticide, however, will onlypreventmore clover mites from entering your house.
Getting rid of an indoor infestation of clover mites requires a different treatment.
Repeat the treatment as needed when more clover mites emerge in the late summer or fall.
Clover mite crawling on pine barkEmily Stahl / Getty Images
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It is during that time that clover mites are the most active.
The eggs laid by the late generations hatch the following spring, continuing the cycle.
Mowing your grass at three to four inches prevents clover mitesMariuszBlach / Getty Images
Clover mites reach maturity in only 30 days, and one mite can lay up to 70 eggs.
Another factor that encourages clover mite infestations is excessnitrogen in your lawn.
Mowing your grass at theright heightof three to four inches that allow root growth is equally important.
Removing leaf litter from around the house also prevents clover mitesAnna Kraynova / EyeEm / Getty Images
This includes leaf litter, which you should remove from around your house.
There are two types ofred spider mites.
European red mites (Panonychus ulmi) mainly affect apple trees but also stone fruits and nuts.
European red mite (Panonychus ulmi)peter vogel/Flickr/CC BY 2.0
They lay their eggs in the bark and on twigs and branches of the trees where they overwinter.
After hatching the mites feed on young leaves.
The mite generations develop in quick succession, especially in hot, dry weather.
Pruning tree branches close to the house deters clover mitesPhilippe Gerber / Getty Images
Their preferred hosts are azaleas, hollies, rhododendron, camellias, and cherry laurel.
They suck fluids out of the leaf cells, starting on the lower surfaces of plants.
During the summer, they are dormant.
Because all three mites have numerous overlapping generations and they are so tiny, identification can be difficult.
To distinguish the red spider mites from clover mites, the hosts they have invaded can give you clues.
And then there is always the telltale sign of clover mitesthe red stain that they leave behind when crushed.
The larvae begin to feed on plants immediately after they hatch.
During the summer, clover mites are dormant.
Egg laying in a protected, dry location continues when the weather turns cooler in the fall.
Those eggs overwinter then hatch the following spring.
Clover mites are a seasonal occurrence; they may or may not disappear on their own.
However, a small infestation can lead to a heavy one, including clover mites in your home.
Clover mites are generally not harmful to a house.
They do not bite people or cause damage indoors, but they can leave a red stain when crushed.
Cloves mites are attracted to plants (particularly clover) as this is what they feed on.
They are also attracted to moisture.
