Although they are tiny red bugs with pink legs, red clover mites can be a huge problem if they invade your home. Red clover mites infest in very large numbers and when they're crushed, they leave behind a red stain, which can ruin fabrics, carpets, walls and other surfaces inside your home.
Red clover mites are found throughout the U.S., and are members of the same family as ticks and spiders. Red clover mites have eight legs, the first 2 legs being much longer than the other 6. Red clover mites feed primarily on grasses, flowers, plants and, of course, clover. They can cause a lot of harm to outdoor vegetation.
Indoors, red clover mites can be found everywhere during an infestation. They will invade your home through foundation cracks, or areas around doors and windows. Red clover mites will not bite you or your pets. Unlike other mites, they feed on plants and are not blood-sucking parasites.
Maintaining your landscape can be a large deterrent to a red clover mite infestation. Keeping grass and clover cut short near your home and shrubs and plants mulched can help combat red clover mites. Sealing foundation cracks and any openings into your walls can help, too. Red clover mites lay their eggs in the foundation cracks and wall cracks. They will also lay eggs on the undersides of bark on the base of a tree.
The lusher your grass is, the more attractive it is for red clover mites. They prefer new grass growth and succulent lawns, so keeping your grass trimmed of new growth will also help keep the mites away. If any plants or shrubs near your home are havens for red clover mites, you may want to consider removing them. Finally, check with a pest control professional if you need to treat your home with pesticides to control red clover mites.