Clover Mite Control: How To Get Rid of Clover Mites

Clover Mites, also known as red clover mites are oval-shaped, eight-legged, red-colored mites about as small as a pinhead. While they are bright red and small and look similar to chiggers and similar blood-sucking mites, clover mites are not blood feeders at all and are harmless to humans. However, they are damaging to plants.

They are named clover mites because they primarily feed on clover but are also known to eat other lawn grasses, various trees, ornamental plants, and shrubs. Because of their small size, they do not cause much damage individually but can turn grasses or leaves a silvery color because of the sap sucked up from the plants.

Because they are so tiny, they easily enter homes. Fortunately, they eventually die out in their homes because there is usually no plant life for them to eat, and they do not feed on blood.

If you have clover mites and want to get rid of them, our professional DIY treatment guide can help you to get rid of a clover mite infestation yourself. Follow the step-by-step instructions below, which our lawn care experts put together, and you will be guaranteed to wipe out the population quickly and affordably.

Identification

Before you can carry out a control program, you need to identify and ensure that the pest you are dealing with is clover mites. Misidentification can lead to using the wrong treatment methods, costing you time and money.

• Clover mites can be tricky to identify because they are tiny, about 1/30th of an inch long. Observe them closely, and you will notice little patterns on the bugs, but they look like little specks from afar.
• Clover mites are eight-legged, but because of their size, it is difficult to count their legs. Their forelegs are much longer than their other legs, which helps to set them apart from other bug species.
• Clover Mites are not insects but are arachnids from the spider family. They are also confused with similar-looking pests like chiggers. What differentiates them from chiggers are their long front legs, which are often mistaken for antennas.
• The best giveaway that they are clover mites is if they don't bite you or your pets like chiggers or other bloodsucking tiny bugs do. They only like to eat plants.

Use our description and image above to help you identify clover mites on your lawn. If you are having trouble identifying them, you can send a close-up photo of the bug to our email address, and we will help you identify the bug properly and offer you control products to eliminate the problem.

Inspection

Once you have determined that you are dealing with clover mites, you can proceed with an inspection. This will help you determine where they are concentrated so you know where to focus your treatment applications.

Where to Inspect

Walk through your lawn and observe lawn damage. If you have indoor plants, check around indoors, as they can usually be found around potted plants as well.

Clover mites invade homes in large numbers and can be a particularly troublesome pest during the colder weather when they try to venture indoors for warmth and shelter. Check your home's perimeter for entry points such as doors, windows, vents, and any cracks and crevices in the wall.

When clover mites are smashed, they leave an annoying red stain. You can discourage them from coming into the home by clearing away turfgrass from around your home's foundation.

What to look for

It would be best to look for the clover mites, which may be difficult because they are so small. Look for specks of reddish bugs hanging around grass and plants in your yard. Clover mites can often be found in very large populations in the grass next to the foundations of buildings or anywhere they can find a safe place to hide, like walls, windows, and tree trunks.

If you don't see the clover mites themselves, you should look for areas where you see red stains that could be left on your rugs, furniture, curtains, or other such places to tip off where they have been active.

Treatment

Once you have completed the inspection, you should prep your lawn for chemical treatment. Before applying chemicals, we recommend wearing personal protective equipment to keep yourself safe.

To treat clover mites, you must first gauge how serious of an infestation you have. The severity level can be low where you have just seen them outside, moderate severity where you see them crawling on your home exterior, and high severity where they are found indoors.

Treat indoors and outdoors using Pyrid Insecticide Aerosol and a broadcast insecticide such as Supreme IT. For the Supreme IT, mix the concentrate with water in a handheld sprayer apply as a barrier treatment around the perimeter of your home to keep them from traveling inside the home.

If Clover mites have already found a way into your home, don't panic; use Pyrid Aerosol. This fast-acting spray delivers a quick knockdown, killing clover mites with contact as you spray. Use it as a space spray on cracks and crevices where clover mites hide.

Step 1: Spray Supreme IT around the Yard and Perimeter

Supreme IT is a broad-spectrum insecticide labeled for treating clover mites and 70 other pests. Its long residual effect kills for up to 90 days after application.

Mix this product water in a handheld pump or hose-end sprayer. 

To cover 1,000 sq. ft., use Supreme IT at a rate of 0.25 to 0.5 oz. per gallon of water.

Measure the square footage of your lawn to determine how much Supreme IT you need to cover the entire area. To do this, measure the treatment areas' length and width in feet, then multiply them together (length X width = square footage)

Pour half the amount of water, add the proper amount of product, and pour in the remaining half. Close the tank lid and shake well. 

Spray the Supreme IT mixture on the top and bottom of plant leaves using a fan spray setting to achieve uniform coverage.

Next, you should spray a perimeter treatment of Supreme around the outside of your home and structure to create a barrier that will keep clover mites out. Spray around doors and windows, around the foundation going up 4 to 6 feet, and then spray any other possible entry points.

Step 2: Spray Indoors With Pyrid Aerosol

Pyrid Aerosol is a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide that quickly kills problem pests. The product also comes with a straw applicator tip, so you can spray it into cracks and crevices and get good penetration right where the clover mites may be hiding.

Simply shake the can before use and apply the product where you have seen clover mites or suspect clover mite activity.

Apply the product from a distance of 24 inches to get even coverage. Do not apply more than 10 seconds of spray per room until the product dissipates.

Use the crack and crevice tip to spray directly into cracks, holes, and other small openings where clover mites may be present.

Keep pets and people out of the treated areas until the product dries.

Prevention

Once the clover mites have been eliminated from your property, you want to make sure they don't make a return. Here are some preventative measures you can take to discourage clover mite reestablishment.

• Lawns that are overfertilizing tend to have rising clover mite populations due to the excess nitrogen. Reduce your fertilizer applications so your lawn gets just the right amount of nutrients it needs to be healthy.
• Clover mites use tree branches to climb walls and enter through open crevices in the walls or windowpanes. Mowing the lawn at a short height and trimming back shrubs, thick vegetation, and tree branches around the perimeter of your home will be helpful.
• To stop clover mites from invading indoors, clear excess leaf litter at least two feet away from your structure and seal any entry points into your home.
• Proper lawn maintenance will also keep your grass healthy and prepared to fight off minor pest attacks. Water your lawn once a week with 1 to 1.5 inches of water, and mow your grass at 3 to 4 inches to encourage root growth.
• Next, some exclusion measures are performed by caulking windows and door frames to ensure that any doors or windows that aren't in use are kept closed and sealed. Go around the home exterior and seal any gaps, holes, cracks, and crevices to eliminate points of entry for clover mites.
• Treat your yard quarterly with Supreme IT to keep clover mites away for good. The great thing about Supreme IT is that it remains effective for up to 90 days and can kill and repel over 70 different insect pests, so you would be protecting your home against a wide variety of pests.

Key Takeaways

What are Clover Mites?

• Clover mites are tiny red bugs that like to feed on plant sap. They can be found on lawns and also try to move indoors if there are indoor plants to eat. Clover mites are often confused as chiggers, but they primarily feed on plants and don't bite humans, while chiggers do.

How To Get Rid of Clover Mites

• We recommend applying Supreme IT outdoors around your home to eliminate the clover mite population in your yard. Indoors, if you spot a cluster of clover mites, you can spray Pyrid Aerosol in crevices or directly on them.

Preventing Clover Mite Reinfestation

• Prevent a reinfestation of clover mites with regular quarterly preventative treatments of Supreme IT and lawn monitoring and maintenance.
• You can also prevent clover mite infestations by reducing tall grass and shady areas around your yard and sealing up cracks and possible entry points with caulk.