Clover mites are tiny, red arachnids that only measure about 1/30 of an inch. You can usually find clover mites in Portland when the outside temperatures consistently stay above 70 °F. While these little mites don’t spread diseases and aren’t known to cause harm to humans, they can invade your property in large numbers and can cause a disturbance in your everyday life.
At Big Blue Bug Solutions, we have been providing customized pest control to the residents of this area for decades. We know that dealing with these tiny bugs can be frustrating, and we also know the best way to outsmart these invasive pests.
The Life Cycle And Behavior Of Clover Mites
All clover mites start as tiny eggs that are almost impossible to see without having a magnifying glass. The female clover mite can lay her eggs any time of the year, but if the weather is too cold or too hot outside, they will stay dormant until the outside temperatures become bearable and typically start to hatch when temperatures reach above 40 °F in the spring and below 85 °F in the fall.
A female clover mite can usually lay around 70 eggs at one time. The larva stage will begin when the baby mite hatches from the egg. During this stage, the clever mite only has six legs. After the larva has molted a couple of times, it will enter the nymph stage, where it will get two more legs. The nymph will molt two to three times before reaching full maturity. It usually takes these bugs about a month to go from egg to adult.
The Damage Clover Mites Can Cause To Your Plants
While you can find these bugs inside and outside your home, you will most likely find clover mites on plants; because these bugs are so small, they cannot eat or chew on most types of food. Instead, they have small mouth parts that can see through the leaves and stems of plants and suck the sap out.
As their name suggests, these bugs like to eat the sap from clover but are known to eat a variety of other plants. The amount of damage they can cause to your plants will depend on the severity of the infestation. If you have several hundred or thousand bugs on one plant, they could quickly steal the nutrients from the plant, causing discoloration and other damage.
How To Prevent Clover Mite Invasions
It can be challenging to get rid of clover mites; this is why we recommend all homeowners take proactive steps to prevent these bugs from invading their property in the first place. Some of the things that you can do to keep clover mites out of your home and yard include:
- Clean curtains, window seals, walls, and other surfaces in your home regularly
- Keep bushes and grass cut back away from your home
- Keep your yard well-maintained and cut the grass regularly
Some clover mite treatments found in stores can be ineffective against the bugs and harmful to humans. You should call a professional if you see these bugs gathering around your home.
Professional Pest Control For Clover Mite Eradication
The best way to keep clover mites away from your Portland property is to team up with a professional pest control company that has experience with clover mite control.
At Big Blue Bug Solutions, we know the best strategies to keep these bugs away. Give us a call today to schedule your consultation.