You might be wondering about those tiny red bugs flourishing inside your home.
These little red mites usually feed on the plants outside.
They are also called clover mites. These pesky little bugs have tried to become permanent residents in our homes since World War II.
If you have them inside your home, you will want to read this article to discover how to get them out of your house, before it’s too late!
How Did I Get Little Red Mites?
These small red bugs quickly grow in population in well-fertilized lawns or backyards. Since they get quickly in small cracks to lay eggs, they also climb through the walls and home sidings to get inside through the attics or any small holes.
If your outdoor is rich in shrubs, then that becomes a perfect condition for the red mites infestation. Hence, these red bugs grow fast during the peak of spring and early fall, where plants are thriving.
Adult red bugs are commonly found in plants right outside your home. They are oval with eight legs that can be greenish or red.
They measure 0.75mm and having an elongated first pair of legs that are sometimes mistakenly identified as their antennae.
Typically, they lay their eggs in sidewalk cracks or cracks in the walls of your house. The eggs easily survive in dry places. Female red bugs can lay up to 70 eggs and can quickly mature in 30 days.
Signs of Red Bugs Infestation
Look at the walls, ceiling, or surfaces around your house, and when you notice some reddish color insects crawling on the sunny sides of your home, then obviously, the red bug infestation is starting.
How Do I Get Rid of Tiny Red Mites?
We can recommend using Diatomaceous Earth, which is a pet-safe insect killer.
Another option is to call for professional help.
Let the pest management professionals perform the proper inspection and assessment of findings of the bug infestations.
In most cases, these pest control teams create an integrated pest management plan for you to be able to sustain the protection of your home.
The first response of the experts is they will apply chemicals to eliminate and control the mites.
Yet, even so, it is not an assurance that these tiny bugs will no longer come back. So its wise to keep a bucket of Diatomaceous Earth on hand either way.
Preventive measures that you need to conduct regularly, to help keep bugs away
You can use a wet sponge in removing the red mites. Be cautious not to crush them and cause stains.
Use a vacuum cleaner to remove these tiny mites. Hit the vacuum hose in the window sills, walls, and corners of the floor.
Remove the grasses and weeds around your home perimeter/ Leave a vegetation-free strip of about two feet wide. This method will help in preventing the mites from traveling and transferring from one place to another and climbing to your home.
Loosen the soil around the plants of your lawn. It helps in preventing these creatures from traveling. They do not move in loose soil. Use pea gravel around the plants to discourage the movement of these tiny mites.
Seal the holes, gaps, and cracks on the foundations, windows, doors, and walls of your home exterior. It will prevent and discourage them from hiding and living in these spaces. It will be best if you put tight-fitting window screens. It can disturb their travel inside your home, and at some point, they die naturally if they will not be able to find a solace
Do not over-fertilize the plants and grasses surrounding your house. If your lawn or backyard becomes too grassy or shaded with so many leaves, they quickly grow in population and easily travel inside your home.
If you notice that bugs are starting to crawl and are marching through those tiny cracks, grab a hairspray and shoot them with the small nozzle. The hairspray can help in making them immobile. The sticky texture of the hairspray will freeze them and avoid you from squishing them by the time you want to remove these tiny bugs.
A robot vacuum is also an excellent machine that can help in constantly sucking these bugs. As the robot continuously moves on the floor, the movement of the insects will also be disturbing, and that demotivates them from entering your home.
The use of peppermint essential oil is also an excellent preventive measure against these tiny red bugs. Get some cotton balls and fill with peppermint essential oil and place in the opening sections of doors, windows, and crevices. It tricks them into staying away because of the unpleasant smell
Are Red Mites Dangerous?
The good news is that these creatures do not harm humans. There is no report or study that tiny red bugs can cause the spread of any disease or bring health problems.
However, if you accidentally or intentionally squish a red bug, it will leave a red stain on the surface or fabric.
The problem you will be facing is severe infestation will happen, and they will invade your clothing, couches, chairs, drapes, window sills, and all spaces will be at risk from red stains.
- Red mites are tiny, and they quickly get squeezed.
- They hide in wall voids and other hidden areas in your home that make them difficult to treat. You need to hire an expert pest control technician to resolve this problem
- It is difficult to spray chemicals to these creatures because the solutions you might be using will likely cause more harm to your children. The pest control professionals have a better knowledge of the appropriate solutions to use. However, there is still the level of risk that needs proper management
Understanding the Behavior, Food, and Habit
Although these little red bugs are not detrimental to human health nor destroy any furniture and fixtures at home, or contaminate food items, these tiny red bugs will become an indoor nuisance.
When they get inside your home, they have the timeline of dying soon. But they will likely leave home problems. They will leave stains on your clothes, fabrics, and interiors at home. Hence, it will damage the aesthetic value of your cozy home.
They will invade and crawl in top of your clothes in the laundry space, table cloth, dresses in the closet, and more. They will leave you those pigments, and it is difficult to remove those stains in fabrics.
What do Red Mites Eat?
Do not worry because they are not bloodsuckers. They feed themselves on plants. They get their nutrition on the plant juices. They suck on the plants and grasses that you can see around your lawn or backyard.
The one thing you will concern about is that these tiny red bugs will live in your rooftop, walls, and remote spaces where mildew or mold grows, which they use at their food source.
So, if you experience a severe infestation of red mites, it indicates that you have another problem going on at home.
There may be water leaks that increase the growth of mildew and invites these tine creatures to live and eat.
Life Cycle of Red Bugs
The clover mites go with the same four life stages of becoming an egg, forming into larvae, transforming into a nymph, and becoming an adult in due time.
A red mite lays eggs in any dry-protected space. The sidewalks, walls, and woods can potentially host vast numbers of overwintering eggs of red insects.
The overwintering eggs usually hatch during the early spring. The male red mites become active when the temperature increases.
They start to climb up on the exterior walls of your home from the ground. They usually enter through windows and doors.
As soon as the eggs hatch, it is expected that the second generation of the population is on the way for production.
The eggs of the spring generation will go into hibernation, and the mites will also go inactive because of the warm and dry climate. As the fall will complete, the second generation of eggs will achieve its growth and ready to hatch.
The reproduction cycle for little red mites is fast. A female critter can lay and hatch up to 70 eggs, and these become mature in 30 days or less.
Moreover, these fantastic tiny mites can reproduce through parthenogenesis. It means that they can breed without the fertilizing roles of male bugs.
Can You Keep This Little Red Bug Infestation From Happening Again?
The straightforward answer is yes.
All infestations can be prevented from happening again. You need to understand what and how these pests behave.
They have tiny brains, and they only move according to their senses. Their mobility is based on the opportunity of accessibility.
Here are some of my points that you should remember to avoid this from happening again:
- Keep the meadow and weeds from growing outside your home. Do not let this grass grow near your walls and foundation. Mow them regularly. You can also ask for advice from mowing professionals as to the right adjustments of your mower to cut the grasses right, enough for these pests to keep from moving.
- Put pea gravel around your foundation and your plants. Admittedly, these bugs will not be able to transport themselves as a group.
- Regularly inspect the walls and crevices.
- Check if there are growing molds or mildew inside your home. It invites them from entering as it is one of their favorite food
- Use weather shedding around your windows and doors.
Can Clover Mites Bite Humans?
Yes, clover mites can bite humans. They are not known to transmit any diseases, but their bites can be quite itchy.
Clover mites are tiny red bugs that often invade homes in large numbers during the spring.
They are harmless and will eventually die off, but their bites can be quite irritating.
If you are bit by clover mites, try applying a cold compress or calamine lotion to the affected area to help relieve the itch.
In Conclusion
Keeping our homes free of unwanted little red bugs, mites, or other unwanted visitors will take some maintenance on our part.
It’s always best to get on top of any household issue as soon as possible to prevent a long battle, such as a significant bug infestation.
Lastly, for home tips read: Best Bleach Alternative For Cleaning and Laundry or How To Drastically Cut Household Expenses these tips really work!
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Rebecca says
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