What do clover mites eat? These tiny red pests consume sap from over 200 different plant species, making them incredibly adaptable invaders in your yard. You might first notice them when they leave behind reddish stains on your walls or windowsills after being crushed—those marks aren’t blood, but rather their body pigment. Clover mites particularly favor heavily-fertilized lawns and thrive around home foundations with lush vegetation.
These unwanted visitors are attracted to your property for specific reasons. During cooler weather in spring and fall, clover mites feed actively on lawn grass, clovers, and various ornamental plants around your home. When autumn arrives and outdoor plants begin to die, they migrate indoors in large numbers, especially on the sunny sides of structures where they seek warmth and shelter. Understanding what attracts clover mites and their preferred habitat is your first step toward effectively controlling these persistent pests.
What do clover mites eat?
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Clover mites primarily feed by sucking the juices from plants [1]. These tiny pests consume sap from more than 200 different plant species [2][3], making them incredibly adaptable garden pests.
So, what do clover mites eat? Despite their name, clover mites don’t limit themselves to clover. Their diet includes:
- Various turfgrasses (giving lawns a silvered appearance when heavily infested) [1][4]
- Ornamental shrubs and trees [5][6]
- Dandelions and other common lawn weeds [1][7]
- Strawberries and iris plants [1]
- Honeysuckle (one of their preferred foods) [1]
These plant-feeding mites obtain all their nutrition through their specialized mouthparts, which they use to pierce plant tissues and extract the cellular contents [8]. Heavy feeding can result in leaves developing a distinctive silvered appearance [4]. In severe cases, patches of your lawn may die back completely, resembling drought damage [4].
The feeding patterns of clover mites change with the seasons. They’re most active in cooler weather, producing multiple generations from fall through early May [9]. Their feeding damage to lawns typically occurs between February and May [4], after which they enter a summer hibernation period [10]. A new generation emerges in autumn to begin feeding again [10].
Interestingly, clover mites seem particularly attracted to lawns with abundant soil nutrients [8]. This explains why they often target well-fertilized grass around building foundations [9]. The damage appears first in warm, dry areas of your lawn, typically close to foundations where heat radiates from the building [9].
Although clover mites can cause noticeable damage to plants through their feeding, some sources suggest they usually don’t harm most plants significantly [11]. However, the extent of damage largely depends on their population size. Individual mites cause minimal damage, yet large infestations can quickly turn grasses or leaves silvery as thousands of mites extract sap from your plants [6].
Understanding what attracts these pests to your landscape is key to preventing troublesome infestations before they move indoors.
What attracts clover mites to your home and garden
Image Source: Moyer Indoor | Outdoor
If you’ve found yourself wondering “what do clover mites eat“, chances are you have some in or around your home. Several environmental factors make your property an ideal habitat for clover mites. Understanding these attractants helps explain why these tiny red pests might be invading your home and garden.
Seasonal timing plays a crucial role in clover mite activity. These pests become most active during spring and fall when temperatures range between 45°F and 80°F [12]. In summer, they typically remain dormant as the heat becomes too intense for their survival [13].
Your lawn care practices significantly influence clover mite populations. These pests show a strong preference for:
- Recently established lawns [12]
- Well-fertilized grass, especially those with excess nitrogen [14]
- Lush vegetation growing close to foundation walls [13]
- Thick shrubbery surrounding homes [15]
The structural aspects of your property also factor into clover mite attraction. They typically enter homes through tiny cracks around windows and doors, with invasions most common on the south and southwestern sides of buildings [15]. Even the smallest gaps provide entry points due to their microscopic size.
Weather changes frequently trigger indoor migrations. Clover mites seek shelter inside homes in response to:
- Rainfall [7]
- Intense summer heat [7]
- Cold temperatures [5]
- Seasonal changes [7]
- Dwindling outdoor vegetation sources [7]
Interestingly, clover mites can survive on more than just plants. They also feed on algae growing on mulch, rocks, and underneath house siding [16]. This adaptability makes them particularly persistent pests.
Moisture levels around your home create another attractive element. Damp environments, overwatered lawns, and areas with poor drainage encourage clover mite activity [17]. They often congregate in bathrooms and kitchens where moisture is abundant [18].
For new construction homes, the risk of infestation increases substantially. Newly developed properties with fresh landscaping frequently experience the highest clover mite populations [12], possibly due to the lack of established predators and the abundance of fresh plant material.
How to reduce clover mite attractants and prevent infestations
Keeping clover mites out of your home starts with creating an inhospitable environment around your property. Since these tiny pests thrive in lush vegetation near foundations, your first defense is establishing a barrier they won’t cross.
To begin with, create a vegetation-free zone around your home’s perimeter. Experts recommend maintaining a 18-24 inch strip of bare soil or gravel around your foundation, specifically on the south and southwest sides where clover mite activity is typically highest. This simple step makes it significantly harder for mites to travel from your lawn to your house.
Replace typical mulch with materials clover mites struggle to traverse:
- Pea gravel or crushed rock creates an effective barrier
- Dry materials are preferable to moisture-retaining organic mulch
- Maintain this barrier especially along south-facing walls
Simultaneously, tackle potential entry points by sealing cracks around windows, doors, and foundations. Install fine mesh screens and ensure weather stripping remains in good condition around all exterior openings.
Furthermore, adjust your landscaping choices. Several plants naturally repel or don’t attract clover mites, including geraniums, chrysanthemums, marigolds, roses, petunias, arborvitae, spruce, and juniper. Incorporating these strategically around your property creates zones that discourage mite populations.
Equally important is moisture control. Clover mites favor damp environments, so:
- Fix leaky outdoor faucets promptly
- Ensure proper drainage away from foundations
- Avoid overwatering plants near your home’s exterior
Additionally, lawn care practices influence clover mite populations. Moderate fertilization prevents the overly lush growth these pests prefer, while regular mowing keeps vegetation under control.
If these preventative measures prove insufficient, targeted application of miticides around your foundation can create an effective barrier. Products containing pyrethrins or synthetic pyrethroids work well as perimeter treatments, though always follow label directions carefully.
Regular inspection and maintenance of these preventative measures, coupled with prompt vacuuming of any mites that make it indoors, will help maintain a clover mite-free home year-round.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, dealing with clover mites becomes much easier once you understand their dietary preferences and attractants. These tiny red pests might be small, but their impact on your lawn and peace of mind can be significant when they invade in large numbers. Although they feed on hundreds of plant species, their particular fondness for well-fertilized lawns and vegetation near foundations gives you strategic points to focus your prevention efforts.
The battle against clover mites must be fought on two fronts. First, modify your landscape by creating that crucial vegetation-free barrier around your home’s foundation, especially on south-facing walls where these pests commonly enter. Second, adjust your lawn care routines by moderating fertilization and keeping vegetation trimmed. These adjustments make your property significantly less appealing to these persistent invaders.
Weather changes will still trigger seasonal migrations, particularly during spring and fall. Nevertheless, with proper sealing of entry points, strategic landscaping with mite-resistant plants, and consistent moisture control, you’ll dramatically reduce the likelihood of indoor invasions. After all, prevention proves far easier than dealing with thousands of tiny red pests crawling across your windowsills and walls.
Remember that persistence is key—clover mites have adapted to survive in various conditions, but with the right approach, you can make your home and garden far less hospitable to these unwelcome guests. By implementing these practical strategies, you’ll maintain a healthier landscape while keeping those troublesome red specks where they belong—outside your home.
What Do Clover Mites Eat: FAQs
Q1. What do clover mites primarily feed on?
Clover mites mainly consume sap from various plant species, including turfgrasses, ornamental shrubs, trees, and common lawn weeds. They use their specialized mouthparts to pierce plant tissues and extract cellular contents.
Q2. Why are clover mites attracted to my home?
Clover mites are drawn to homes due to several factors, including lush vegetation near foundations, well-fertilized lawns, and warm, sunny areas. They often seek shelter indoors during seasonal changes, rainfall, or when outdoor vegetation sources dwindle.
Q3. How can I prevent clover mites from entering my house?
Create a vegetation-free zone around your home’s foundation, seal cracks and crevices, use pea gravel or crushed rock as a barrier, and maintain proper moisture control. Additionally, consider planting mite-resistant plants and moderating lawn fertilization.
Q4. Do clover mites pose any health risks to humans?
No, clover mites do not bite, sting, or cause health problems to humans. They are primarily a nuisance pest that can leave reddish stains when crushed but do not pose direct health risks or damage structures.
Q5. When are clover mites most active?
Clover mites are most active during spring and fall when temperatures range between 45°F and 80°F. They typically become dormant during hot summer months and produce multiple generations from fall through early May.
References
[1] – https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/HYG-2095
[2] – https://www.westernpest.com/pest-control/clover-mites/clover-mite-facts/
[3] – https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/clover-mites/
[4] – https://extension.usu.edu/planthealth/research/clover-mites
[5] – https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/clover-mites-what-to-know
[6] – https://www.solutionsstores.com/clovermite-control?srsltid=AfmBOorouLyUVO8lNGs-RxtRZlh3I9Q6MQpS6RHsICrQbOIe2gscrN7B
[7] – https://ipestpros.com/factors-that-make-homes-vulnerable-to-clover-mite-invasions/
[8] – https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g7358
[9] – https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/insects/clover-and-other-mites-of-turfgrass-5-505/
[10] – https://www.terminix.com/other/mites/clover-mite/
[11] – https://extension.umd.edu/resource/clover-mites
[12] – https://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/gotpests/bugs/factsheets/clover-mites-md.pdf
[13] – https://extension.entm.purdue.edu/publications/E-59/E-59.html
[14] – https://www.thespruce.com/get-rid-of-clover-mites-5179678
[15] – https://www.orkin.com/pests/mites/clover-mites
[16] – https://diypestcontrol.com/clovermites.htm?srsltid=AfmBOorZl1PYt3e5U0S73UUiTK5d7Kjbue4y4CwyHduYaJCK75SnPXC5
[17] – https://takecaretermite.com/blog/how-to-get-rid-of-clover-mites/
[18] – https://www.masterclass.com/articles/clover-mites-guide
