This article is about CLOVER MITE control.
It will explain why they are a pest and what
needs to be done for controlling infestations.
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This article will detail the clover mite.
You will learn a brief biology of this pest,
how and why it is a nuisance around the home
and how to control it. Any place a product
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Clover mites are little red arachnids which
exist throughout the United States. They are
small - about the size of a poppy seed - and
thrive around homes and other warm structures.
Clover mites began to surface as a residential
pest problem in the years following world war
II. This is when the great housing boom began
to place plants and landscaping close to
houses. Though this new look to homes was nice,
it introduced environments that several insects,
arachnids and other creatures like as well.
This lead to them living alongside homes which
in turn lead to them finding there way inside.
Much of the demand for pest control service
is based on the fact that pre-existing conditions
around the home are conducive to insect or
pest infestations. The clover mite is such
a pest.
Clover mites are plant eaters. They can
live on many types of plants, trees, mold or
algae. Clover mites are strong and hearty.
They will easily endure a cold, long winter
and will emerge on the first warm day of
January. Clover mites live on or close to
the food they like to eat. Once they find
a food supply around your home, they will
quickly move onto the siding. They like
wood such as cedar, pine or pressboard.
They will live in all the cracks and crevices
such siding provides. It is likely they
will find mold and algae on which to feed
in these cracks as well. Clover mites
are egg layers and usually lay eggs at
least once a year. Though they may lay
their eggs on plants, they prefer to do
so on behind tree bark or house siding.
The eggs will hatch in the spring as
larva and begin feeding immediately.
The larva will pass through several
nymphal stages before reaching adulthood.
This is true with most mites. In most
areas, their is one generation that
reaches adulthood a year. However, this
generation is usually hundreds if not
thousands of mites. Though small, they
will utilize every space they can find.
If they are allowed to nest on the side
of your home a few years without being
noticed, you will probably have quite
an infestation by the time you find
them!
Clover mites are a problem for
several reasons. Since they are able
to live in wall voids, under siding and
generally out of view, many times their
activity will go unnoticed for several
years. During this time they will be
reproducing and growing the population.
This can happen out of sight since
they are able to find food in areas where
you don't look on a regular basis. At
one point their numbers will be so large
they will have to migrate. This
migration usually happens in the spring or
during a warm spell in the winter. If
you have such a migration expect to see
thousands and thousands of red specs
running around in circles. This migration
may start from plants or trees adjacent
to your home. It may be originating from
the siding and wall voids of your home.
This migration will lead to them getting
in around window and door frames. The
mites are not looking for anything specific
but they will be persistent. These
migrations generally happen when the nest
areas are filled up and they are simply
looking for a new place to live. You'll
know you have clover mites because they
smear red if you crush one with your
finger. This video does a good job of
showing what a clover mite looks like
close up, what they look like compared
to a persons finger and what they look
like after they've been crushed by that
same finger!!
As demonstrated in the above video,
The smashed mite will leave a red blotch.
But this red is not blood. Clover
mites don't bite, but they will leave
a mess. Their red will stain just about
anything you smear them on so try not
using the crushing method of control.
It will prove to be easier to vacuum
the active ones or to use a piece of scotch
tape with light pressure. These migrations
may be the first clue you receive that
you have a problem. Rest assured it will
continue throughout the spring and then
appear to pass as summer sets in. You may
have another exodus in the fall, but they
probably won't appear in great numbers until
next year. These migrations and their
populations will continue to grow unless
you implement a pest control program designed
to get them where they are living.
Although you may find them randomly around
the home, in most cases the migration occurs
on one side of a home. It may be on the
second level coming from the roof. It may be
on the first floor on the southwest side of
the home. It may even be only on the outside
of the house and even on only one side.
If they haven't gotten inside yet, treatment
will be limited to the outside siding.
If they have found their way inside, you will
need to attack them at both fronts. It is
important to understand that the pest control
program you set up will not be done one time.
It must be set up to be done at least twice,
depending on the level of infestation. Clover mites
don't establish themselves overnight and you
won't be able to get rid of them overnight.
In the worst scenario, the treatment will be
labor intensive. For the outside infestation
it will be as simple as spraying the outside
foundation.
There are three levels of infestation that
most clover mite problems follow. If the first
level is detected before it reaches the second
level, control is easy. If the house has reached
the second level, more treatment is needed but
you will be able to get control. The third level
of infestation involves the most work and
greater time to get under control.
LEVEL ONE INFESTATIONS.......
Level one infestations are when clover mites
are found around the home. You may be finding
them in mulch material like pine straw or
wood chips. Any natural mulch decomposes and
will create enough food to feed a lot of clover
mites. Rock or gravel beds around the home are
excellent clover mite beds. The rock tends to
hold moisture which in turn allows algae to
grow. Clover mites will readily take advantage
of this food supply. Fence rows, railroad ties
and plants which are contacting or in close
proximity of the home will all attract and
provide both food and shelter. If you come home
one day to thousands of clover mites active in
any of the above areas, don't be surprised. Be
thankful they aren't inside your home at this
point. This activity should be controlled
immediately. The best method of control is
to use a product called TEMPO. It
mixes with water and is applied with a PUMP SPRAYER. One gallon will treat up
to 800 sq/ft. Be sure to treat all around
the home even though you may be finding
activity on only one side. Tempo uses
an active ingredient which is very
effective against mites. Remember, mites
are not insects. Don't waste your time
with traditional products like Dursban
or Diazinon. These products may kill the
exposed mites, but most will live to
continue populating. Tempo is odorless,
easy to mix and works the best. Be sure to
treat all flower beds, mulch piles and turf
that is suspected of having activity.
Tempo will quickly kill what is active
and provide a few weeks of residual. If you
have a large area of turf to treat, you should
first apply some DELTA GUARD GRANULES. These
will penetrate pine straw, mulch, thatch and
get deep down where the real nest sights are
located. Apply them with one of our HAND SPREADERS
to insure even distribution and then spray
over the top with some the TEMPO listed above.
Though you can apply Tempo with a pump sprayer,
it is easier to use our hose end sprayer for
large jobs. The GILMOUR 20 GALLON HOSE END hooks
to your hose and uses the power of your
water spicket to spray. This will save a lot
of time and mixing effort. Most importantly, it
will insure you use enough water to get proper
coverage. Pump sprayers just won't cut it for
this type of application. Water - and a lot of it -
is best so the Hose End is the sprayer of choice.
LEVEL TWO INFESTATIONS............
Level two infestations are when the mites
have found their way onto the home. If you
are seeing thousands of mites crawling on
the side of your home a foot or two high,
don't panic. In most cases, this activity
can be controlled quickly and effectively.
A timely treatment with the Tempo listed above
on the home will stop them from being
able to establish themselves. Be sure to
spray a 4-6 foot high band around the
home in addition to treating as described
above for a level one infestation. Be sure
to treat well above the height you see them
crawling. The liquid treatment on the home
should keep them out, but you must attack
them in the mulch, plants or other areas
they are nesting. If you fail to do this,
they will surely find their way inside
at some point as the foundation treatment will
break down and be ineffective after a month.
This is why the Delta Guard Granules is so
important to use if you intend on breaking
the cycle and keeping them out for good.
Treat once a month for two or three months
to insure you have them under control.
LEVEL THREE INFESTATIONS.............
Level three infestations are when you are
finding mites on the inside of the home. This
generally happens when the outside population
has gotten so large they are foraging inside
as they migrate seeking food. This might happen
gradually, but in most cases homeowners
come home to a migration in process. If such
a migration is found by you or someone else
in the home, don't remove or kill any mites.
First, step back and watch to see where they
are emerging. This information will prove
helpful for treatment. If you are seeing them
outside, be sure to watch if they are emerging
from the siding or from the ground. The two
most important things to watch for is how
high they are actively nesting and which side
or sides of the home they are most active.
If they are inside, watch to see if they are
coming from the rug, the wall, the ceiling,
a window frame, a door way, electric outlets,
or other entry point. Again, this information
will prove critical for the best treatment
results. By knowing their entrance
points you will be able to treat them
directly. This will enable you to get results
quicker. Controlling level three infestations
is more difficult as more treatment methods
and material is needed. You will need to
follow the guidelines outlined above:
1) Treat plants and/or mulch areas that may
be harboring populations with Tempo.
2) If you are finding them throughout the
yard, treat the entire area first with the
Delta Guard and then with the Tempo as explained
above.
3) Spray the side of the home to at least
a height above that which the mites are
crawling. Use the Tempo for this application.Since level three infestations mean
the mites are living in the siding and/or
the walls of the house, the level of
nesting can vary dramatically. You could
get lucky and only have them in a small
section of one side of the exterior of
the home. However, this is not likely. In
most cases, the clover mites will be
very active on at least one side of the
structure. This activity is usually on
both sides of the home. Although it may
only be one level deep, such as under
the wood shakes or around a window frame,
in most cases they will have gotten to
several depths by the time you find them
inside. This means you will have to
have some patience and persistence when
treating. It is important to realize you
will not be able to treat one time and
be done with it. Most infestations which
have reached level three will require
treatments every few months for a year
or two. Use BAYGON AEROSOL under siding,
around windows, in light fixtures, around
door frames or any where you saw them
emerging. This treatment is both fast acting
and easy to do. However, if you want or need
something that will last longer, use DELTAMETHRIN DUST.
This material will last 6-12 months - even in
wet environments - and does a much better job
of breaking the cycle than just the aerosol
alone. Apply the dust with a HAND DUSTER. This
tool will let you get the dust into wall voids,
electric outlets, switchplate covers and just
about anywhere the Clover Mites may be hiding.
Once you have dusted, mix up some CYKICK CS
and apply it with one of our SPRAYERS to baseboards,
carpeting and any flooring where the mites are
active. This product is both odorless and safe
for children and pets to walk on once it dries.
Since these mites are small and can hide in
many areas around the home, a blanket type
application is sometimes needed. In other
words, don't just treat where you have seen
them. Make a point to spray areas which are
adjacent to where they were most active. This
will insure you get enough coverage of key spots.
Level three infestations of clover mites
are usually not controlled with one or
two applications. In most cases, you will
need to treat sporadically throughout the
year.
Level one and two infestations are easy
to control following the treatment guidelines
listed above. Tempo and Delta Guard are able
to control outside infestations and keep
them from penetrating your home. Once clover
mites have established themselves in the home
and reached level three status, you will need
to treat outside and inside as well. Baygon
aerosol will let you penetrate most any
crack or crevice where clover mites like to
live; use the Deltamethrin Dust for longer protection
in wall voids where the mites like to nest. Spray
Cykick CS throughout the home in any room which
has activity for long term surface residual to
kill off migrating mites as they enter living
areas. Repeat as necessary to insure they
don't return.
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