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Showing posts from April, 2013

Brownish-Green Mites Invade Homes - Oh, My!

clover mite ~ size of period (.) Have you ever found masses of brownish-green mites that seem to be invading your home ? You may have found large numbers around a window or on a counter top. If you crush the mites they leave a greenish stain. If you look closely, you might have seen long front legs like the mite in the photo (left). These long legs are often mistaken for antennae . You probably found clover mites . Clover mites are actually a type of spider mite that feeds on plants and they occasionally enter homes from plants growing along the foundation of your home, entering through open windows or cracks. Most spider mites rarely if ever leave their host plants but clover mites are a little different. For reasons that are not entirely clear these mites will start a sort of " mass migration ", often in the spring, that can end with large numbers of mites on your interior walls and counters. Rest assured the mites are completely harmless except for the po