Clover mites are harmless bugs. Their presence on the windowsills is common in homes with clover trees, highly fertilized grass lawns and soil beds, and ornamental plants.
Clover mites don’t cause any harm to humans and pets. They also don’t cause any damage to your home.
But inside the home, clover mites are a nuisance pest.
So, to ensure that clover mites don’t invade your house, it’s vital to eliminate clover mites on your property.
In this guide, you’ll find out how to get rid of clover mites on the windowsill and in your home’s outdoor area.
You’ll learn five easy steps that eliminate clover mites from their source and prevent future infestation.
Let’s find out how you can do it quickly and safely.
5 Ways To Get Rid Of Clover Mites On Windowsill
Eliminating clover mites on the windowsill and in your outdoors is no rocket science. And you don’t need any expert knowledge to do that.
All you need to do is zero in on the places where they’re showing up and use the right miticides to eliminate them.
So, here’s how to get rid of clover mites on the windowsill and in your outdoors.
Use Insecticidal Soaps On The Windowsill To Kill Clover Mites
Spraying insecticidal soaps on the windowsills and areas like grass lawns where you notice clover mites is the best way to eliminate clover mites on the windowsill and in your yard.
Mix 5 tablespoons of insecticidal soap with a gallon of water. Stir the mixture well and pour the mixture into the spray bottle.
Then use the spray on the windowsill and on the places where you notice clover mites.
In most cases, you’ll notice clover mites on grass lawns and the leaves of ornamental plants.
They appear as tiny reddish-black dots with long frontal legs on these places and the windowsills.
Clover mites bask in sunny and bright places that receive direct sunlight during the early spring and fall.
So, it’ll be best to use the spray on those places too.
Many over-the-counter pyrethrin-based sprays are reliable miticides that kill mites of most species on contact.
Use the sprays on the windowsills, below the window, and along the perimeter of your home.
Clover mites crawl on the walls to reach the windowsill. And bugs and pests also use windows to sneak inside the house.
Using the sprays near the windows will prevent the clover mites and harmful bugs and pests from invading the house.
But please don’t forget to read and follow the safety instructions on the spray bottles.
Scatter Diatomaceous Earth On The Grass Lawns
Diatomaceous earth consists of plankton fossils which are known as diatoms. These particles penetrate the exoskeleton of clover mites and absorb the fat and moisture in the clover mites.
Result? The clover mites die.
And it works in the same way on other bugs and pests too.
So, scatter diatomaceous earth on your yard’s grass lawns, soil beds, mulch beds, and firewood piles.
You can also scatter it on the soil strip, if any, surrounding your home’s outer walls.
Diatomaceous earth is not an instant killer. But it’s a great compound that works long term in eliminating any chances of clover mites invasion in your home.
Clean The Windowsill And The Entire Window With White Vinegar
White vinegar kills and repels clover mites. It’s also effectively repels many bugs like roaches that sneak inside homes through windowsills’ cracks.
Take equal parts of white vinegar and water. Mix them well.
And take a dry cloth to wipe the entire window and the windowsill.
The acidic smell of vinegar repels bugs. And it’ll also kill the clover mites that encounter them.
White vinegar penetrates the soft bodies of clover mites and messes up their system. That causes the clover mites to die.
Keep Sticky Bug Traps On The Windowsills
Many sticky bug traps lure and entrap bugs. When bugs set foot on these traps, they get stuck.
Keep a few sticky bug traps on the windowsills to ensure that any bugs or clover mites that get on the sills get stuck.
Then dispose of the traps with bugs stuck on them outside your property.
Use A Coating Of Glycerin On The Windowsills
Glycerin is sticky. Coating the windowsills with glycerin will make the clover mites get stuck on the windowsills.
It’s a great alternative to sticky traps. And it also has a bigger reach than the traps.
Control And Reduce The Moisture Level In Your Yard
Clover mites are also moisture bugs. They are heavily dependent on moisture to survive.
So, when the weather outdoors becomes dry, these mites move inside your home, looking for an alternative moisture source.
Overwatering the yard, damp soil beds, and too much damp organic waste in the yard aid the multiplication of clover mites.
So, control these factors to ensure that clover mites, and many other bugs and pests, don’t thrive in the outdoor area of your home.
Ensure that there are no leaky pipes and stagnant water sources in your yard.
Both increase the dampness levels of the yard’s soil, making your yard a haven for bugs and pests.
Long-Term Prevention Hacks For Clover Mites
Clover mites can show up every year. The steps you learned to eliminate clover mites on the windowsill and in your outdoor area will not eliminate the future clover mite infestation.
For that, you’ll need to take steps that work long-term.
Here’s how you can prevent clover mites on your property and prevent them from showing up on the windowsill and, eventually, inside the house.
Remove Excessive Vegetation Along The Home’s Outer Walls
The overgrown vegetation, like the dense bushes and tall grasses, acts as a pathway for clover mites to get on the windowsills.
Clover mites will crawl on the leaves and twigs and reach the windowsills.
So, eliminate any redundant plants and bushes growing along the home’s perimeter.
These vegetations are a bridge for many tiny bugs near windows that sneak inside the house.
Use Pea Gravel Along The Home’s Perimeter
Wet soil beds, rich in nutrients from fertilizer usage, also cause clover mites.
If a soil bed runs along the home’s perimeter, fill it with pea gravel or pebbles.
You can also use artificial mulch or sand.
The soil beds along the home’s perimeter can be a breeding ground for many destructive pests like termites and ants.
So, ensure the width of the strip filled with pea gravel is at least 20 inches from your home building’s exterior walls.
That’ll ensure that clover mites don’t reach the windowsills. And it’ll also keep pests from attacking your home that nest underground.
Seal The Gaps And Cracks On Windows And Foundation Wall
The gaps and cracks on the windowsills and the walls are the entry points for clover mites and many home-invading pests.
The bugs will crawl through the gaps and invade your home.
So, seal any gaps and cracks on the walls and windowsills. Use a reliable sealant like a silicon-based sealant to caulk the gaps.
If there’s excessive damage on the windowsills and the walls that sealing can’t cure, then repair them.
Check Your Pets For Clover Mites
It’s not just fleas and ticks that latch onto your pets’ skin and fur. Many other bugs on pets can latch onto them.
And clover mites and boxelder bugs are two of them.
Clover mites can latch onto their bodies when your pet plays outdoors on the grass lawn or runs through the tall grasses.
Clover mites will move inside your home by anchoring themselves on your pet.
So, check your pets for any bugs and clover mites. Bathe them with a pet-friendly disinfectant to remove any bugs and parasites latching onto them.
Should You Hire A Pest Controller To Get Rid Of Clover Mites?
You should if clover mites are resurfacing despite your efforts. Clover mites return every year because of the presence of clover trees (clover mites feed on the clover seeds) and, of course, lush green gardens.
In that case, you’ll need to do the professional pest control by hiring a reliable pest controller.
Summary
Here’s how to get rid of clover mites on windowsills –
- Use insecticidal soaps on the windowsill to kill clover mites
- Scatter diatomaceous earth on the grass lawns
- Clean the windowsill and the entire window with white vinegar
- Use a coating of glycerin on the windowsill
- Reduce and control the moisture level in your yard
This guide also revealed how to prevent clover mites from returning in subsequent years.
Remember, clover mites on the windowsill are just moments away from invading your house.
And inside the house, these tiny red mites are a severe nuisance that shows up in places like your bed.
So, removing these small bugs from the windowsill and your property is vital to ensure that they don’t invade your house.
Dr. Thomas Orbert, the Microbial Maestro, dances with the tiniest of creatures as an entomologist extraordinaire! With a PhD in entomology, his passion lies in unraveling the secret symphonies of insect-microbe interactions. From minuscule marvels to captivating complexities, Dr. Orbert unveils the hidden world of bugs, igniting curiosity one buzz at a time!