Have you noticed tiny red bugs crawling around your home lately? While many small insects are harmless, some red bugs like mites ticks, and bed bugs can cause problems if left unchecked.
As a homeowner it’s important to identify control and prevent small red bug infestations. This article explains what attracts these pests, how to get rid of them, and tips to keep them out of your house.
What Are Small Red Bugs?
Several species of tiny red colored insects and arachnids (relatives of spiders) can find their way indoors Common small red bugs include
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Clover Mites – Tiny bright red bugs under 1mm long. Feed on plants and get indoors via cracks.
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Bed Bugs – Reddish-brown, flat, oval shaped bugs 4-5mm long. Bite humans and feed on blood.
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Red Spider Mites – Minute red mites less than 1mm long. Feed on plants, can bite humans.
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Boxelder Bugs – Red and black colored true bugs, grow up to 12mm long. Feed on boxelder trees.
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Carpet Beetles – Tiny oval-shaped beetles around 1-2mm long. Some species are reddish.
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Red Flour Beetles – Reddish-brown beetles 4-5mm long. Infest grain products.
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Fire Ants – Aggressive stinging ants with reddish-brown colors. Grow up to 6mm long.
While most small red bugs are more nuisance pests than anything, some can bite, spread germs, or cause allergic reactions. Correct identification helps assess if they pose a threat.
What Attracts Small Red Bugs Indoors?
Tiny insects seek out food, water and shelter to survive. Small cracks, open windows, and outdoor vegetation touching your home provide entry points for these pests.
Inside, bugs look for moisture and food sources like crumbs, hair and fabric fibers. Clutter also gives them places to hide and breed.
High humidity attracts many small red bugs like clover mites and carpet beetles. Fix any water leaks and avoid overwatering indoor plants to keep your home drier.
How To Get Rid Of Small Red Bugs
Getting rid of an established infestation takes patience and diligence. Here are some effective methods:
Insecticides – Apply residual sprays like pyrethroids around baseboards, windows, doors and other entry points. This kills bugs on contact and leaves behind a residue to kill new invaders. Avoid spraying chemicals on fabrics or mattresses.
Heat treatments – Heating infested areas to 130°F and above kills all life stages of bugs through thermal death. This non-toxic treatment works well for bed bugs.
Vacuuming – Use a crevice tool to vacuum up visible bugs. Discard the vacuum cleaner bag right after to prevent escapes.
Traps – Pheromone or sticky traps can capture wandering males. Dispose of traps regularly to monitor progress. Traps alone won’t solve infestations.
Mattress encasements – Zippered covers trap bed bugs inside and prevent new ones from getting in. Leave encasements on for at least 1-2 years until the infestation is eliminated.
Discard infested items – Badly infested furniture, clothing, books and other items may need to be discarded if other methods don’t work.
Professional pest control provides the strongest weapons and highest chance for success against severe small red bug problems.
Tips To Keep Small Red Bugs Out Of Your Home
Prevention is the best way to avoid problems with occasional invaders and serious infestations. Here are some key tips:
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Caulk and seal cracks, crevices and gaps around windows, doors, pipes and the foundation. Install weatherstripping and door sweeps to block entry points.
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Keep vegetation trimmed back from touching the house exterior. Bugs live and breed in nearby trees and shrubs.
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Vacuum and mop floors regularly. Eliminate clutter to reduce bug hiding spots.
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Inspect anything entering your home like furniture, boxes, plants, and luggage for bugs. Quarantine new items for a few days.
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Store food in sealed containers. Clean up spills and crumbs that attract pests.
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Change HVAC air filters monthly. Use dehumidifiers to keep indoor humidity under 50%.
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Treat the home’s exterior perimeter with residual insecticides twice per year. Create a protective barrier against invading pests.
With diligence and preventive measures, small red bugs don’t have to become a recurring nuisance at home. Identify the species, eliminate conducive conditions, and utilize multiple control methods to get rid of these pests for good. Reach out to a pest control professional if problems persist.
How a pest control company can help
If you have year-round pest control, your exterior has the protection needed to keep a long list of pests out of your home, including clover mites. Your pest control plan comes with routine pest treatments around the exterior of your home. These treatments make it difficult for pests to live near your home, and nearly impossible for them to enter. Your pest control technician will also inspect your exterior during your routine visits and provide targeted pest control as needed to address pest problems as they arise.
You dont have to wait until you have a pest problem in your home. Ongoing pest management around your exterior deals with insects, bugs, and rodents before they enter.
How to keep clover mites out
There are primarily two steps you can take to prevent a clover mite infestation if you dont already have one. Step one is to trim or entirely remove any vegetation that touches the exterior of any structures on your property. Step two is to use a caulking gun to seal foundation cracks and any gaps in your exterior.
Tiny Red Bugs. What are They!?
FAQ
Are clover mites harmful to humans?
- They don’t bite: Clover mites are not blood-sucking and do not bite humans or animals.
- They don’t transmit diseases: They do not carry or transmit any diseases.
- They don’t damage homes: Clover mites are not wood-eating insects and do not cause structural damage to buildings.
- They are a nuisance: While not harmful, clover mites can be a nuisance due to their large numbers and the red stains they leave behind when crushed.
- They are not found indoors for long: Clover mites cannot survive in indoor environments and will likely die within a few days.
What attracts tiny red mites?
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Food Source:Clover mites are plant-feeders, primarily consuming the sap of various plants, including clover, grass, weeds, and other garden plants.
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Lawn Conditions:They are commonly found in thick, well-fertilized lawns, as these environments provide a rich food source.
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Warmth and Sunlight:Clover mites are attracted to warm, sunny areas, often found on the sunny side of buildings and foundations.
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Moisture:While they prefer dry conditions, they are also attracted to moisture, so areas with excess moisture can also attract them.
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Entry Points:They can enter homes through cracks and crevices in foundations, around windows, and doors, especially when they are in large numbers.
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Seasonal Activity:Clover mites are most active in the spring and fall when temperatures are mild.
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Not a Health Risk:While they can be a nuisance, clover mites do not bite humans or pets and are not a health concern.
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Stains:Be aware that when crushed, clover mites can leave behind red stains, which are not blood but body pigments.
What causes a clover mite infestation?
Clover mites are sometimes indicative of larger problems. Often when pests get into homes, it can mean that there are moisture issues. Pests are drawn to moisture, and when the wood on the outside of your home is wet or rotting this allows pests like the lowly clover mite to enter.
What kills clover mites instantly?
White vinegar or dish soap: Mix white vinegar or dishwashing soap and water together in a sprayer bottle and spray it directly onto areas that show signs of clover mites. If you’re using this mixture indoors, suck up the clover mites using a vacuum to avoid staining your interior with their red pigment.
What are these tiny red bugs?
You know them by their size (smaller than a pinhead) and their color (bright red). You see them every once in a while crawling across the back of your hand, or on the kitchen countertop. But what exactly are these little guys? They’re clover mites! Find out how to get rid of, and prevent, these tiny, red bugs.
What does a red bug look like?
Red Bugs have a solid red or black body as nymphs, and adults are usually red and black. They can be seen sucking out the juices from seeds and stems of weeds like common knotweed.
How big do red bugs get?
Red bugs range in size from 0.01” to 0.35” (0.4 – 9 mm) long. Most red bugs in homes are so tiny you can’t see them with the naked eye. For example, chiggers are red mites that cause the most suffering to humans. However, these little red tick-like nuisances measure 0.01” (0.4 mm).