Clover Mite

Scientific Name: Bryobia praetiosa

Order & Family: Order: Trombidiformes; Family: Tetranychidae

Size: 0.75 mm to 0.85 mm in length (roughly the size of a pinhead).

Clover Mite

Natural Habitat

Commonly found in lush lawns with high nitrogen, building foundations, and frequently indoors near windows during spring and autumn.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivorous; they use their piercing mouthparts to suck juices from over 200 species of plants, including grasses, clover, and ornamental shrubs.

Behavior Patterns

They are most active during the cooler transition periods of spring and fall. They reproduce through parthenogenesis (females hatch from unfertilized eggs). They are known for gathering in massive numbers on sunny walls.

Risks & Benefits

They do not bite humans or pets and do not transmit disease. They are primarily a nuisance pest; if crushed, they leave a characteristic reddish-orange stain behind which can damage fabrics or carpets.

Identified on: 4/18/2026