Clover Mite
Scientific Name: Bryobia praetiosa
Order & Family: Order: Trombidiformes, Family: Tetranychidae
Size: Very small, approximately 0.75 mm to 0.85 mm in length (smaller than a pinhead).
Natural Habitat
Found worldwide, typically outdoors in lawns, grasses, clover, and gardens. They often invade homes in spring and autumn seeking warmth or when vegetation dries out.
Diet & Feeding
Herbivores that feed on plant juices from grasses, clover, and over 200 other types of garden plants.
Behavior Patterns
They are most active in cooler weather (spring and fall). They reproduce parthenogenetically (females lay unfertilized eggs). They enter buildings through cracks around windows and doors in large numbers but do not breed indoors.
Risks & Benefits
Generally harmless to humans and pets; they do not bite, sting, or transmit diseases. The primary nuisance is their presence in large numbers and the red stain they leave when crushed, which can discolor fabrics and walls.
Identified on: 2/8/2026