Locally Owned and Operated Since 1971!

922 Highway 55, Hamel MN 55340 ● www.adamspestcontrol.com
763.478.9810 ● Toll Free 800.227.2214 ● Fax 763.478.6715

Pest Identification And Information

VERY SMALL NUISANCE PESTS

CLOVERMITES: Are a common nuisance in and around Minnesota houses. Although most noticeable in the fall and again in the spring, they also may be troublesome on calm, sunny days in the winter. This pest is not an insect but a true mite, slightly smaller than the head of a pin with a reddish or reddish-brown body. When the mites are crushed, they leave rusty or blood-red spots.

Clover mites actually do not damage a house, its furnishings, or even humans or animals. They feed primarily on the lawn where they suck sap from grasses, clover, and other plants. In the fall they sometimes gather in tremendous numbers on walls, windows, tree trunks, and other outside surfaces where they seek protected hiding places. They crawl into cracks around the exterior of the home. This activity can lead some mites into houses where they can be seen on window sills, walls, etc.—often in great numbers. But whether indoors or out, most of the mites will congregate on the sunny side of the house.Cold weather tends to slow down or stop the mites' activity, which resumes again in the spring; however, on especially sunny days, they may be seen even in the winter. With the advent of warm weather, the mites become active again and ultimately return to the lawns to feed.

Control: Vacuuming or wiping up the clover mites with a damp cloth is probably the simplest way to clean them up. A general application of insecticide, labeled for Clovermites, applied around doors and windows will reduce the number of mites in the house.

The best answer to the problem is to prevent the mites from entering the house is to provide a barrier of cultivated soil next to the foundation. Mites do not readily cross loose, clean cultivated soil; therefore, a band approximately 18–24 inches wide all around the house, kept free of grass, would be an excellent deterrent. For decorative purposes, this strip may be planted to annuals, perennials, or shrubs, but in such a way that mites cannot bridge across the barrier. The soil around such plantings should be kept cultivated-free of grass, weeds, and fallen leaves. Landscape rock will not act as a barrier to clover mites.

Treatment outside should be done during the warmest part of the day when the mites are most active. Treat thoroughly around doors, windows, and foundations. Granules can also be applied in a 5-foot band next to the building foundation.

SPRINGTAILS: Tiny wingless insects with a forked structure attached to the underside of the belly, which acts like a spring to flip them into the air. They are sometimes mistaken for fleas but they don’t bite.

They live in soil or leaf litter and feed on decaying plants, fungi, molds, or algae with populations of 100,000 per cubic meter of soil. They are 1/16 to 1/8” in size and vary in color from white, gray, yellow, green, lavender, red with some being patterned or mottled. They will enter homes where dampness occurs in basements, cellars, bathrooms, and kitchens with a preference for drains, leaking water pipes, sinks, and in the soil of over-watered house plants.

Control: Springtails do not survive in dry conditions. Improve ventilation and promote drying inside the house. Recommend the use of a dehumidifier in the basement area. Remove accumulations of decaying organic matter, grass or leaves, to eliminate breeding sites. Flying insect aerosols with Pyrethrum will kill adults accumulating inside houses. Talstar One insecticide can be used at a .02-.06% solution around the exterior and interior of the home. Treat very, very thoroughly or you will be going back many times. If the insects are inside the home you could also put some Delta Dust under the siding to try and eliminate those insects inside the walls. Talstar granules should also be applied around the exterior of the structure and instruct the homeowner to thoroughly water that area.

PSOCIDS: They are mostly wingless and live in moist areas and among books and papers (AKA: booklice). They are extremely small and are often seen around bath drains, wall cavities near leaky or sweaty pipes, floor and window casings, bird and animal nests, live vegetation, and dead vegetation are also favorite living areas. There can be large numbers of these insects present but generally the homeowner just notices a few insects crawling in their home. Look for them in areas with high humidity and moldy places. Psocids sometimes migrate in large numbers when their habitat drops below 50% relative humidity. These are crawling soft-bodied insects that move very slowly.

Control: Reduce the moisture levels in the environment. Dehumidifiers can help reduce the humidity in the home. Seal the cracks around the bathroom or kitchen area with a clear sealant where these insects are emerging to seal them in and to help dry out the area. Insecticides will provide some relief but they tend to be found in high moisture areas where insecticides are of limited value.

Consider hiring a professional. For a Free Estimate, Contact Us Now!

Serving Minnesota and Wisconsin Proudly

922 Hwy 55 Suite 100 ● Hamel MN 55340 ● www.adamspestcontrol.com

763-478-9810 ● Toll Free 800-227-2214 ● Fax 763-478-6715