Ever see these tiny red bugs crawling around your home, and think of what they are, where they come from, and if they are harmful.
Those tiny red bugs could be clover mites, chigger mites, or tiny red spider mites, depending on their nature which we shall discuss further below. They are all commonly spotted inside and outside your home. These bugs are about a millimeter long and are roughly smaller than a pinhead.
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The color of these bugs is known to be different depending on their age and the species that they belong to. As they age, some go from a bright red to a darker brown shade, while others are orange. These bugs are often found in larger numbers and cause a lot of nuisance by damaging your yards and plants and sometimes biting you and making you fall sick.
But, hey, if you have spotted any such tiny red bugs in your home, we are here to let you know everything there is to know, how to deal with them, and all precautions needed to minimize the damage.
Where Do These Tiny Red Bugs Come From?
Like many more insects, clover mites and red spider mites try to find shelter in your home, looking for warmth or moisture. They are about 0.75 to 1 mm long, making them small enough to seem unnoticeable initially. They climb up on the sunny side wall of your home, usually facing south or west, and enter your premises.
These brownish-red bugs are extremely small, which makes it possible for them to crawl into your home through cracks and any small openings in the foundation. Once inside your house, they can be found anywhere from window sills, walls, curtains, drapes, furniture, or even crawling directly on windows.
Chigger mites are more common in homes surrounded by greenery, plants, and trees. While they also come in looking for shelter and warmth, they are insects known to bite human beings and feed off their flesh.
How To Prevent Little Red Bugs And Also Get Rid Of Them?
The most important piece of information you might be taking away from this article is how to deal with such a mite infestation situation. Now, imagine you have been seeing tons of these tiny red bugs here and there around your home; it is clearly because something or the other is inviting them in. It could be moisture, it could be weeds, or it could even be that door repair you have been skipping on for years. Keeping all factors in mind, here are a few ways to help prevent, if not resolve, a mite infestation situation at home.
Spray your outdoor plants with insecticides
One of the first things you can do in your garden upon spotting a mite is to spray it with insecticide. You can fill up a spray bottle with liquid insecticide or acaricide. Spray your plants meticulously and coat them with this mite-killing spray to kill the existing mites and prevent more of them from crawling there.
Water your lawns
Even though mites come in looking for moisture, they never lay their eggs on moist grass; they prefer dry land and areas. As a preventive measure, you can nicely water all those dry patches and areas in your garden. This will prevent the eggs from hatching and not let them lay any more of them, either.
Vacuuming Indoor Bugs Away
One of the best and easiest ways to deal with any indoor bug infestation has got to be to suck them away, literally! All these mites do find their way inside your home during cooler months of the year, so you can easily vacuum them away if you spot many of them anywhere together in your house. Pro-tip; they are mostly found near windowsills and entrances of your home, so you can start by looking there first.
Remember that these mites shouldn’t be smashed to kill them since they leave out a weird smell and an even worse red stain. This stain will be a pain to get rid of, so try to avoid smashing or hitting the bugs. Just do things easily, plug in your vacuum, and don’t let them know what hit them.
Spray them with insecticides
Another great way to go by is using indoor-safe insecticides. Like all those sprays that come for dealing with mosquitoes and flies, certain pesticides are considered safe and formulated to be used indoors. Any pesticides containing permethrin, diazinon, bifenthrin, or chlorpyrifos are great for tackling all kinds of tiny red bugs.
Protect your pets
All furry buddies can become a temporary home for these annoying mites, because of which it becomes even more essential for you to take extra precautions for them. Wash your pets thoroughly with insecticidal soap and only animal-safe insecticidal soap. This will not only kill away any existing mites on them but also ensure that no mites can come and settle on them.
Use boric acid-containing detergents
Boric acid is a strong repellent for such tiny red bugs. You can sprinkle powder detergent everywhere you can see mites or even where you suspect them to be hiding. The chemical compound in boric acid chases mites away so you can use this method for prevention and are the best to get rid of clover mites.
If you have a liquid detergent containing boric acid, you can also use it to repel these bugs. All you have to do is take some of that detergent in a spray bottle, mix it with some water, and use it to spray on the mites directly. While these bugs can dodge and avoid sprinkled detergent powder, they cannot get away when you are spraying directly on them with a boric acid solution.
Read more: 10 Effective Ways to Pest-Proof Your Home
Use double-sided tape
You can lay double-sided tape on all the walls, windowsills, and doors where you feel like mites are crawling in. These tapes can be laid covering as many areas as you wish to and will capture all the mites that step on it, leaving them stuck to die. You can strategically place it only on places of concern and replace it when it gets filled with dead mites.
Talc, diatomaceous earth, or baking soda on entrances
Since mites are known to creep in through cracks, doors, and windows, you can prevent that by sprinkling talc, diatomaceous earth, or baking soda. It is very simple; these powders cake onto the mites and make it difficult for them even to be able to move. These simple powders could be available even inside your home right now, so consider this a quick DIY solution and suggestion!
Read more: Natural Pest Control Solutions for Your Yard
Replace foliage with flowers
Mites are very attracted to foliage plants since they mainly feed on them and use them to lay their eggs. One great way to resolve or prevent a mite problem is by replacing all kinds of foliage plants surrounding your house (especially those touching any wall of your house) with flowers and shrubs such as roses, chrysanthemums, junipers, spruces, or geraniums. These flowers will not only make your lawn look very pretty, but they will also prevent mite infestation and growth.
Conclusion
Any home with a pretty garden is bound to have its fair share of insects and bugs. Regardless of how well you care for your plants, certain things are just part of the package and cannot be withdrawn. The point here is to ensure that no matter how much you love and enjoy gardening, it shouldn’t cause any nuisance that can crawl into your home.
Tiny red bugs can be easily dealt with if there is an infestation, but it is always key to prevent such situations rather than curing them. If you always proceed cautiously and are constantly aware of your indoor and outdoor surroundings, you can see any situations coming from a mile ahead. As for the rest, as their name suggests, these tiny little bugs only have this much control over us. Even if you see many of them creeping around in your home, do not panic and try using some of the above mentioned methods to tackle them in the best way possible.
Read more: 12 Common Types of Tiny Black Bugs in House Near Window
FAQs
How long do these bugs live?
Clover mites have a lifespan of almost 1 month, with an adult life of anywhere between 1-2 weeks. Considering whether they live indoors or outdoors and the weather conditions prevailing, their lifespan can increase or decrease.
Are red mites harmful to humans?
Red mites are considered more nuisance than harmful to humans and animals. Although they can severely damage furniture, windows, and walls, they do not harm humans.
What’s the difference between bed bugs and red bugs?
The major visual difference between bed bugs and red bugs is their color. Bed bugs are more brownish and egg-shaped, while red bugs are red and spider-like.
Do red bugs leave red stains?
Yes, these tiny red bugs leave a red stain if smashed, which is extremely difficult to remove. That is why avoiding all kinds of smashing while killing these bugs is always suggested and rather resolve to methods like spraying pesticide on them.
DIY ways of getting rid of red bugs?
You can prevent and kill bed bugs by sprinkling talc, diatomaceous earth, or baking soda on all the possible entrances they could have. These powders cake onto the mites and make it difficult for them even to be able to move. Consider this a quick DIY solution with things you can find in your kitchen even now!
