Clover mites driving me mad!

Postik

3 or 4 weeks ago I adjusted one of my double glazed units that had dropped slightly.  In the process I noticed some tiny red spiders outside - I accidentally squished one and was surprised that it actually stained the white uPVC.

I've found out that they are clover mites and they are harmless to people, pets and structures.  However the population has since grown and I find them everywhere outside.  Mostly on the south facing walls and windows but also on the path, garage door and wheelie-bins.  I've recently bought outdoor furniture and daren't have any of the cushions out for fear of red squish stains (believe me, the stain they create if you accidentally squash them is extremely permanent like a red marker pen).

Every day I go outside with a spray bottle of soapy water and spray the ones I can see.  When they die on the white uPVC I have to gently pick them off with a wet sponge.  They're all over the upstairs windows too and I cannot get up to those to clean them down.  One afternoon there were a lot over the garage wall so I hosed it down with a hose-pipe - half an hour later they were all back, so plain water does not work.  I know soapy water kills them but I can't coat my walls and roof in soapy water sadly.

I daren't have the windows open for fear of them coming inside, which is going to be a nightmare when the weather gets hotter.  To be fair I have sat in my office this afternoon with the window open and on the whole they don't seem to want to come inside, but I have still caught two dozen on a wet sponge that have ventured too close for comfort.

I cut back all of the shrubs so they are not touching the exterior walls and I also sprayed the shrubs with an insecticide which made no difference.

Strangely my wife is not too troubled by them (usually she freaks out over insects and bugs) but I'm starting to look like someone who has escaped from an asylum chasing these things all over the place several times a day.  I read that in the heat of the summer they go into hibernation but I fear this information is from the USA where their summers are probably a lot hotter than ours.

Anyone else ever dealt with this?

Thanks,

greyteam1959

Do a search on Google.
Plenty of control measures that you can take come up.

Postik

greyteam1959 said:

Do a search on Google.
Plenty of control measures that you can take come up.

Already have.  Plenty of insecticides mentioned which mostly relate to the USA market.  I've cut back vegitation and I'm keeping the grass mowed.  I've read conflicting things about whether watering the grass repels or helps them (I suspect it won't make much difference either way).

I tried powder around window ledges and it didn't make any difference.

rach_k

Have you tried diatomaceous earth?  It kills creepy crawly things (but isn't harmful to humans or animals unless you breathe it in), but it also dries them out, so that might help with clean up of any dead ones.  

twopenny

It's probably not a permanent thing if that helps.
I remember them being a thing a couple of decades ago and it was a known seasonal thing with hot weather
 But now we've mostly killed off the bugs and feed the birds so they don't need to eat them its become unusual.

I'd suggest a hose spray or can you chill the area they inhabit? I use survival blankets (foil) to cool my patio. Clipped to something. Doesn't need to be permanent, just hot days.

Postik

twopenny said:

It's probably not a permanent thing if that helps.
I remember them being a thing a couple of decades ago and it was a known seasonal thing with hot weather
 But now we've mostly killed off the bugs and feed the birds so they don't need to eat them its become unusual.

I'd suggest a hose spray or can you chill the area they inhabit? I use survival blankets (foil) to cool my patio. Clipped to something. Doesn't need to be permanent, just hot days.

I hope it's not permanent.  When I went to a nearby retail park at the weekend I looked on one of the walls and I saw them so perhaps my region is badly affected.  I asked my neighbours and they said they haven't seen any but perhaps they are not looking closely enough.  It does seem like my house is more badly affected in terms of the number of them crawling all over the windows and doors.

I tried an insecticide which didn't make any difference (I think you would need it in huge quantities).  Soapy water kills them and seems to keep the numbers at bay for a while until more are back the next day.  My house is pretty big so hosing down and washing all of the worst affected areas takes a lot of time sadly and is impractical long term.

rach_k said:

Have you tried diatomaceous earth?  It kills creepy crawly things (but isn't harmful to humans or animals unless you breathe it in), but it also dries them out, so that might help with clean up of any dead ones.  

Thanks, I tried ant powder around the window ledges (outside) but it didn't make any difference.  Looks like Pets At Home sell Diatomaceous Earth for chicken coops and the like, it might be worth a try.  As mentioned above soapy water works very well on the ones you can see, but has no residual impact once it's dried.