People often get confused between clover mites and bed bugs when they find small red bugs on their beds. One of them is dangerous and the other one is just a nuisance.
Bed bugs are the dangerous ones while mites do not harm us at all. To understand the differences between these bugs properly, we are here with this article that will provide you with everything related to bed bugs and clover mites.
What Are Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs are something that needs our whole attention. They feed on the blood of a host and guess what, their preferred host is us, humans. They can use animals as hosts as well.
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Their bites cause red and itchy bumps. It is very difficult to spot them as they are very great at hiding and are most active during the night.
What Are Clover Mites?
These are a nuisance. Clover mites don’t pose any threat to us. They invade our homes with the help of cracks or holes that are found on our walls or foundation.
They are very tiny and appear as red pinheads. Clover mites usually emerge during the springtime when the temperature is cool. The only problem with these bugs is that they leave red spots when smashed.
Similarities between clover mites and bed bugs
Clover mites and bed bugs are both small, reddish-brown insects that feed on the blood of humans and animals. Both species are capable of causing skin irritation and allergic reactions in some people. Clover mites are more commonly found outdoors, while bed bugs are typically found indoors in cracks and crevices near where people sleep. Bed bugs are more likely to bite humans, while clover mites do not usually bite unless they are crushed.
How Do Clover Mites and Bed Bugs Differ in Appearance?
Since we have got a basic idea about bed bugs and clover mites, now it’s time to differentiate both these bugs based on their appearance.
Color
Bed bugs are brown, it’s the blood meal that makes them look reddish. The newly born bed bugs are translucent. Their heads and legs are white.
On the other hand, clover mites are red-colored bugs. Sometimes their color ranges from brown to dark green as well.
Since both of them are red at some point, then how do we differentiate them? Well, it’s a visible neck portion underneath the head of bed bugs that distinguishes them from clover mites. Mites don’t have this visible neck.
If bed bugs have got distinctive necks, clover mites have distinct legs. The legs of clover mites are more prominent than bud bugs’ legs. The front two legs of mites near its head are very long. These legs are often mistaken as antennas.
Shape
In terms of shape, both of these are oval-shaped. Clover mites have a hump on their body just like spiders while bed bugs are flat. Also, as mentioned above bed bugs have distinctive necks too.
Clover mites do not bite humans but this is not the same with bed bugs as they feed on human blood.
Last but not least comes the size. Bed bugs are bigger than clover mites. An adult bed bug can be 5-7 mm long while a clover mite is only 0.9 mm long.
Location
Clover mites tend to live outdoors in areas of high moisture, such as near ponds or in shady, humid spots. They can also be found in trees, shrubs, and grassy areas. Bed bugs, on the other hand, are typically found indoors in cracks and crevices around beds, couches, and other furniture.
Bites
When it comes to bites, there are some key differences between clover mites and bed bugs. For one, clover mites generally only bite humans when they are crushed. Bed bugs, on the other hand, will readily bite humans even when they are not crushed. Additionally, bed bug bites tend to be much more painful than clover mite bites. Finally, bed bug bites can often lead to itching and swelling, whereas clover mite bites typically do not.
Life Expectancy
Life expectancy depends upon the conditions required by both of them for their survival. Clover mites feed on grass and flowers. These kinds of stuff are not in your house in abundance, and due to this, they don’t survive for long inside your house. The adult clover mites can only survive for 2-3 weeks.
The bed bugs are meant to live and tend to infest your house until you get rid of them. This is because they feed on human blood. They don’t have any difficulty surviving inside your house.
Health problems and diseases because of Clover mites and Bed bugs
Clover mites and bed bugs can both cause health problems and diseases in humans. While clover mites are not known to transmit any diseases, they can cause skin irritation and allergic reactions in some people.
Bed bugs, on the other hand, are known to transmit a number of diseases, including Chagas disease, and the Plague. In addition, bed bugs can cause anemia in people who are repeatedly bitten by them. Bed Bugs bite are known to cause skin rashes, itching, and swelling.
Cost of Treatment
From the start of this article, we have seen that clover mites don’t cause us a lot of trouble so treating them won’t be costly treatment. You can go for DIY treatments to get rid of them.
Treating bed bugs is way more expensive than clover mites. We will need the help of a professional team that is expert in controlling bed bugs and that can cost us many bucks.
How to Get Rid of Clover Mites and Bed Bugs?
As discussed in the previous section, treating clover mites is not that costly and can be done yourself too. All you have to do is follow the measures mentioned below.
- Avoid using a lot of fertilizers in your yard that have nitrogen in them as it may attract clover mites.
- Try to keep your walls and foundation free from grass, trees, and any kind of vegetation. You can create a 2-3 foot strip as it will help in keeping your foundation dry.
- Replace your mulch with some dry material as mulch brings moisture. Try to keep mulches as far away as you can from the walls or foundation.
Next comes the bed bugs!
- Try to reduce the hiding spots by getting rid of all the unnecessary stuff present in your house. The fewer the hiding spots, the more the chances of encountering them and thus treating them.
- Inspect your furniture regularly. On finding any sign of infestation, immediately treat the infested furniture with the help of a repellent.
- Bed bugs prefer hiding in mattresses or carpets. Using a vacuum cleaner over there will help you in getting rid of them.
Conclusion
Both these bugs, whether dangerous or not, don’t matter at all. You have to get rid of them as quickly as possible. It is advised to go for a pest control team as these are very tiny thus it can be very difficult to find them on our own.
Clover mites usually arrive in spring while bed bugs are present throughout the year. So inspection should be done at regular intervals. Cracks and holes should be checked and proper care of the yard should be done.
