Question
I am having a problem with some tiny red or brown colored insects in my house in central Ohio. I first noticed a few last summer or fall, and now they are back- worse. I first saw them on the kitchen counter (it is white, and they are the size of a piece of salt. They crawl and do not fly. They seem to like light colored things. I have also found them on the windows in the kitchen, bathroom, and spare bedroom. They are annoying, as nothing I have tried has worked to get rid of them. They are easily killed and leave a brown/red spot. Any suggestions?

Answer
Jeneane,

It is hard to be sure without a picture but based on your description I think you have clover mites. What you describe is too small to be an insect while clover mites are about this size and color; they are usually described as being somewhat greenish however. Look carefully, do they seem to have long front legs?

If these are clover mites they are coming indoors from plants that are growing next to your house. The mites feed on these "foundation" plants; they are harmless but can enter homes in large numbers. The best treatment is to cut back the foundation plantings to at least 12". You could also treat the plants with a broad-spectrum insecticide. I'd suggest one of the new botanical, plant-oil insecticide such as the wettable powder EcoPCO WPX. Take a look at this page http://www.livingwithbugs.com/botanical_insecticide.html for more information.

I hope this is useful.

Jack DeAngelis, PhD
Extension Entomologist (ret.)
author Living with Bugs: http://www.livingwithbus.com/bug_book.html