Clover Mites and Millipedes

Clover mites and millipedes are both active now and may enter homes as "accidental invaders." A detailed explanation of these migrators was given in last year's newsletter on April 24, 1991, pages 61 and 62.

Clover mites and millipedes can only be grown outdoors; I don't think you could raise them in your house if you tried. Solutions to millipede and clover mite invasions, therefore, include using exclusion techniques to keep them outside; i.e., sealing cracks and gaps in foundations and around windows and doors. It may also help to reduce conditions that favor these pests such as removing organic matter (plant mulch and dead leaves) from against the house and eliminating moisture problems where millipedes reside. The "standard" recommendation of leaving a bare soil barrier to exclude clover mites may not be practical nor effective, but may be worth a try in persistent invasion situations.

Insecticide sprays of diazinon or Dursban can be applied to breeding sites or as perimeter barriers. Read and follow label directions.

This article originally appeared in the April 1, 1992 issue, p. 46.

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