SOME TROUBLESOME INVADERS 



353 



black walnut. But the feature with which we are chiefly 

 concerned here is its role as a household pest. During 

 the past season a correspondent, inclosing many specimens 

 of the clover mite, said that they were crawling up the 

 sides of her house in immense numbers and entering the 

 rooms, to her very great an- 

 noyance. There are many 

 instances of these household 

 invasions on record. So far 

 as we are aware, the mites do 

 not injure household goods, 

 clothing, or books, but when 

 the walls, furniture, and bric- 

 a-brac, become covered with 

 myriads of these reddish 

 mites, the annoyance is un- 

 bearable and something must 

 be done. A correspondent 

 from Ohio wrote to Insect 

 Life describing an invasion 

 of the mites and added that, 

 in the spring, the grass was 

 nearly covered with them 

 close to the house. This will often be found to be the 

 case and this habit of the pest of living on grass near a 

 dwelling explains its invasion of houses and, at the 

 same time, offers a chance of destroying it before it 

 enters the house. 



Nature of the pest. — This mite is related to the com- 

 mon red spider that attacks house plants and plants in 

 greenhouses, but it is about twice as large as the red 

 spider (Fig. 122). It is reddish-brown in color, about 

 2 a 



Fig. 122. — The clover mite, 

 adult, enlarged. 



