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Bright red pests barely larger than a tip of a pin have been invading Lawrence the past few weeks, but they're nothing new.
Predaceous mites, the big name for the small insects, are most common in early May. They begin developing in the fall, when eggs are laid in cracks of building foundations. In the spring, those eggs hatch, and the tiny insects crawl into homes or offices, usually hanging out on windowsills or curtains.
"They're just nuisances," said Esau Formusoh, an entomologist and owner of EcoPest.
They won't bite and aren't dangerous. If you squish them with your finger, they leave behind a red stain.
Usually found on sidewalks and around bushes on the south side of a building, they will start to disappear once temperatures reach well into the 80s.
"Every insect has their own cycle when they come out," Formusoh said. "When it gets really hot, you'll stop seeing them."
The tiny pests feed off other, even smaller insects and insect eggs outside building foundations.
If predaceous mites are too much of a nuisance, Formusoh suggested treating the grass and plants around a building's perimeter. But he said indoor treatment wasn't necessary because the tiny red mites will die because of a lack of food.
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Machiavelli_mania (anonymous) says…
Jeez, now I have the answer. I got a motel room and bombed my house, because my child and I had the itchies. Have been using Weleda Calendula oil to repel the itchies. I was accurate in suspecting mites, but thought they had come in with the authentic persian carpet I ordered on ebay.
Wow! Thanks for the article, ljworld.
heysoos (anonymous) says…
Hey MM, you might want to take a closer look at the article--it says these mights do not bite. If you DO have the itchies, don't rule out the rug--bedbugs are reportedly making a resurgence, and if that rug was previously on a wood floor, it may be what has gotten you.
heysoos (anonymous) says…
Mites, not mights.
ljrich (anonymous) says…
I live in Texas and we have something that sounds similar, but it is identified as a clover mite.
kmat (anonymous) says…
I don't care what they say about them not biting, they do. They are all over the outside at my work and they do bite. For some reason they are also more attracted to people wearing white. They leave behind nice little red stains on white shirts.
geekin_topekan (anonymous) says…
Have you tried sun-drying them and used them as popcorn seasoning?
LittleMissFlea (anonymous) says…
For years I refered to these as "blood bugs". Good to know what they actually are.
Machiavelli_mania (anonymous) says…
I would think a mite would itch just crawling around on you. Why do you think different? Is your skin not sensitive to infestation?
I did read the article.
If it was the carpet, then it has been bombed as well and i am on guard for incidences such as this now.
But like the other poster, I do think they bite, like chiggers, causing the pruritus, and also showing localized redness, which I have seen on my child, who plays outside for a good portion of the day.