Question: We have tiny red bugs that seem to be coming through all of our windows.  Most are in the bathroom but also throughout the house.

I looked online and it sounds like they are chiggers.  If this is what they are…is there something that can be done.  Our home is only 3 years old and everything seems to be sealed alright.  In fact my husband resealed in the main windows above our whirlpool tub where they seem to be accumulating.  I have to clean the whirlpool and floor everyday.  We also pressure washed the house this past weekend and it seemed as though they were coming from underneath the siding.  Anyway, the problem is so disgusting and just want to know what can be done.

ANSWER  What you have seen are probably clover mites.  They are small, reddish mites, about the size of the head of a pin and usually moving around very quickly.  Problems with these mites usually occur in the spring, but there are regions that also experience population increases in the fall.

These mites live and feed in turfgrass and for the most part remain unnoticed.  Every once in a while (and we don”t know why!) populations get very large and the mites start to migrate from the grass.  They usually move out of the grass and up the sides of houses.  Sometimes they enter houses through windows and doors.  They will not infest the house and will not bite people or pets.  They can be a nuisance.  If they are crushed, they can leave a stain.

A quick control method is to wash them off the side of the house with a garden hose, and you can vacuum them from sites indoors. An application of insecticide on the foundation might help repel them. Use an insecticide that has clover mites listed on the label. The specialists at the garden center may have suggestions on controlling them in the yard.