What Attracts Clover Mites to Your House?

Clover mites feed on the sap of grass and clover, and populations build fastest in lawns that are lush, heavily fertilized, and growing in full sun — conditions gardeners often create deliberately right along a foundation for curb appeal. When a hard freeze, a dry spell, or simple seasonal timing pushes the population to migrate, huge numbers move off the grass and onto the nearest vertical surface, which is usually the sun-warmed wall of the house. A few then find their way in through window seals, cracks, or gaps. None of this depends on anything inside the house; it depends entirely on what's growing a few feet outside it.