Clover mites appear as tiny, moving red dots. They do not bite, spread diseases, or cause damage, but in large groups can be pretty unsightly and they can leave red stains when they are squished. They can sometimes cause irritation for people with allergies. They are commonly misidentified as chiggers, but chiggers are much smaller than clover mites and are primarily present in unmanaged grassy/wooded areas.

Clover mites will come out in waves at the beginning of spring, as they are attracted to the nitrogen in lawn fertilizer. People may see hundreds of them at a time in their home.