Hello! I have been finding these little dudes in and around my cats’ water dishes in my kitchen (near our back door). I also found them in and aroun...
Knowledgebase
A plant mite indoors, perhaps? #927869
Asked April 08, 2026, 6:49 PM EDT
Hello! I have been finding these little dudes in and around my cats’ water dishes in my kitchen (near our back door). I also found them in and around my rabbit’s water dish (in a floor-level pen in our attached garage). They are there during the day, but seem to leave entirely at nighttime.
I have found no sign of these, or any other pests, on the pets themselves or anywhere else in the house. All pets are on flea prevention.
I was able to get these pics with a microscope at work. I’m thinking they’re some sort of plant mite rather than a parasite of mammals. I can see them with the naked eye fairly easily, but had to look closely to see their little legs. Microscope is on SP4/0.10 lens. Do you know what they are?
Marion CountyOregon
Expert Response
Hi Emily, Yes, those are mites from the genus Bryobia that feed on plants. They do not bite people or pets, but sometimes will enter buildings in the spring and fall. If squished, they will leave a red stain. Bryobia praetiosa and closely related species are fairly common and widespread and are referred to as clover mites. Here you can see the four-pointed structure at the front end of the mite and the unusual rounded, scale-like hairs on the body that are characteristic of clover mites (photo from Purdue University). I could see these on the mite in your photos too... Here is a link to more information about clover mites from Iowa State University Extension in case you are interested... https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/encyclopedia/clover-mite Hope that helps!
