The number of people who appear to be suffering from a strange type of mosquito bites, which are more painful than the usual mosquito bites and also appear in rarely affected areas of the body, is constantly increasing. The cause is the autumn grass mite. Here you can find out what you can do against grass mites and their bites.
Detecting acute infestation
Before you take specific action against the mites, it is important to clarify whether they are actually the core of the problem. Unfortunately, due to their small size, the human eye is of no help here, but there are alternatives for a more detailed examination. When the sun is shining and the grass is dry, a black leaf is placed on the lawn. Because of its color, this leaf will heat up faster than its green surroundings. This property in turn has a strong effect on the grass mites, as they are instinctively attracted to the warmth. Now the orange-red larvae stand out clearly from their black background. Evidence of the grass mite colony has been provided!
Fighting autumn grass mites properly
The best way to combat autumn grass mites is to ensure that they do not settle in the garden in the first place: Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done outside the garden to combat the acute mite infestation and the associated mite bites. The best strategy here is to switch to other walking routes.
However, a variety of measures can be taken to make spending time in your own garden more enjoyable and to prevent mite colonization.
- The time of day: Anyone who spends the morning working in the garden avoids the active time of day for the mites, as they are real late risers.
- To protect the skin on the legs and thighs, long trousers are advisable as legwear. For maximum protection, you can ensure that the trouser cuffs are tucked into the socks so that no skin is visible.
- AlsoMosquito repellent spray, with the active ingredient Autan, can reduce the risk of mites on the skin. When using this strategy, please pay attention to the ingredients, as many substances are unsuitable for allergy sufferers.
- After spending time in the garden, jumping into the shower also helps to get rid of annoying creepy crawlies.
Due to the size of most existing grass mite populations, combating them is not entirely straightforward. It is important to be aware that most chemical and natural first treatments usually cannot promise 100% success. The cause of this unfortunate situation for the garden owner is the habitat of the adult mites. These can burrow up to 60 centimeters deep into the ground, where they are out of the gardener's reach. However, an alternative is to catch them a generation earlier and fight the larvae instead of the adults. Effective ways to combat grass mite offspring are:
- By regularly watering the lawn, the water-shy grass mites can be repelled.
- Demosing and scarifying not only helps the lawn grow, but also deprives the mites of one of their favorite habitats.
- Combating unwanted pests with chemical agents should only be chosen as a last resort, as other, harmless insect species are also damaged and the biosphere is put under additional strain.
Tip:
Keep the lawn as short as possible by mowing frequently and dispose of the resulting grass clippings at external locations.
- To stop autumn grass mites, the mulch under bushes and on beds can also be removed. They particularly like this one.
- A close-cropped lawn isn't exactly good for mites.
Concentrate against grass mites
If you want to do even more, you can use concentrates based on the active ingredients of a type of chrysanthemum. The grass mite treatment is mixed with water and then applied to the short lawn and adjacent areas. Ticks and grass mites that come into contact with the solution die immediately, but in order to achieve a truly thorough and lasting result, it is advisable to repeat the process after 7 to 10 days. A few hours after the treatment, as soon as the solution has been absorbed, the residents and their animals can enjoy the lawn again.
Fighting mites in moss
With moss killer it is possible to combat the symptoms, but not the causes. In specialist shops for garden products you will mainly find preparations with the active ingredient iron II sulphate, usually together with various types of lawn fertilizer. If this doesn't help, products with acetic acid are also available, which attack the moss in the same way. With all preparations it takes around 10 days until the effect on the moss population can finally be seen. However, you should pay attention to the product for the ideal weather conditions: iron II sulfate and quinoclamine prefer wetter climates for their optimal effects, while the use of acetic acid products is most advisable in dry conditions. With iron sulfate-based products, care must be taken that the product does not come into contact with stone, as this could lead to unsightly rust stains. It is best to distribute moss killer together with lawn fertilizer. This will promote grass growth and strengthen the grass for exposure to treatments to address the causes of grass growth.
Insider tip: add building sand
If the lawn is exposed to regular stress such as playing football or lively barbecues, the soil can become compacted. As a result, the rainwater that accumulates hardly reaches the soil, while the lawn moss can thrive ideally due to the moist conditions. Soils with a high clay content are particularly at risk for this. A long-term solution to the problem is to add a layer of coarse building sand to the subsoil when scarifying the lawn every year. This can be stored directly above the original floor.
A shorter-term alternative to this solution would be to sow the area with grass from scratch. To do this, the turf to be replaced is first removed superficially and then, when preparing the ground, larger amounts of building sand are worked into the newly emerged subsoil.
Frequently asked questions
Are autumn grass mites dangerous for humans and animals?
Although they are not dangerous, they can lead to allergic reactions.
Is autumn grass mite infestation treatable?
Through long-term treatment, the infestation can be easily contained.
