Insect bites or stings are not nice. The only consolation is often that the animals die after sucking blood and cannot cause any further damage. Many people are also happy when the temperatures drop again in late summer. This also means that many pests are retreating or the end of their lives is approaching. But what about the grass mite in this regard? Read the answer here.
How long do grass mites live?
The lifespan of a grass mite extends over more than a year because they can avoid frost and hibernate deep in the ground in winter. Only icy temperatures, which also cause the lower layers of the soil to freeze, can lead to the death of the grass mites.
Grass mite life cycle
- Female lays egg.
- The larvae hatch after four weeks.
- Larvae settle on blades of grass and wait for a suitable host.
- If a suitable creature passes by, the larva drops onto the potential host.
- Depending on whether it is human or animal, it stays on the host for a few hours or several days.
- It feeds on cell juices and lymph.
- When saturated, it falls off.
- Three different nymph stages follow.
- Nymph develops into an adult.
- Lives on the ground, no longer affects living beings.
- Retreats into the deep layers of the earth in winter.
Do grass mites survive the winter?
Grass mites do not tolerate frost. Nevertheless, the parasites manage to protect themselves by burrowing deep into the ground. The pests overwinter here and only become active again the following spring. Then they reproduce immediately. So most grass mites live longer than a year.
What causes the death of the grass mite
The complete extinction of a population is only conceivable in very icy winters. For this to happen, even the lower layers of soil must freeze over. Since the grass mite retreats into the soil in winter, you may be successful with home remedies against the grass mite.
