Just discovered a mass of clover mites attempting a home invasion via the front door. Plan on chemically treating the area and sealing cracks. Don't know best way to deal with the perimeter of the rest of the house. It's a one story ranch with aluminum siding. Average lawn, nothing else planted in front or side yards.

There is a foot wide strip of clear plastic around the perimeter covered lightly with marble landscape rocks. It was like that when I inherited the house. There were once quite a few plants around the front of the house; I never did hear why my father removed them. Now I wonder if he had a chronic problem with mites. I do remember seeing them in the house on occasion.

From what I've read, the ideal is to have 18" of bare soil around the house because mites have trouble traveling over it. Some people say pea gravel is OK, maybe some mulch. Other say no - they can walk over it. Anyone have any experience? I assume the plastic under the rocks has to go. Doesn't seem like it would be too hard for mites to walk over it. I don't mind having bare soil if it will keep mites away but it won't look very attractive and will need to be weeded often. Neighbor's cats will love it I'm sure.

Also - I just solarized a small brick raised planter near the front door. Nothing was growing there but weeds so I decided to experiment with solarizing. I wonder if the rising soil temperature drove the mites out of there and to the house? They don't like temps over 85. I did see them moving around on the edges of the planter a few days ago. So bad idea, overall?