The harvest mite, also known as the fall grass mite, is related to the spiders. It is microscopic and colored orange-red. Like all mites, it goes through different development cycles: a larva develops from an egg, then a nymph (the «young animal») and finally an adult mite. Only the larva feeds on warm-blooded animals, so only at this stage of development does it pose a threat to your pet.
The larva is active during the day and especially on dry, sunny days. It attacks its hosts primarily on the body parts that come into contact with grass or plants: paws, legs, abdomen, chest and snout. There she attaches herself to the animal and begins to «eat it». To do this, it pierces its host’s skin with its small, hooked teeth and injects powerful enzymes that digest the skin cells, which then liquefy and are consumed by the larvae.