Itty Bitty Biters Crossword Clue
By: Five Letter Words | Last edited: Apr 30, 2025
Searching for the solution to the Itty bitty biters crossword clue from the Apr 30, 2025 New York Times Mini puzzle? We've identified the exact 5-letter answer you need. For those who enjoy a more interactive solving experience, we offer several helpful features. You can uncover the answer step-by-step with our letter reveal tool, or use our thoughtfully designed hints—such as word patterns, similar clues with matching answers, or comprehensive explanations to guide your thinking. We've also streamlined navigation between related clues from the same puzzle, making it simple to solve multiple clues consecutively. Ready to enhance your crossword skills? Let's explore this tiny-creature themed puzzle clue together!
Crossword Answer:
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About This Clue
The April 30, 2025 New York Times Mini Crossword featured the clue "Itty bitty biters" with the answer MITES. This clue uses playful, alliterative language to describe tiny creatures that can bite—specifically mites, which are minuscule arachnids that sometimes cause skin irritation or other issues when they bite humans or animals.
Mites Context
Mites are tiny arthropods belonging to the class Arachnida and the subclass Acari, making them relatives of spiders and ticks. Most mites are extremely small, measuring less than 1 millimeter in length, and many are invisible to the naked eye. There are over 50,000 known species of mites, with many more likely undiscovered. They live in diverse habitats worldwide, from soil and water to plants, animals, and human dwellings. Some common types include dust mites (which feed on shed human skin and can trigger allergies), spider mites (which damage plants), demodex mites (which live on human skin), and scabies mites (which burrow under the skin causing the condition known as scabies). While many mites are harmless or even beneficial as decomposers in ecosystems, others can cause significant problems as pests, parasites, or allergen sources. Their tiny size and ability to bite or irritate skin makes "itty bitty biters" an apt description for these microscopic creatures.
NYT Mini Crossword Tips
When tackling clues like "Itty bitty biters" in the NYT Mini Crossword, pay attention to descriptive or playful language. The alliteration and informal phrasing ("itty bitty") hint at something very small that bites. For five-letter answers related to small biting creatures, common possibilities include FLEAS, TICKS, and MITES. The informal, cutesy language suggests something common enough to have earned a colloquial nickname. Animal-related clues are frequent in crosswords, especially small creatures with short names that fit well into puzzle grids. When you see descriptive clues with multiple adjectives, try to identify the key characteristics being highlighted—in this case, very small size and biting behavior. Wordplay involving alliteration (repetition of initial consonant sounds, as in "itty bitty biters") is a common technique in crossword cluing to make the puzzle more engaging.
Related Crossword Answers
MITES
Clue: "Microscopic arachnids"
FLEAS
Clue: "Jumping pests"
TICKS
Clue: "Blood-sucking arachnids"
GNATS
Clue: "Tiny flying pests"
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