Do Dust Mites Bite Humans?
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The dust mite is a cosmopolitan pyroglyphidae. What this means in plain English, is that the dust mite is a microscopic mite that is indigenous to most parts of the world. Dust mites are very small, generally smaller than .3 mm in length. They are not visible to the naked eye, except under a microscope. Dust mites have small, white to milky-translucent bodies, and they feed on flakes of dead human and animal skin, as well as some molds. Dust mites are abundant and easy to control or kill, but it takes a regular effort to not let them get out of hand. We have outlined some more detailed information about dust mites below, as well as some facts on the danger of having them around, as well as the prevention and control of them.
Are Dust Mites Dangerous
Some people have claim to have been bitten by dust mites, but in all actuality, the answer to the question, do dust mites bite? is not at all. If a dust mite does get on you, it will be just there to eat the dead skin. I know that's gross, but it's also a fact. So, if you wake up with red bumps and splotches on your skin and it itches, nine times out of 10, it will be a totally different insect or a rash. Our advice is, that if you’re experiencing bite marks or skin irritations from sleeping in your bed or sitting in a chair in your house, you may want to check into some pest control services to find out what the problem is. Chances are, you are experiencing bedbug bites, or you have some other type of tiny insect that is causing you trouble.
More About Dust Mites
Dust mites do not fly, and they are not considered harmful, but their feces can collect and cause molds and bacteria to grow, and also contain allergens that are dangerous to the human immune system. Therefore, dust mite feces is considered harmful. While dust mites are invisible to the naked eye, it is a good idea to regularly wash your linens, because dust mites will collect in the places where you spend the most time. You can expect anywhere from 10,000 to 1 million dust mites to be present in an average mattress, and the average male dust mite has a life span of only 7-10 days, so you can imagine how their mess can collect over time.
How to Kill and Control Dust Mites
To control dust mites, weekly changing of your bed linens is the best practice. Dust mites drown in water, and a hot water bath of at least 30 minutes, with a temperature of more than 130°F will kill dust mites and their eggs. Another thing that works, is direct sunlight. If you hang your linens in direct sunlight for about three hours, all the mites and their eggs should be dead. There are also such things as dust mite proof bed clothes as well. The ones that are allergen impenetrable are the best. You want to look for anti-mite fabrics with a pore size of between 2 “ 10 µm, with a dust leakage of less than 4%. This will cut your exposure down to around 20%. They also make laundry detergent additives for dust mites. One good example of that is DeMite, and another way is to vacuum everything with a good vacuum that incorporates a HEPA filter. These filters allow air to pass through but catch particles that are bigger than .03 µm. and don’t let them pass back through the other side.
Other products that will kill dust mites include Lysol, which everyone is familiar with, and last but not least, they make a couple of products specifically for ridding the house of dust mites. Products such as ADMS Anti-Allergen Spray and Allersearch X-MITE Moist Powder, which are good products for carpets, drapes, pet bedding, and more.
Final Thoughts
In the end, dust mites are best controlled by eliminating household dust. The less dust and skin particles you have around your home, the last dust mites will be colonizing on your furniture and bedding. Out of the products mentioned above, Lysol works very well, and is available just about anywhere.Ecology Works Dustmite and Flea Control Powder is one of the most popular products,because it starts controlling dust mite populations within two weeks, and with steady use, within eight weeks your dust mites are dead.However, any of the products mentioned in this article will control dust mites effectively.We hope this helps keep down allergens and keep everyone healthy and happy in your home. Thanks for stopping by!