There are 2 main species of dust mite, the American Dust Mite, and the European Dust Mite. Although named after geographical areas, dust mites live on virtually all continents feeding on dead skin cells from humans and animals. They are usually found in homes where people and pets live in close proximity.
Dust mites are microscopic eight-legged bugs related to ticks and spiders. Dust mites are not insects, they are arachnids. Arachnids have eight legs and spiders are the most widely known arachnid but scorpions, ticks, mites, harvestmen, and solifuges are also part of the class.
Since dust mites extract their water from the air, they prefer warm and humid places close to their food source. This makes the places we sit, lie down, exhale, and perspire ideal for them. Mattresses, couches, and carpets are a dust mite paradise. Dust mites duplicate quickly. A female dust mite lays over 100 eggs a month in her short 2-3 month life span.
In the right conditions you can have a serious dust mite
problem in very little time. Dust mites do not bite, carry diseases, or draw
blood like some of their relatives. The real threat is what dust mites leave
behind: their waste. There’s a lot of it in fact. A single dust mite can give
out over 20 droppings a day. Those droppings are full of allergens to the human
immune system.
For people
who have allergies or show signs of dust mite allergy
symptoms,
the presence of dust mites is a constant concern. Some people are
sensitive to dust mites and their feces, while others have full-blown
allergies. Symptoms can include but are not limited to: asthma, fatigue,
rashes, congestion or allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis, itchy skin or sinuses,
post-nasal drip, or sleeping problems. Below are some things you can do against
dust mites:
Air Out Your Bed-There are some
researchers who say it is healthier to leave your bed unmade during the day. Something as simple as leaving a bed unmade during
the day can remove moisture from the sheets and mattress so the mites will
dehydrate and eventually die.
Change and Wash Your Bedding Often-A
hot wash and a hot dryer is the best defense. Wash pillows, sheets, blankets,
comforters, and mattress pads often. Can’t wash it? Put it in the freezer for a
night.
Dust First, Dust Often-Dust before you
vacuum so any loose dust will be captured by your vacuum’s HEPA filter. Always
use a wet cloth rather than dry dusting. Here’s a particularly charming
description I guarantee will motivate you the next time you don’t feel like
dusting.
WHAT HOUSE DUST CAN CONTAIN: cigarette
ash, incinerator ash, fibers (wool, cotton, paper and silk), fingernail
filings, food crumbs, glass particles, glue, graphite, animal and human hair,
insect fragments, paint chips, plant parts, pollen, polymer foam particles,
salt and sugar crystals, human skin scales, animal dander, soil, fungal spores,
tobacco, wood shavings.
Keep It Cool-Keeping your
thermostat below 70 degrees Fahrenheit will decrease dust mites. Keeping your
windows closed in the summer also reduces pollen in your home, a dust mite
food. Use this step only if you have an allergy to dust mites, as indoor air contains more pollution and toxins than outdoor
air.
Protect Your Mattresses and Bedding-The
most important step you can take in the war against dust mites is to encase
your mattress or pillow in a dust mite blocking mattress cover. (The material
is woven so tightly anything over 5 microns can’t get through, or get out.) Here is an option
that doesn’t use plastic membranes. The
initial cost will be worth it to guarantee you can use your mattress without
allergy problems and rest easy for a long time to come.
Run a Home Air Filter-Back up your
allergen fighting efforts by running an air filter in your home to remove dust
particles before they settle.
Use a Dehumidifier-Decrease your
indoor humidity to below 50% when possible using dehumidifier. When using a
humidifier in the winter, keep it at 35-45% humidity. This will help dehydrate
the mites and kill them off.
Use a HEPA Filter Vacuum-I
definitely recommend a HEPA (High Efficiency Particle Air) filter if you suffer
from allergies. Keep in mind carpet is a dust mite haven no matter how good
your vacuum is. Consider replacing carpet with hardwood which is easier to keep
dust free and is unwelcoming to mites.
“Almost 100,000 mites can live in one square yard of carpet. A pillow
that is two years old can be 10% dust mite feces and corpses.”
(Anonymous)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“12 Dust
Mite Facts for Allergy Sufferers (AKA Bed Mites, House Mites)” by Dust Mite
Solutions
·
“5 facts you should
know about the dust mites in your home” by XL Cleaners
·
“Disgusting Dust Mites: Everything You (Didn’t) Want
To Know” by Katie Wells
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