Dust mites are more common than you know. These microscopic creatures are really difficult to pin point, but if they live with you in your home, chances are they have been there for a while. Dust mites are small are not insects – instead they are more related to spiders of the arachnid subclass.
House dust mites are not parasitic, so they don’t feed on you by biting or stinging you. Instead they feed on any dander that humans leave behind among other things. House mites don’t pose too much danger in that they don’t spread disease, but they are a health hazard for those who suffer from allergies.
Dust mites thrive in homes with moderate to high humidity and in temperatures over 26 degrees Celsius. They also dehydrate quite easily, so climates and homes that are a lot dryer, give them a lot more of a difficult time surviving in northern hemispheres. That said, many North American homes have more than optimal conditions for them to survive and thrive throughout the year.
Dust mite life cycle
The house dust mite life cycle lasts on average around a month. During that time, they go through five life stages: egg, larva, protonymph, tritonymph and adult. Between these stages, they will go through a molting process leaving behind their outer skin. In optimum conditions where temperature and humidity are optimum, development from egg to adult will take around a month. Adults live approximately 1-2 months.
You may have a dust mite infestation if you feel that you are consistently feeling under the weather in your home. This may include symptoms like:
- Coughing
- Postnasal drip when you wake up and throughout the day
- Itchy red irritated skin
- Consistently scratchy throat, nose, and mouth
- Watery and irritated eyes, excessive sneezing
- If you are asthmatic, your asthma is being triggered more often
These symptoms may make you think that you have a cold, but if you have excessively watery eyes and consistent sneezing, it may be an allergic reaction.
The best way to know if you have a dust mite issue is to collect a dust sample from your home and have that sample examined under a microscope.
If you suspect that you have house dust allergies, consider going to see an allergy specialist and get yourself tested either through a skin exposure test, or a blood test.
Why should you hire a professional to control your dust mite population?
House dust mites are microscopic and proliferate. The means to getting rid of house dust mites, is not always guaranteed, but with the help of a professional, you can definite reduce the population by a large amount. From there, through means of consultation you can learn strategies to keep the population of dust mites at bay.
So why should you pay dust mites any attention if they’re microscopic? For one, if you have a heavy infestation of dust mites and it goes unchecked, over the years, they will leave behind enough of their exoskeleton and excrement that it will become a major health hazard. House dust mites produce allergenic proteins, they will leave these allergens in their shed skins, and their feces. In cases where the population have been granted an opportunity to proliferate, they can multiply into the millions, affecting your mattress and pillows.
Dust mite removal services
BRILHO offers through its concierge services, house dust mite removal. We will help you take care of any furniture, mattress, carpet, and clothing that has been infested with house dust mites. We also take extra steps in ensuring that your home is serviced with as much care and detail as possible. Our services may include the treatment of mattress, carpet, and other furniture we may deem as infested with mite killing products, as well as a deep clean using heat and UV treatments. We will make sure that if your request will include a consultation with you as to how to make your home more dust mite protected after the treatment.
It is not uncommon to find thousands of mites in a single gram of house dust. An infested mattress can contain up to millions of dust mites. Dust mites also like carpets, pillows, and other upholstered furniture. Areas in your home where dust collects and it is dark are prime retail spots for dust mites. If your home is not cleaned often, they will find themselves gravitating towards areas where dander and hair collect. House dust mites thrive the most in homes that have higher humidity levels, and are consistently heated above 25 degrees Celsius.
Generally, routine activities like housekeeping, moving around carpeted area, or on the bed, making the bed, or any other activities that may kick up the dust in the house will case any dust mite and dust mite particulates like their fecal particles, and exoskeleton to become airborne and inhaled.
If you suspect that you have a house mite infestation in your home, hire a professional to target figure out where the areas of infestation are localized to. In the meantime, invest in a vacuum cleaner as well as an air filter that are HEPA filter certified. This will ensure that any dust mites that are vacummed up won’t slip through your vacuum and are caught by the filter. You can also sun dry your bed sheets, or leave your mattress outside to be exposed to the sun. UV light from the sun will kill dust mites. Also, try your best to keep areas of high humidity controlled.
Controlling your surroundings is the best way to take control of any dust mite population that is living in your home. The best way to do this is to protect any areas that are upholstered or made with fabric. In terms of your mattress, consider purchasing a mattress encasement – these encasements will cover all six sides of your mattress and seal off the mattress itself using high grade zippers.
Consider changing your pillows, and duvet if they are really old. In addition to that, have a regular schedule where you launder your bedding. Ideally this is done once a week.
Dust mites are less than a single millimetre, making them virtually impossible to spot with the naked eye.
Unlike bed bugs, dust mites are not parasites. They do not feed on blood. Instead, they feed on the dander and hair shed by pets alike. They will also feed on any pollen particles, so if there is mold growing in your home, they will also ingest that. Any skin or hair shed by human is also fair game in terms of their diet.
