Dust Mite Information
We’ve all heard the phrase “Don’t let the bed bugs bite”. Well it happens that there is truth to that statement. There are in fact “bed bugs”. There are called dust mites. Dust mites are less like an insect and more like a spider or a tick. The two most common types of dust mites are the American House Dust Mite (dermatophagoides farinae) and the European House Dust Mite (dermatophagoides pteronyssinus). It is a proven fact that dust motes are found in the house dust all over the world.
Where do dust mites live?
Although dust mites live in dust, they do not live in the dust in your air ducts. This is because the mites need at least 70 percent humidity and food to live. The most common place to find dust mites is a bed or other favorite plush, cloth covered furniture. It has also been determined that dust mites travel by clothing. They use the clothes on our backs to get from room to room and house to house. Clever little mites aren’t they?
Life cycle of a dust mite
Dust mites are microscopic. Between 100 and 500 mites can live in a one gram of dust. Their population can grow very rapidly. Every female can lay enough eggs to add up to 30 mites every 3 weeks. Imagine, in 3 weeks a dust mite can go from egg to adult. Their rapid aging causes them to have a complete life cycle of 3 months…egg to death in 3 months flat. Even though their life is short, they produce up to 20 allergen waste pellets every day. It is their waste and their shedding skin that causes the irritation in humans.