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This is Roger Tinker, owner and General Manager of All Star Pest Control located in Columbus Georgia. My subject today is House dust mites. The American House Dust Mite is the most common mite that we deal with in this region.
These mites do not bite and are hard to see as they are only 1/64th inch long, Their off white color also makes it hard to see them.
However, these tiny creatures may be responsible for up 80% of asthma attacks that occur in Humans. The skeletal parts that the House Dust mite routinely sheds combine with the dust that is present in the building and causes this reaction. They are dependent on certain conditions to survive and multiply. Being around humans is one of these conditions. The House Dust Mite can generally live on 180 mg of human skin scales for 2 to 4 months. Most humans shed up to 140mg of shin scales each day. Other factors are warm temperature and moisture that is found within the home.
The question now is how do we control House Dust Mites? Well, the first thing not to do is steam anything as steam provides the high humidity that increases the growth of these mites. You need to remove as many things as possible that contribute to the habitat that the House Dust Mite needs to survive. Mattresses and pillows can be incased in plastic coverings. Removing stuffed animals and other cloth items that can hold dust will go a long way for control. Vacuuming with a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter will remove more mites than a regular vacuum cleaner.
There are some pesticides labeled for House Dust Mites. Do NOT use a pesticide that does not have Dust Mites on the label. Please remember that the pesticide is just a small part of controlling or reducing the dust mites your home. Only a few insecticides have dust mites on the label. Some of the insecticides that are labeled for Bed Bugs do but not all of them. Again, read the label first as using the wrong insecticide can cause other problems. The things listed above will probably do more for control than just the pesticide.
I hope this information has helped understand the House Dust Mite. Please feel free to contact me if I can be of any help to you.
