Dust mites

Dust mites are microscopic insects that live in abundance in people’s homes. They are ideally suited to home life because dust mites avidly consume the skin particles shed by humans and animals. In fact, a typical mattress can contain as many as 100,000 dust mites. Stuffed animals, carpets, and stuffed furniture are also key dust mite habitats.

Dust mites are spiders and ticks (they have eight legs, not six like insects). They feed primarily on dead skin cells regularly shed by humans and animals. Dust mites thrive in places where their primary food source is most likely to be found: on mattresses, pillows, bedcovers, carpets, upholstered furniture, stuffed toys, clothes, or other fabric items in the home

Unlike insects such as cockroaches, mites are not capable of ingesting water; in order to obtain water, they must absorb it from the air. For this reason, they thrive in humid environments, ranging from 55% to 75% relative humidity. Ideal temperatures for dust mites are between 68º and 77º F. The growth of dust mites can vary on a seasonal basis, or from room to room within a house, depending largely on variations in relative humidity, availability of food sources, and temperature. Mites take about one month to develop from an egg into an adult and have an adult life span of about two to four months. A single adult female may lay up to 100 eggs.

A combination of measures is often most effective in reducing exposure to dust mite allergens. Because dust mites thrive in the bedroom, this is a good place to begin interventions. One important strategy for controlling dust mites includes reducing moisture and maintaining a low relative humidity in the home, although it may not be feasible to completely eliminate dust mites from homes in moderately humid climates.

In addition to killing dust mites, steps should be taken to reduce exposure to dust mite waste products. Weekly hot-water (minimum 130ºF) laundering of bedding (including sheets, bedcovers, and blankets) will kill dust mites and reduce allergen levels. Covering pillows and mattresses with allergen-impermeable covers will contain dust mites and their waste products and reduce exposure to dust mite allergen. Additional measures include washing stuffed toys and vacuuming and steam cleaning carpets.

How can we get rid of mites

It’s not so simple. It’s not enough to get rid of mites alone. To improve asthma or other mite allergies you must get rid of the mites but also of nearly all the dust which they may have left throughout your house over the years. This takes a huge effort. It is also very expensive for most people.

One reason for this is that mostly it is not enough to halve the amount of mite material in your house. Worthwhile results mean cutting the house dust mite pollution to BETWEEN ONE TENTH AND ONE HUNDREDTH of what it was before.

If you ever have any bug related questions feel free to call us either at Beyond Pest Control. Once again, and I can’t stress this enough we are on call twenty four hours a day seven days a week to kill those bugs, we aren’t kidding whether you call us at 9 am or midnight we will be available to take your call and either get rid of the bug infestation, or answer any questions you may have concerning the bug issue. I can honestly guarantee that there will be someone to answer that call. We make it our business to make you bug free!

If you have any questions about pest control check out the rest of our website or go to our blog at http://nypestpro.blogspot.com.

Beyond Pest Control.

Our pest control specialists service all NYC boroughs, including Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Long Island (both Nassau & Suffolk counties), Staten Island and even both Westchester & Rockland counties.