DUST MITES
Exceedingly common, these tiny creatures are the primary source of dust allergens that cause allergic, respiratory reactions such as asthma.
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Dust mites are a member of the arachnid family, closely related to spiders and ticks, that live almost exclusively in human homes. They are invisible to the naked eye with their tiny size, 0.2 – 0.3 mm, and translucent bodies.
Although numerous, dust mites are fairly short-lived, with the male lifespan being 10-20 days and females living for up to 70 days.
Dust mites feed on human skin scales and require both warmth and humidity. Mattresses and pillows provide an ideal habitat. A gram of dust vacuumed from carpeting may contain 100-400 mites, and a gram from stuffed furniture may contain about 3,500 or more mites. The estimate for a typical used mattress is 100,000 to 10 million house dust mites within it.
INFESTATION IDENTIFICATION
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ALLERGIC REACTIONS
The most common signs of dust mites are allergic reactions that some people get when they encounter their waste. When inhaled or touched, the proteins in their faeces force our system to produce antibodies, as our organism believes that we are in danger.
MICROSCOPE
Invisible to the naked eye, any basic microscope enables you to actually see the miniscule mites. Gather a couple of dust samples from different areas in your property and analyse them with your microscope. If you can't find the mites themselves, keep any eye out for their faeces that resemble brownish rectangular droplets.
TEST KIT
Testing kits are a definitive answer to your dust mite concerns. Some of those kits require a professional to have a look, so you may need to send it back for analysis, while others you can check yourself. These tests give you an idea of the total number of allergens present inside your home.
MITE PREVENTATIVE MEASURES
DEHUMIDIFY
VACUUM & VENT
WASH & CLEAN
Treatments EMPLOYED
INSECTICIDAL Dusts
Insecticidal dust is applied either directly into the harbourage areas or in gaps and crevices using a duster, which puffs out thin clouds of insecticide that the pest can’t avoid.
This method is extremely effective. Some dusts are even safe for pets, making the whole treatment very low risk.
