Dust mites, Mother Nature’s biggest contribution to the world of skin care, are members of the arachnid family that are only as big as a standard microscope can detect, but not the unaided eye.
Dust mites measure roughly 0.2 to 0.3 millimeters in length and, as you might have guessed, weigh only a significant amount on the imaginary scale.
That’s sma…sma… smaller than your regular chia seed!
But despite their small size and insignificant weight, dust mites are able to reproduce huge number of off springs in as little as few weeks, which usually corresponds to the last five weeks of the female’s life. They lay roughly 60 to 100 eggs during that period.
Are dust mites visible?
As mentioned, above, dust mites aren’t visible with the naked eyes, so stop straining your eyes for a fruitless endeavor. Get yourself a standard microscope and only then will you’ll be able to see the hippo-prawn-spider looking bastards that happily thrive on your skin.
How long do dust mites live?
Dust mites live an average of 65 to 100 days during which females typically reproduce 60 to 100 offspring’s in the last few weeks of this lifespan.
Are dust mites harmful?
Considering the very nature of the arachnids themselves, dust mites aren’t harmful since they don’t tear off your flesh and use it for a cookout at night or transfer any disease into your body, but by an agreeable logic, whatever that is capable of creating harm, we can say that it’s harmful. So dust mites in this way are harmful, and in fact, detrimentally harmful, since they are capable of creating very powerful allergens that can cause serious side effects in humans. These allergens often come from their fecal pellets and body fragment which are easily air borne or accumulated on surfaces such as pillow or cushion.
Are dust mites everywhere?
Just like bacteria, dust mites are everywhere, from your skin, mattresses to your tooth brush and hair. They can be found almost every on earth, but their concentrations can be higher in some places due to favorable conditions that enable them to thrive and reproduce, for example a warm wet weather. So naturally, dust mites are more commonly found in humid regions; tropical and sub-tropical regions. There can be as much as millions of dust mites on an infested mattress and more than 13 different species on a single infested pillow; according to a medical study conducted by the University of Manchester in 2005.
Does everyone have dust mites?
Because dust mites are everywhere, it’s only natural that everyone and their moms has a thriving population of these critters around their spaces. These microscopic arachnids love to feed on skin flakes and hair, and unless you’re forever bald and never at any point shed your skin, you’ll most definitely have dust mites parading all around you. But good news, dust mites prefer dark, warm and humid climate, and thus prefer to live in mattresses, bedding, upholstered furniture and carpets than on your skin.
Can dust mites bite?
No, dust mites do not bite. Rather, they feed on dead tissues like the flakes you slough off from your skin and some species even fancy molds too. While its clear that dust mites dont bite, their presence on your skin might cause you an allergic reaction.
Are dust mites insects?
No, dust mites aren’t insects. They belong to the class of animals referred to as Arachnida which includes the famous spider, scorpions and ticks to mention but a few. The main distinguishing feature between the Aracnida class and insect class is that the former have members with eight legs whereas the latter have members possessing only six legs.
Are dust mites alive?
Yes, dust mites are living things just like you. They feed; on dead skin cells and molds and are even capable of reproducing up to 100 offspring’s in as little as the last five weeks of the female’s life.
Does the dryer kill dust mites?
Yes, the dryer can help you get rid of a majority of dust mite population on your bedding. Dust mites can hardly survive hot temperatures for long, so subjecting them to 130 F for 15 minutes in the dryer will a majority of their population. But while this is very effective at killing dust mites, it isn’t a good solution for eliminating their allergens. To do that, you’ll have to wash the bedding and dry it.
Are dust mites contagious?
Dust mites aren’t diseases themselves, so they aren’t contagious.
Are dust mites the same as bed bugs?
No, dust mites and bed bugs are two different organisms with contrasting natures. While dust mites are members of the Aracnida class of animals, bed bugs are insects. And while dust mites don’t bite and aren’t parasitic, bed bugs go bite and are parasitic. The thing both organisms have in common however is that they are both capable of causing allergy in humans.
Are dust mite droppings visible?
Dust mite droppings, just like the mites themselves aren’t visible except under a microscope. They suspend in the air for minutes before they settle due to their heavier nature, and are accumulated on furniture’s, beddings, mattresses, and pillow. Dust mite dropping alongside the dead bodies of mites are the primary care for allergens as they contain the main proteins responsible for it.
