This boring blog can be contributed totally to a cub. We were discussing dust mites the other day and had some conflicting information so I set out to become wise about the dust mite. I will confess right now that I may have been confused before but I am now TOTALLY confused. The one thing that seems to be true among all researchers is that they are a nusiance!!
You are about to be innudated with some boring research info so you better hit the remote now or settle in for a few minutes.
Dust mites are tiny bugs that live in your home. They measure about 1/100th of an inch in length, which is smaller than the period at the end of this sentence. They are microscopic, eight-legged creatures but they are not parasitic and do not bite. They don't burrow under the skin, like scabies mites, or live in skin follicles like skin follicle mites. Just to further inform you, the females lay cream-colored eggs coated with a sticky substance, "the better to stick to you my dear". These mites have two distinct immature stages. Under optimal conditions, the entire life cycle from egg to adult takes three-four weeks.
Dust mites are not insects but are more closely related to spiders and ticks. There are two common dust mites, the American house dust mite and the European dust mite.
Dust mites do not live in air ducts (saved me a couple hundred dollars right there) in homes. It is not necessary to clean air ducts to get rid of the pesky mites because they need about 70% humidity or higher to live and they need food. They also need warm temperatures of 75-80 degrees F. Now since our house is cold enough to hang a side of beef you would think we would eliminate these peaky critters but NO, they seem to thrive.
If you just can't live without seeing a picture of this mighty irritant, I am sure you could go to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
AND that is all I have to say about this subject!!!
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Yeah...but they aren't as evil as ticks. Allergys vs. Lyme disease, ticks are more evil. But...It is the FECES of the dust mite that is the actual allergen that causes breathing problems. (Dust mites produce feces about 20 times a day.) It is light enough to float in the air. The wheeze-inducing proteins are digestive juices from the mite gut which are quite potent.
Beds are a prime habitat (where 1/3 of life occurs). A typical used mattress may have anywhere from 100,000 to 10 million mites inside. (Ten percent of the weight of a two year old pillow can be composed of dead mites and their droppings.) Mites prefer warm, moist surroundings such as the inside of a mattress when someone is on it. A favorite food besides mold and fungus is dander (both human and animal skin flakes). Humans shed about 1/5 ounce of dander (dead skin) each week. About 80 percent of the material seen floating in a sunbeam is actually skin flakes. Also, bedroom carpeting and household upholstery support high mite populations
The Good news:
1. Encasings.
Bedding is the favorite home of the dust mite. This being the case, you should encase your bedding and pillows with impermeable rubber or vinyl plastic wrappings.
2. Washing
You should wash clothes and bedding regularly. Washing in 60oF water is effective, but 130oF water will kill all dust mites. Washing in cold water kills about 90% of dust mites.
For more info I would recommend two sites
alot of basic facts and why ozone generators help
getting rid of dust mites
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