Dust Mites - What are Dust Mites?

Dust mites are tiny creatues approximately .5 millimeters in length and like to live in bedrooms and kitchens. Dust mites specifically survive well in mattresses, carpets, furniture, and bedding and eat dead human skin cells and other materials pre-decomposed by fungus.

A person sheds about 1.5 grams of skin cells a day which can feed approximately
1 million dust mites .

Many people are allergic to dust mites...or rather dust mite fecal matter.

Dust mites are known to cause asthma and allergic reactions resulting in itchy and watery eyes, sneezing, eczema, runny nose, itchy skin, hay fever, and clogging of the lungs.

Fighthing the Dust Mite

There are is no way to completely eliminate dust mites or stop mites from coming back, but here are a few quick points to help fight the problem:

• Use protective dust mite bedsheets and pillow covers.
• Treat bedding, carpets, etc with an antimicrobial coating to help prevent the growth of fungus which is known to break down food for dust mites to eat.
• Vacuum using a HEPA vacuum.
• Keep humidity in the home low. Dust mites require some humidity to breed. That is why they enjoy beds because they utilize human sweat as a source of moisture.

Dust Mites	Quick Facts
	Dust mites like to live in places such as your bed and pillow because the combination of human sweat and skin cells create the pefect source of food. 80% of people with asthma and allergies test positive for dust mites. A person sheds about 1.5 grams of skin cells a day which can feed approximately 1 million dust mites.

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