Mites Pest problem? Get Mites Pest Help
Dust Mite
Dos and Don’ts of Mites
- Eliminate their hosts – this means birds and rodents.
- Eliminate nests and roosting areas for birds.
- Treat bites with antiseptic and a local anaesthetic to ease irritation.
- For scabies mites consult a physician for diagnosis and treatment. If dog scabies is transmitted to man, consult a veterinarian.
- Change the bedding – sheets, blankets, pillow cases and mattress pads - often and use non-fibrous bedding
- Use a vacuum cleaner weekly
- Don’t simply use any pesticide to treat mites – it’s important to determine the kind of species first for effective treatment. E.g. plant mites are quite different to house dust mites. It is instead important to figure out the answer to these questions to determine what kind of mite you are dealing with.
- What are the symptoms? Bites, rashes etc.?
- What area of your home is affected?
- How many people are affected?
- When did the problem occur and is it still happening?
Some information about Mites
The mighty mites! Here is a painful pest that nobody wants to deal with. The problem with mites is that they can be found in homes –these are known as household mites. A bite from such a mite can cause painful and severe skin irritation for humans, although they usually attack birds, rodents or insects. Remember that if you have a mite infestation, it’s highly likely you have a bird or rodent infestation as well.
Bird mites can be found in homes, depending on whether they have migrated from bird nests in eaves, gutters or rafters. They usually migrate to other areas to get their fix when the fledglings they usually feed from have left their nest. This could mean your home is at risk. If roosts and nests are destroyed near a building, it could cause an infestation. Although they cannot survive on human skin (they will usually disappear after 2-3 weeks), their bite can still cause discomfort. You can see them as they are quite large (as far as insects go) and grey in colour.
Rodent mites
The most common rodent mites found in buildings include the tropical rat mite and the house mouse mite. Rodent mites are aptly named as they feed off rats and house mice but can also feed on humans. Rodent mites are problematic for humans as they can cause skin problems like dermatitis. This leaves behind red spots and may cause itchiness and infection.
If the dermatitis caused by mites appears to be severe then you should consult a physician for treatment.
Scabies mites
Also known as the ‘human itch mite’ you can imagine that the scabies are not comfortable mites for humans (although mites are never really comfortable for humans). This is because the nature of the mite is to dig into the outer layers of human skin which results in human mange or scabies. The scabies are passed on from person to person via direct physical contact or sharing the same bed – this is most likely to happen if there are many people living in the one space. The symptoms include severe itching, and a rash may develop around the wrists, the waist, and the armpits and back of calves. Regardless of how many mites may be present, the rash can still spread quickly.
House dust mites
You may also know these little guys as ‘floor mites’. Why are they important? Basically they may be the cause of allergies and asthma when inhaled with house dust. Fragments of house dust mites (whatever they may excrete or secrete that infuses with the dust we breathe in) are important allergens found in house dust. The symptoms of inhaling these include asthmatic and allergic reactions. Like pollen, the house dust mites have been discovered to be the potential causes of these reactions.
