Dust mites are household parasites that live in bedding, rugs, waste paper and other places where dust accumulates. These arthropods feed on dead epidermal cells.
Clothes mites are unpretentious, so they easily adapt to almost any conditions. The most favorable environment is humid and warm (about +21ºС).
Parasites negatively affect human health, provoke an allergic reaction, asthma, scabies, dermatitis and other dangerous pathologies. This is why it is important to know what the enemy looks like and how to fight it.
Types of house ticks
House mites are often classified as parasites; in fact, they are symbions that live next to humans and feed on dead organic particles: dander, hairs, epidermal cells, and pet fur. There are several varieties of these arachnids.
Dusty
Dust mites live in any home, but do not cause any particular problems when the concentration of microorganisms in 1 g of dust does not exceed the normal range. Their size varies between 0.2 - 0.5 mm. On average, individuals live up to 80 days; during this period, each female manages to lay more than five dozen eggs.
It is important to know where dust mites may live. Favorite habitats are carpets, pillows, mattresses, soft toys, clothes, furniture. Feces and remains of dead individuals are mixed with dust and spread throughout the home.
When these particles enter the mucous membranes and respiratory system of a person, they cause coughing, sore throat, wheezing, redness and watery eyes.
Bed
Clothes mites with a body length of 0.5 mm are invisible to the human eye without the use of special equipment. Arachnids get inside homes through both animal hair and household dust. They live inside blankets, pillows, bedspreads, mattresses, and shoes.
Parasites feel comfortable in human homes, as well as in laundries, bus and minibus seats, beauty salons and other public places. There are approximately 10 thousand arthropods per 1 g of dust.
Microorganisms do not live on the human body and do not drink blood . The basis of nutrition is dead organic matter. So, about 1.5 g of dandruff is lost daily, so bed mites prefer to settle inside pillows.
An unmade bed with remnants of sweat and dust settling on the surface is an ideal place for mites to spread. Some people experience so-called parasite “bites” on their skin; in reality, these are nothing more than irritation of the skin from enzymes contained in the mite waste.
Furniture
Clothes mites are colored in brownish-yellow shades, but are invisible to the eye. They are not able to bite through the skin of a person or animal, so they feed on hairs, dandruff, and particles of dead skin that contain the bacteria they need for life.
Arachnids feel comfortable in both dusty and spotlessly clean rooms. They are most active between 3 am and 7 am. They live in sofas, armchairs, mattresses, folds of bedding, and feel great at temperatures up to +50ºС.
Furniture mites live up to 1 year, females are especially prolific, laying up to 300 eggs within 24 hours. Adults defecate up to 20 times per day, and the feces pose a danger to humans. If severe skin itching and fever occur, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Paper
Before attempting to eliminate paper mites, you should make sure that they are actually in the house. The length of the body of such a parasite is from 1 to 2 mm, the largest part of the body is the stomach. The color of saprophytes varies from transparent white to brown.
Arachnids are distinguished by large mandibles and the absence of wings . They feed on mold, so they prefer damp, warm places. They live in piles of old newspapers, under wallpaper, in books, as well as containers with leftover food, pantries and outbuildings.
Carpet
This species of arthropod lives in carpets, rugs, bed linen, upholstery and other dusty places in private houses and apartments. It is not the microorganisms themselves that pose a danger to humans, but their metabolic products.
For prevention purposes, experts recommend replacing classic large carpets with small products that can be easily cleaned or washed if necessary.
Reasons for the appearance of ticks in a summer cottage
If there were no ticks on your summer cottage previously, this does not mean that they will not appear on it this year. There are several factors for the appearance of bloodsuckers:
- When a tick has nothing to eat, it is forced to go in search of food. The adult arachnid is very slow. In a day he can crawl up to 10 meters.
- Thus, the bloodsucker can enter the territory of the dacha, migrating in search of the next victim.
- The neighbor's plot and distance from the forest play an important role. If the area is located near a forest or there are ticks at a neighboring dacha, there is a risk of parasites.
- Migration of harmful insects with the help of animals is possible. But their numbers will be insignificant.
- If the dacha was purchased recently, it is impossible to immediately find out about the habitat of ticks. The insect transforms from an egg into an adult within 1.5-2 years. During this time it does not appear to the eye. The massive invasion of pests in early spring indicates their presence since last year.
The influence of ticks on humans
The greatest harm is caused not by the parasites themselves, but by the shells of dead individuals and feces, which contain proteins hazardous to health. It is important to understand why dust mites are so dangerous. Some people exhibit increased sensitivity to arthropod waste products.
An allergic reaction can be recognized by the following signs:
- systematic attacks of cough that restricts breathing;
- pressure in the chest area;
- redness, itching of the skin;
- shortness of breath and wheezing;
- tearfulness, redness of the organs of vision;
- nasal congestion.
Parasites do not bite humans, and residents of megacities with reduced immune defenses are most susceptible to an allergic reaction. Symptoms appear at night, during cleaning, and also when interacting with woolen products.
In these things, arachnids reproduce most intensively.
It is because of the influence of dust mites that diseases such as asthma, rhinitis, various dermatitis, conjunctivitis, and Quincke's edema most often develop. Sometimes allergies can lead to death.
Description and characteristics of the insect, why it is dangerous
Bed mites are similar to microscopic arachnid insects measuring 0.1-0.5 cm. Suitable conditions for their life are a human environment with a humidity of 55% and an air temperature of 18-25˚C. In ordinary house dust, experts find on average up to 150 species of such creatures. They feed on scales of dead human skin cells. Every year each person loses up to 400 grams. dead skin, so these insects have no problems with nutrition. Therefore, they live in bed linen, upholstery, mattresses, pillows, books, etc.
Such microscopic individuals can cause dangerous diseases by spreading their excrement in their habitats. A person can inhale them, these waste products of ticks can enter the intestines in any other way, causing the following diseases:
- allergies (rhinitis) and allergosis;
- bronchial asthma;
- Quincke's edema;
- conjunctivitis;
- respiratory diseases;
- various dermatitis;
- intestinal diseases;
- deep acariasis;
- respiratory diseases.
In addition to preventive work to get rid of, such as, for example, hot washing of linen, soft toys, wiping books with a damp cloth, maintaining a dry climate in the house and apartment, using air purifiers like ozonizers, you can also use various drugs that kill linen mites.
Methods for getting rid of dust mites
No methods or special means can completely destroy the population of parasites; it is only possible to reduce their number to a safe norm.
It is important to know exactly how to get rid of dangerous dust mites in your apartment. There are several safe methods, without the use of chemicals.
Wet cleaning
Constantly maintaining cleanliness and order, as well as monitoring optimal humidity and temperature indicators are necessary to combat a small but insidious enemy.
The following activities will be required:
- Using a dehumidifier helps reduce humidity. The device helps slow down the spread of arthropods.
- Systematic ventilation will eliminate condensation. A comfortable temperature for a person will be between 16 and 22 degrees.
- The room must be cleaned 2 times a week. Careful removal of dust will get rid of parasites.
For cleaning, you will need a large soft cloth that absorbs water well. After each wipe of dusty surfaces, rinse it under running hot water.
A large rag covers an area sufficient to prevent dust particles from rising up. After cleaning, the piece of cloth is thrown away.
Dishes, books, souvenirs, household appliances, and furniture must be wiped down. Many housewives prepare a special solution of water and salt with a concentration of 20% for cleaning surfaces (10 tablespoons of salt per bucket).
This composition instantly destroys arachnids. When cleaning, you can use both rags and wipes with antibacterial properties.
Washing bed linen and cleaning upholstered furniture at high temperatures
If possible, you should limit the number of sofas and armchairs in the house. These objects accumulate a large amount of dust on their surface, where house mites successfully live and reproduce.
Thus, in one bed with a small mattress, from 100 thousand to 10 million parasites can simultaneously exist. Such statistics do not leave the most pleasant impressions, so the fight against harmful dust mites should be regular.
Arachnids cannot tolerate temperatures exceeding 60ºС . It is at these rates that bed linen is washed once a week. Carpets and bedspreads, pillows, and upholstered furniture are cleaned monthly.
If you add a couple of drops of eucalyptus ether to the washing water, then almost 99% of the parasites will die.
After cleaning, suitable pest covers are placed on the mattress, blankets and pillows. Such products are sold in specialized stores. To eliminate unnecessary allergens, you should remove decorative pillows from the room and refuse woolen blankets.
Freezing
First of all, you should find out at what temperature dust mites can die. They do not survive in frosts and do not tolerate direct sunlight. Parasites die within a couple of hours at a temperature of -5ºC. Heat does not have such a detrimental effect on them; individuals die within 6 hours at +40ºС.
Some household items cannot be washed in hot water - these are soft toys, silk pillows. If the products are small, you can place them inside the freezer for a day.
After this, things are thoroughly shaken out to remove as many bed mites as possible. The procedure will kill parasites, but will not relieve allergy symptoms.
You can get rid of unpleasant house mites by airing things outside in winter.
Sprinkling with infusor soil
Ciliate earth or diatomaceous earth is a fine powder that is made from the fossilized remains of diatoms. The skeletons of these creatures do not pose a danger to humans, but are an effective remedy against dust mites and many insects.
Furniture, beds, and bedding are sprinkled with a thin layer of kieselguhr and left for several hours or overnight. After this, all items are cleaned with a vacuum cleaner, and the laundry is washed. If necessary, the procedure can be repeated.
Before removing parasites from your apartment, you must read the instructions for this substance . For home use, only food-grade infusible soil is suitable, which does not cause harm to humans and pets.
Essential oils
Modern researchers have been able to prove that household chemicals contain toxins that have a negative effect on adults and children. That is why it is not recommended to use both bleach and commercial cleaning products to get rid of parasites at home.
It is better to use products made from natural ingredients for these purposes or use folk recipes for dust mites. Eucalyptus oil will be an excellent helper. It can be applied to all surfaces: textiles, flooring, furniture, carpets.
Air filter or cleaner
An affordable remedy against dust mites is cleaning with a vacuum cleaner. This method is effective in removing dirt and dust in which arachnids live, but they themselves cannot be destroyed in this way.
To increase the efficiency of dry cleaning, here are a few tips to use::
- To reduce dust emissions into the air, use devices with a HEPA filter.
- Vacuuming must be done at least 2 times a week, paying special attention to the places where dust accumulates the most.
- While cleaning, wear a special mask to protect your respiratory system.
- Vacuum not only carpets, but also curtains, upholstered furniture and any other soft upholstery.
Steam cleaning is much more effective in removing parasites and removing their waste products.
Professional treatment of sofa against ticks
To clean your sofa from dust mites, you need to contact a company that uses professional equipment and special compounds. It is worth noting that our company helps get rid of ticks, but not bedbugs. These are parasites of different classes. To remove bedbugs, you will need the help of a disinfectant.
By using the services of our company, you will quickly get rid of ticks. Treating a sofa against scabies mites is done using professional tools, which specialists always take with them.
Answers to popular questions
Dust mites are an invisible parasite that causes a lot of inconvenience for allergy sufferers. You need to know as much as possible about it in order to take timely measures.
How to detect a tick?
Parasites cannot be seen without a microscope, but an increase in their population will lead to a change in the human condition.
You can recognize the widespread presence of arachnids indoors by several symptoms:
- skin rashes;
- weakness and nervousness;
- fatigue, sleep disturbances;
- sneezing for no apparent reason;
- inflammation of the membranes of the eye;
- nasal congestion;
- dyspnea.
What do ticks look like?
These arthropods do not look very attractive. The largest part of the body is the torso. There are small pincers on it instead of a head. There are 6 paws that resemble claws in appearance.
Ticks in sofas: how to get rid of them quickly and forever
Professionals recommend throwing away or removing all unnecessary “dust collectors”: mattresses,
feather beds, carpets. A smart move would be to replace massive fabric curtains with modern washable blinds. Additional measures will help destroy dust mite colonies:
— In winter, you need to take the bed or potentially infected things out into the cold. Within 2 hours the beetles will die. True, such actions are quite problematic to carry out; turning to specialists to exterminate ticks is much preferable.
— You can try to use an ultraviolet lamp and carefully treat areas that are difficult to reach when washing, but the result of such actions is usually invisible.
— It is necessary to ventilate rooms in a timely manner in any weather.
— When cleaning, wash surfaces with a 20% solution of regular soda.
Calling a team of disinfectants will save residents from the hassle. We use modern equipment and drugs directed against ticks, safe for all warm-blooded animals, destructive for microscopic arachnids. Specialists will be able to efficiently process porous surfaces and remove accumulations of dust mites quickly and efficiently.
Vacuum the mattress well before cleaning
Before cleaning the mattress, thoroughly vacuum the surfaces being treated, and this procedure should be done at least once a month. It must be said that there are professional products on the market that can guarantee excellent results that are not achievable with conventional household appliances, but the market price for this equipment is often very high. However, using a canonical or mini vacuum cleaner (for example, for cleaning car seats) provides significant benefits as it manages to remove most of the dust, debris and mite feces from fabrics. In fact, mites have an antigen that is responsible for allergies, and if not removed properly, there is a risk of developing asthma. Although this cleaning procedure is not sufficient for mattress hygiene and cannot remove stains from fabrics, it remains an essential place to start.
Specialized cleaning of furniture from ticks
If you find small pests in your apartment, you should first contact a professional. It is possible to guarantee the destruction of dangerous “tenants” only using modern technologies and knowledge. Of course, you can try to do this yourself, buying various dichlorvos, anti-mite and other poisons, but the result will be short-lived and incomplete. You should treat not only, for example, the sofa mattress, but also its lower part, armrests, and linen drawer.
Experts have special technical and chemical means and use complex methods and procedures. Cleaning methods include fumigation or active fog; refrigerant or nitric oxide generation, freezing; wet disinsection with liquid insecticides; carbonation, completely enveloping the room and penetrating into all hard-to-reach cracks and microcracks. The methods used according to indications leave no chance for parasites to survive.
At the same time, general competent cleaning of upholstered furniture is carried out, which is also useful. Employees of sanitary and epidemiological stations, professionals, go to their destination, equipped with everything necessary, do their job and leave the comfort of home, cleansed of all sorts of crawling evil spirits.
Dry cleaning of sofas as a means of getting rid of pathogens
The possibility of the appearance and reproduction of bedbugs and mites is not the only potential nuisance for furniture owners. In addition, the likelihood of the above-mentioned events occurring becomes high only if hygiene rules are not followed. At the same time, there is a more pressing danger. We are talking about accumulations of bacteria and microbes that can cause irritation and allergies even in the most resistant people.
To prevent unfavorable developments, it is advisable to dry clean the sofa once every 3-4 months. With this approach, you don’t have to worry about the harmful effects of microorganisms and look for information on how to get rid of parasites in the sofa. No bacteria - no problem.
