What Are Dust Mites, What Do Mites Look Like and Where Do Dust Mites Come From
What are dust mites
Dust mites are ancient creatures that have adapted well to a variety of environments and are closely related to spiders, scorpions and ticks..
They are members of the. Although not exclusively found in homes they have adapted very well to our environment and thrive in domestic settings.
There are three common types of house dust mites that we are interested in. All of these different species of dust mites are very common and not restricted to one part of the world and all three species may be found in the same area. The American dust mite is probably the most common because it is found worldwide.
- The American house dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus
- The European house dust mite Dermatophagoides farinae
- The Euroglyphus maynei which is widely distributed
The average life span of a male dust mite is about 10 to 19 days and females live as long as 60 to 70 days. During the female dust mites life span it will lay between 60 and 100 eggs and the life cycle from egg to adult is about 1 month with the adult living an additional 1-3 months. It is important to note that during a typical dust mite life span it will produce about 2000 pieces of fecal matter.
What do dust mites eat
Dust mites consume organic material and that’s where humans enter the picture. People shed many skin cells (dander) every day and so do our pets. This provides enough nourishment to feed millions of dust mites.
Dust mites don
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