You can pick up mites from anywhere. Learning how to kill mites is important for us. These parasites are so little that they can hitch a ride on you without you noticing. But, when they are on you, they bite, and some feed on your dead skin cells.
Perhaps the scarier ones are those that live with you! Some types of mites live in the house and feed on you or animals around the house. These mites bite, while those that don’t, like the dust mite, cause allergies. Unfortunately, mites multiply fast, so they are hard to kill. But there are several ways to kill mites and get rid of them.
In this article, we will discuss the following:
- What are mites?
- 3 common household mites
- How to kill mites and get rid of them in the house
What are Mites?
Mites are tiny arthropods that grow to about 1mm or less. They feed on plants, insects, fungi, animals, and humans alike. Some mites bite and feed on human dead skin cells. And some parasitic mites feed on humans when their animal host is dead. These mites mostly live in the house, but some live outdoors.
Others, like scabies mites, burrow under the skin, causing scabies. Most mites that are pests to humans cause skin irritation, itching, and rashes and can even cause breathing issues.
Common Household Mites
The most common types of mites in the house are:
House Dust Mites
House dust mites are the commonest mites you can find in the house. They live in dust and feed on dead human skin cells, called dander. As a result, it’s typical to find them in mattresses, bedding, and upholstery, where they hide in the dust.
Dust mites absorb water from the air, so they thrive in humid houses. They don’t bite or live on humans but cause allergies and worsen asthma symptoms.
Bird Mites
Bird mites don’t live on humans. They live and feed on domestic and wild birds. They infest coops and bird nests and feed on their blood. A bird mite needs bird blood to complete its cycle.
Sometimes, they lose their host when it dies or leaves its nest. Such a situation forces them to move into the house, searching for a new host. They bite and feed on human blood after separating from their host. But bird mites will eventually die if they can’t find a bird host.
Rodent Mites
Rodent mites live on rodents. They are most common in rodent-infested houses. While they feed on rodents, they can be a problem for humans. Once separated from the rodent, they feed on human blood to survive.
Only three types of rodent mites bite humans; house mouse mites, spiny rat mites, and tropical rat mites. Their bites can cause itching, rashes, and other skin irritation. They can survive for weeks without their host but will die in the end.
How to Kill Mites and Get Rid of Them in the House
There’s no one-size-fits-all method because you may need different methods for different household mites. Hence, we will talk about the different solutions for each mite:
House Dust Mites
- Wash Your Bedding: Dust mites mostly harbor bedding and mattresses. Regular washing of your bedding will get rid of them. To kill them, wash them on a hot cycle of at least 130°F. Put other non-washable bedding in a plastic bag and place it in the freezer for 24 hours.
- Use Dust-proof Covers: Dust-proof covers with zippers trap mites between the mattress and the cover. They will eventually suffocate and die.
- Vacuum and Dust the Home: Vacuuming helps to remove dust and dust mites. Using a vacuum with a HEPA filter is preferable because it’s more efficient. You should also dust around the house often, at least once a week, to get rid of dust. Steam-cleaning upholstery and carpets can also kill mites.
- Maintain low humidity: Keep the humidity level in your house below 50% to get rid of dust mites. They love a humid environment, so low humidity won’t suit them.
Bird Mites
- Eliminate Nests: Bird mites invade your home from nearby bird nests. So, the best way to get rid of them is by removing the nests. Also, if they came from your poultry, ensure you treat your poultry.
- Vacuum: Vacuum your carpet, rugs, and upholstery to remove bird mites. Dump the vacuum bag or canister in the trash or wash it with hot water and soap to kill the mites. You can also place the bag in the freezer for 24 hours to kill the bird mites.
- Wash Bedding: Bird mites could still be on your bedding, so you need to wash them on a hot cycle. Wash your clothes as well.
- Use Miticide: Spray the house with an effective miticide. But, it’s best to hire a pest control service to handle the chemical aspect.
Rodent Mites
- Trap Rodents: Rodent mites will only infest your house if rodents are living with you. Thus, you must get rid of rodents before tackling the mites. Use traps to catch rats and other rodents in the house.
- Clean Infested Areas: Use a disinfectant and a damp rag to clean infested areas. Clean areas around where rodents live. Spiny rat mites often hide in cracks during the day, so clean these areas with bleach. Also, vacuum carpets, rugs, and upholstery in the house.
- Wash Clothes and Bedding: Wash your clothes and bedding on a hot cycle to get rid of any mites that may cling to them.
- Use Miticide: Getting rid of rodents may not kill rodent mites because they can live for a long time without their host. So you need to use miticide to kill them. Get a pest control service to help you with it.
Conclusion
Mites that live in the house feed on dead skin cells. Others feed on the blood of birds and rodents, but when their hosts die, they bite and feed on humans. These mites can cause health problems like allergies, itching, and skin irritation.
Once you have identified the type of mite you are dealing with, the next step is to think of how to kill them. You can do this by destroying their home, vacuuming, washing your bedding, and using chemical control.
Miteinfestaion.com blog was started to help others deal with the problems of Mites, bed bugs, fleas, ticks and other small, often unseen critters that give us problems. We hope these articles are a help to you as you deal with these types of issues. Any product or service we provide on these pages have been proven to work. We are solely reader supported so we may receive a small percentage as an affiliate of Amazon and other companies.