Dust Mites Life Cycle
Dust Mites Life Cycle
You might think by their name that dust mites are mere specks of dirt that get into your sheets, bedding, and floors. Dust mites are nearly impossible to see due their translucent, short bodies. You might find the notion of dust mites dirtying your just washed sheets annoying, but otherwise consider them harmless. Dust mites are actually an invertebrate animal species classified as arachnids belonging to the same group as ticks. They sure can pack a powerful punch for people with allergies and asthma though, and even to people without such pre-existing conditions. Dust mites can cause many people and pets to suffer allergies, asthma, hay fever, skin conditions such as eczema, and other problems.
The unpleasant symptoms that can result from contact with dust mites, itchy, runny eyes and nose, sneezing, nasal pressure, congestion and coughing, skin rashes, headaches, fatigue, difficulty breathing, and other symptoms can disrupt normal sleeping patterns, and can even interfere with a person’s ability to function if their reaction after coming into contact with dust mites is severe enough. This can be especially dangerous for people already suffering from severe allergy conditions and respiratory disorders.
Improper ventilation, high levels of humidity, lack of an air conditioner or a fan, and smoke from cigarettes in homes can exasperate these symptoms by the way. Contact typically occurs by getting the waste products produced by dust mites on your skin such as when lie in bed, or by inhaling them from the air around you into your lungs. The average mattress infested with dust mites could have as many as a hundred thousand dust mites living on its surface and within the inner materials of the mattress. On average, the air that you breathe in your home contains several million particles and pollutants that can make you or someone in your household sick.
Male and female dust mites have differing life cycles. The typical life cycle of male dust mites is on average between ten to twenty days long. The typical life cycle of female dust mites on the other hand is much longer, and is on average between 60 to 75 days depending upon whether she is actively mating or not. Female dust mites that are not mating do not live as long., on average they live only about 55- to 60 days. Mature female dust mite can lay anywhere from 50 to a 100 eggs within the last 4 to 6 weeks of life. In as few as four weeks, dust mites progress from the larvae state and mature to adulthood. There are six phases in the life cycle of a dust mite. These are egg, larvae with six legs, a nymph with six legs, a nymph with eight legs (a phase that occurs twice) and adult. It does not take long for a large population of dust mites to form and begin wreaking havoc on your health and the health of other family members in the home.
During their life cycles, both male and female duct mites produce a substantial quantity of fecal matter. In gross semi-technical terms, a single dust mite may “poop” up to 20 or more times a day. They also expel undigested food particles that gather dust, and other pollutants from the air to help add to the amount of waste they produce that can make people sick.
We humans shed dead skin cells and hair every day and it these skin cells and hair that dust mites feed and thrive on and the average person sheds enough hair and skins cells every day to feed an entire battalion of dust mites numbering a million or more.
Dust mites like dark, humid places the best, although they are extremely adaptable to other living conditions and are found living almost everywhere around the world. Dehumidifying homes and using air conditioning systems in homes can help to reduce and eliminate dust mite populations.
If you develop, an allergy you have not previously experienced you may need to visit your doctor for testing to evaluate and determine whether your symptoms may be linked to an allergy to dust mites. Dust mites do not cause allergic reactions, asthma, and other unpleasant symptoms in everyone. In fact, some people may never have a reaction to the dust mites present in their living environment. Despite this, many people still prefer to rid dust mites from their living spaces and you can find helpful online resources for proven and effective methods for eradicating dust mites from your home. Allergy and Asthma sufferers may want to consider the possibility of a dust mite infestation as a cause for an increase in allergy outbreaks and asthmatic problems. Taking steps to clean dust mites from sheets and other bedding as well as from other surfaces around the house can help reduce allergy and asthma outbreaks for many of the people suffering from those conditions.
Locating Dust Mites
Dust mites are microscopic and can not be seen without the aid of a microscope.Â
However, if you were to look at one with a microscope, you would be shocked that they may be living in your house and more than likely, in your bed. The adult dust mite is almost translucent in color and has eight hairy legs. While they do not have any eyes, or antennae, they have a mouth-type part on the front of the body that looks like a head.
As you can not see the dust mites with the naked eye, you may never notice they are in your home unless you suspect them from your allergy symptoms. In order to determine if dust mites are living in your home, you would need to collect samples from your furniture and carpeting to be tested by someone who can recognize dust mites with the use of a microscope.
There are other tests now on the market to help you detect dust mites in your home. One test is shaped like a dipstick. This will actually test for the existence of dust mite waste or feces. This can help to determine the level of dust mites in your carpets and the test generally sells for under $10. If you do find that your home is harboring dust mites, there are powders and sprays on the market that will help you to kill them. These types of test kits can be found in many drug stores and shops that specialize in environmental control.