Our House
 advice

House Dust Mites & Dust Mite Allergy

- Control the allergy and the mite -

Summary: House dust, which is mostly made of dead skin cells, is food for a tiny mite called the house dust mite. These mites excrete an allergen that can make some people very sick.

Jack DeAngelis, PhD
OSU Ext. Entomologist (ret.)

What are house dust mites?

House dust mites are tiny (~1/50"), nearly colorless mites that feed on the organic debris, mostly dust, in our homes. Nearly all homes have some mites but obviously those homes with more dust are likely to have more dust mites. Dust mites live in the fabrics and textiles that trap dust such as carpets, mattresses, bedding, curtains, and so forth. These tiny mites would go unnoticed except for the fact that they can cause moderate to severe allergy in some people.

As homes are sealed tighter and tighter against the elements in order to conserve energy, house dust mites (Dermatophagoides spp.) become more of a problem. This page will help you get rid of, or at least more effectively deal with, these mites and the allergens they produce.

common misspellings: illuminate (eliminate) dust mites, dustmites
mold mites, closely related to dust mites

A mold mite (related to dust mites), Tyrophagus putrescentiae, magnified about 100x. USDA/ARS; Photo by Eric Erbe; digital colorization by Chris Pooley.
 

What is dust?

House dust is a mixture of ash, cloth fibers, hair, plant pollen, human and animal skin (dander), soil particles, and fungal spores. In many households, human skin flakes, alone, make up much of this debris. House dust mites use this debris as food. These tiny mites feed directly on the organic parts of house dust.

Where does the allergy come from?

What goes into the dust mite as a flake of skin comes out the other end as an allergen, capable of stuffing up your nose (rhinitis) or even causing a life-threatening asthma attack. House dust mites are not the only source of allergens in our indoor environment but they may be one of the most important.

Dust mite and allergy control

Dust mite allergy can be managed by a combination of:

  • reducing the number of dust mites
  • reducing the amount of allergen
  • medically treating the allergy; see your allergist

The number of dust mites and the allergen pool can be reduced by proper house cleaning. See this article for detailed information about dust mite allergy control. You can also reduce the amount of airborne allergen by using room air purifiers that employ HEPA filters. See this article for information about room air purifiers & dust mite allergies.

Related information: [Mites That Bite (pdf)] -- A number of very small mites may bite and cause skin lesions. Biting mites occur in very specific habitats such as bird and rodent nests.

 

The Pest Management Store

Identification guides, reference and gardening books, etc.

Google
If our information is useful, please click here to help maintain and grow 'Bugs!

Mission: To provide accurate, up-to-date and unbiased information for solving common insect and mite problems around your home, business and landscape using least-toxic methods.

Jack DeAngelis, Ph.D.

Please see the Disclaimer statements as well.
Copyright 2004-2009 LivingWithBugs, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Page Updated: 1/27/2009