Dust Mite Control Products

Dealing with indoor allergies? You might have a dust mite problem. Dust mites are tiny, microscopic bugs that live in dust-filled indoor areas and feed on shed human skin. Depending on person’s individual allergic tendencies, dust mites can induce a number of allergic reactions ranging from mild to severe. On this page, our pest control professionals here at EcoClear Products discuss dust mites, their characteristics and preferred habitats, associated human health risks, and treatment options. Read on for more information, and shop eco-friendly and highly-effective Stop Bugging Me!™ dust mite control products with our team today!

Dust Mites: What Are They, and Why Are They a Problem?

Among the many insect pests around the world, few are more common or more insidious than dust mites. These tiny arthropods inhabit areas where there is ample dust and enough human skin to feed on. Unfortunately for us humans, it doesn’t take much of either of these things to incite a dust mite infestation. That’s because these bugs are only a fraction of millimeter in length. A daily deposit of shed skin from a single human can feed over a million dust mites. There are at least 13 confirmed species of dust mites, each of which thrives in temperatures of 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity levels of 40 to 80 percent. In other words, the average room.

Though tiny, dust mites can be a big problem—especially for those with allergies. Both the bodies and droppings of dust mites are allergens for a large percentage of the population. (Large dust mite infestations can cause issues for those who are not allergic as well.)

Dust mite allergy symptoms include:

  • Sneezing

  • Runny nose

  • Irritated and watery eyes

  • Itchy and irritated skin

  • Coughing

If you have asthma, dust mites can also trigger asthmatic symptoms, including:

  • Breathing difficulties

  • Chest tightness or pain

  • Whistling or sheezing sound when exhaling

  • Trouble sleeping due to shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing

Temperature fluctuations and low humidity levels will kill dust mites, but the husks and droppings they leave behind can still cause allergic reactions. For this reason, the dust mite treatment solution you choose should neutralize dust mite allergens after exterminating dust mites. You can learn more about dust mite treatment options below.

Identifying a Dust Mite Infestation in Your Home or Business

As mentioned above, dust mites are microscopic in size and cannot be seen with the naked eye. If you think you may have a dust mite infestation in your home or business, you’ll have to look for signs that are a little easier to spot. Many signs of a dust mite infestation are actually physical symptoms caused by the allergens emit from dust mite bodies. The signs include:

  • Runny or itchy nose

  • Postnasal drip

  • Itchy skin

  • Congestion

  • Sinus pressure (often accompanied by facial pain)

  • Itchy, watery, or red eyes

  • Scratchy throat

  • Cough

If you want to definitively determine whether you have dust mites in your home or business, you’ll need to invest in a microscope to glimpse the buggers firsthand. You don’t need to spend an arm and a leg on your microscope — you just need a device that is capable of at least 10x magnification. (Dust mites are between 250 and 300 microns long, which means they’re only a fraction of a millimeter in size.) Once you have your microscope, collect a small dust sample from your floor or your furniture. (If you suspect you have dust mites on your skin, you can also use a piece of clear tape to pull them off and obtain a sample.) After obtaining your sample, examine it for dust mites underneath your microscope. You’re looking for small, translucent, 8-legged bugs. You may also be able to glimpsed dust mites feces, which will appear as small rectangular pellets underneath your microscope.

Dust Mite Prevention Tips

The best kind of dust mite infestation is one that never happens. Follow these tips to prevent dust mites from settling in your home or business:

Preventing Bed Bugs: Tips for Your Home or Business

While bed bugs are one of the most prolific pests in the world, there are still several steps that can be taken to prevent them. Follow these tips to help keep your home or business bedbug-free.

  • Clean your floors regularly.

    Dust mites feed on shed human skin. Where does most shed human skin end up? That’s right: the floor. By sweeping and mopping regularly, you can rid your indoor space of dust mites’ primary food source.

  • Reduce humidity in your space.

    Dust mites thrive in spaces with humidity levels of 40 to 80 percent. If your home or business sits within this range, consider investing in a dehumidifier to make your space inhospitable to dust mites.

  • Wash your clothing and bedding as frequently as possible.

    Clothes and bed sheets come into contact with human skin quite frequently. If they’re not washed regularly, they can collect shed skin, dust, and other debris over time. This fosters the perfect habitat for dust mites. By washing your bedding and clothing as frequently as possible, you can help keep them squeaky-clean and dust mite-free.

  • Reduce clutter, everywhere.

    Clothes and bed sheets come into contact with human skin quite frequently. If they’re not washed regularly, they can collect shed skin, dust, and other debris over time. This fosters the perfect habitat for dust mites. By washing your bedding and clothing as frequently as possible, you can help keep them squeaky-clean and dust mite-free.

  • Wash your clothing and bedding as frequently as possible.

    Clutter collects dust. Dust includes shed human skin and other organic material that feeds dust mites. Thus, clutter contributes to dust mite infestations. By reducing clutter in your home or business, you’ll make it harder for dust to collect, which will make it harder for dust mites to invade, eat, reproduce, and make themselves at home.

  • Clean your air.

    Keeping your air clean by regularly servicing your HVAC system and investing in a good filter can help reduce dust in your space. In the event that you do have dust mites, it can also reduce the amount of airborne allergens emitted by these microscopic pests.

     

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How to Kill Dust Mites

Controlling dust mite infestations means both eradicating existing populations and removing dust mite habitat. As dust mites need dust, humidity, and human skin to live, taking these necessities away from an indoor environment should, in principle, take care of its dust mite problem. However, in practice, dust mite treatment is often easier said than done. As mentioned above, it doesn’t take much dust to give thousands of dust mites a home. It also doesn’t take much human skin. While persistent cleaning can work to eliminate and prevent dust mites, it often needs to be supplemented with a safe and effective insecticide treatment. At EcoClear Products, we have just the thing. To take care of existing dust mite populations, we recommend using our Stop Bugging Me!™ product line for dust mites.

Dust Mite Control and Prevention With Stop Bugging Me!™ From EcoClear Products

Preventing future dust mite problems centers on keeping your space as clean as possible. Dust mites feed off shed human skin. By regularly vacuuming, sweeping, and mopping your floors, you will remove this primary food source before dust mites have a chance to feed. Dust mites also prefer to live among dirt and dust. Regular cleaning will keep this habitat to a minimum.

Committed to industry-leading insect control and unwavering eco-friendliness, our engineers here at EcoClear Products have developed a full line of pest control products specially-designed to treat and prevent microscopic pests like bed bugs and dust mites.

Our Stop Bugging Me!™ product line features solutions like Stop Bugging Me!™ for Bed Bugs, a topical spray that can be used on bedding, clothing, and other objects for fast and effective treatment of both bed bugs and dust mites.

Stop Bugging Me!™ Laundry Additive—an eco-friendly formulation that can be used with all types of laundry—is perfect for extra control on clothing an other washable fabrics. Made from naturally-derived ingredients and safe for people, pets, and wildlife, our Stop Bugging Me!™ products are perfect for lasting dust mite treatment and prevention in any indoor setting.

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