The most common bed mite is the house dust mite. Dust mites can be a problem in every city, in every building and in every apartment, whether clean or dirty. They are typically found in beds, pillows, upholstered furniture, carpets, or other places where people sleep or sit for long periods of time. Mites need a moist environment, which is why beds are a favorite place for the bugs to stay. We will explain to you how you can easily recognize mites in bed and then successfully combat them with home remedies. Be informed.
Adult mites live for one to three months and feed on a variety of foods such as dog food, grains, yeast, bacteria, animal hair and their favorite food - dead skin. They also like the skinof your pets. The bug is microscopic and does not bite. It absorbs moisture and can therefore become dehydrated. It can also live for 70 days and typically lays 20 eggs every 21 days.
If someone tells you that they have seen dust mites with the naked eye, they are probably mistaken. Dust mites cannot be seen with the naked eye. This is because they are barely 0.2-0.3 millimeters in size - they don't even grow to half a millimeter long. But since there are thousands and millions of them, you have to be able to see something, right? Exactly not. To make them even more difficult to detect, dust mites have a transparent exterior. So you can't see them even if they are in large clusters in one area. You can only see them under a microscope, and even then they look like tiny spider-like creatures.
However, there are several ways to detect mites. First, you can visit an immunologist and get an allergy test if you have allergy symptoms at home. This will help you determine if your home is crawling with these creatures. Second, you can purchase a home testing kit to determine if your home is infested with dust mites. Simply take some dust samples and follow the instructions on the test kit to quickly check for dust mites.
Mites in bed: symptoms and rash in people
Unlike other insects that can bite you, dust mites don't actually bite your skin. However, an allergic reaction to these annoying creatures can result in skin rashes that are often red and itchy. It is common and is usually caused by inhaling the mites.
If you have a dust mite allergy, symptoms can occur year-round. You may also notice that your symptoms are most severe during the hot, humid summer months. Common signs of a dust mite allergy include: sneezing, coughing, runny or stuffy nose, itchy and watery eyes, red and itchy skin, itchy throat. Depending on the severity of your dust mite allergy, this condition can also trigger asthma.
How can you fight the pests?
Freeze pillows
The good news is that it's easy to deal with dust mites and make your home virtually dust mite-free. First, you need to remove the bugs from the mattress by also removing mites from your sheets and pillowcases. This can be done by washing at high temperatures. The pillows themselves can be wrapped in a sealed plastic bag and placed in the freezer for at least 48 hours. Freezing kills the house dust mites.
Reduce humidity
Then start with the mattress. Lower the humidity in your bedroom, as dust mites require relatively high humidity to survive. If you turn on a dehumidifier and lower the humidity to around 35%, you create unfavorable conditions for the dust mites to survive. However, you should be careful with this method because a very low humidity of 35% can be quite uncomfortable for some people. In addition, this method does not remove dust mite feces from the mattress, and this is what causes allergies. In short, this method is only useful when combined with other methods that physically remove dust mites and their byproducts.
Mites in bed – use baking soda
You can also use household products to eliminate mites in bed. You need baking soda and a vacuum cleaner. This can work with a mattress with a fabric surface, such as an innerspring mattress. But don't try this directly on a latex or memory foam mattress. Mix 140 grams of baking soda with a few drops of an essential oil of your choice: take tea tree oil, for example.Sprinkle the baking sodaSimply apply it to the mattress and let it work for 15 minutes. Then vacuum everything with the vacuum cleaner to completely remove the baking soda. This will suck up the dust mites along with the baking soda. It is best to use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter as this effectively absorbs and controls dust mites. Using a normal vacuum cleaner will only spread the dust mites further.
The following prevention is important
To avoid having to fight mites in the future, keep the bedroom as dust-free as possible. Cover the bedding – mattress, pillows, box spring beds, duvet and duvet – with mite protection covers. Finally, we give you the following advice: washYour bed linenweekly in hot water.
