The bed mite belongs to a type of arthropod of the class of arachnids. These are synanthropes (not to be confused with philanthropists) who feel great around people. On the Internet, bed mites are often identified with saprophytes. But this is not true, despite the fact that the word “saprophyte” has two roots of Greek origin, translated meaning “rot” and “plant”. In professional terminology, synanthrope is a microorganism that feeds on the organic matter of dead cells and processes it into products of its vital activity.
But saprophytes also feed directly on dead bed mites and their secretions, and mites only feed on human skin cells.
Almost all saprophytes do not cause any harm to humans, since they live in the lungs, intestines, on mucous and skin surfaces, without causing any harm. But bed mites are classified as saprophages.
Bed mite: photo
Bed mites, also called dust mites and linen mites, pose a serious danger to humans because the bites of linen and bed bugs can cause severe allergy symptoms and aggravate health conditions.
The habitat and breeding area for linen mites, which are microscopic parasites, is mainly bed linen, which must be washed regularly to get rid of the parasites themselves and their feces. It is necessary to regularly wash not only bedding, but also mattresses, children's soft toys, carpets and other products in which the female linen mite can lay eggs, after which entire populations of the pest appear. Although the symptoms of bites from microscopic individuals of furniture and bed mites are also difficult to see with the naked eye, parasite excrement, as well as some other signs, will be clear confirmation that pests live in the house, lay eggs, reproduce and lead active life activities, representing real household pests and household allergen.
Pests feed on microscopic particles of human skin, so populations of feather mites prefer to live in bedding and things hidden in closets. If feces of dust microscopic arachnid scabies mites are detected or allergic symptoms appear, you should immediately carry out a wet cleaning of all rooms, trying to identify places where parasites and arachnid populations accumulate. To destroy dust mites, linen mites, bed mites and bed bugs, as well as other parasites, it is important to use only effective drugs, because mites are paratic and prefer to bite a person at any time and in any place.
How to treat a tick bite?
Reactions on the skin caused by contact with a tick must be eliminated with special medications. Also of great importance in reducing the appearance of stains on the epidermis is proper care of bed linen and the elimination of linen mites.
First aid
If there is a skin reaction, the following treatment methods should be performed first:
- take an antihistamine;
- apply a cream to the skin that will eliminate unpleasant symptoms, for example Fenistil;
- If the skin is swollen, apply a cold compress.
Let's celebrate! In cases where the allergic reaction occurs in complex forms, it is necessary to contact a medical institution to prescribe intravenous injections.
Drug treatment
To eliminate unpleasant symptoms, you must use the following medications:
- Diazolin - quickly reduces unpleasant allergy symptoms and eliminates skin rashes.
- Suprastin - used even for small children, has a rapid antihistamine effect on the body, eliminates itching and tearing.
- Tavegil is recommended for use when the body’s reaction to ticks is minor. It has a slow property of reducing unpleasant symptoms and does not cause side symptoms.
- Fenistil - reduces unpleasant symptoms, has a cooling effect, and prevents the further development of an allergic reaction.
- Zinc ointment – eliminates redness and unpleasant symptoms.
- Bepanten - the product is used to restore the skin, reduces the unpleasant symptoms of itching and swelling.
Note! It is recommended to use medications immediately after detecting symptoms of an allergic reaction on the skin.
Traditional methods
To reduce skin discomfort, you can use the following effective alternative treatment methods:
- Vinegar. Apply a small amount of vinegar to cotton wool and wipe the affected area. Carry out the procedure every 2 hours until symptoms disappear.
- Ice. Apply ice to the bite site; this procedure reduces swelling and itching.
- Tea. The used tea bag should be applied to the bite and left for half an hour, securing it with a bandage.
- Apply propolis. The use of propolis can relieve unpleasant symptoms and eliminate swelling. A small amount of propolis must be rubbed into the skin.
- Soda. Prepare a paste of water and soda and apply to the epidermis, leave until completely dry.
Let's celebrate! The use of traditional treatment methods can quickly reduce unpleasant symptoms. However, before starting therapy, a test should be performed to determine the individual response to the components. To do this, apply a small amount of the product to the wrist area and leave for a while.
Dust and bed mites: description and what they look like
The dust mite, or bed mite, is a microscopic parasite whose body size is approximately 0.1-.23 mm. Bed mites, photos of which are presented in various sources, are precisely those parasites, also called dust mites, photos of which can also be seen on the Internet. Unlike other insects and pests, house dust mites cannot inflict dangerous bites on humans or animals, but allergies to dust mites often appear even in those whose bodies are healthy, strong and with strong immunity.
Ideal conditions for the reproduction of house dust mites are temperatures ranging from 18 to 25 degrees and high humidity. During her life, lasting 65-80 days, a female dust mite, a photo of which can be seen on researchers’ websites, lays hundreds of clutches of eggs, and each of them can contain 60 or more eggs.
Due to the fact that house dust mites are microscopic in size, they are difficult to detect visually. This is why dust mite allergies appear in family members, seemingly without any visible signs. Although a bite from bed mites cannot cause harm to a person, house dust mites thrive in bedding, and dying particles of human skin are an ideal place of residence for dust mites.
Dust mites can easily settle not only in used bedding, but also in new pillows, mattresses, sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases. For this reason, the fight against dust mites begins with prevention, when before using new bedding, it is washed or treated with hot steam, which helps to destroy dust mites.
Another habitat for house dust mites is animal fur, in which they also settle and actively reproduce. To prevent your pets from developing an allergy to dust mites, dust mites can be controlled by regularly bathing cats and dogs, as well as brushing them.
Living conditions of linen mites
Ticks belong to the class of synanthropes, that is, living directly with people. There is a misconception that ticks, like bedbugs, bite through human skin to feed on blood. And redness and itching are consequences of bites. It's a delusion.
Redness is an allergy to waste from the functioning of the body of insects. And mites feed on keratinized skin and human dandruff, not blood. One individual “supplies” the parasite with one and a half grams of “food” per day, which is quite enough for the bugs to live a normal life. To be happy, parasites also need high humidity and a positive temperature of around 25 degrees. In such conditions, insects live for 2-2.5 months, laying several hundred eggs per cycle.
Ticks live exclusively at home, right next to people. The feces of these parasitic insects are rich in special proteins that have a destructive effect on the skin. They also contain an antigen called P1, which is responsible for allergic reactions.
House bedding and dust mites – what harm can they cause?
Bed mites, photos of which people send from all parts of the globe, are a real pandemic. In any house or apartment, domestic dust mites find favorable conditions for life and reproduction, and their only enemies are severe frosts and direct rays of the sun.
During sleep and rest, approximately 1 g of dead skin particles falls from the body of an adult every week, which is a real feast for dust mites, photos of which can only be examined in detail under a microscope. Like any other living creature, after eating, house dust mites begin to defecate, and the substances contained in the excrement of these small pests cause dust mite allergies. Therefore, painful redness on the surface of a person’s skin is not a consequence of a bed mite bite, but a real allergy to a dust mite. In the case of sensitive people whose bodies are weakened or predisposed to allergies to dust mites, their influence can cause more serious and dangerous diseases.
Linen mite - destroying parasites with folk remedies
Many people want to know how to get rid of ticks. But not many people agree to use chemical compounds in their apartments. That is why they resort to more gentle folk wisdom, but no less effective.
The most drastic of them is the complete replacement of pillows, mattresses, blankets, furniture upholstery, and the removal of soft toys. If the pillows are stuffed with feathers and down, you need to take them out, place them in a canvas bag, immerse it in a solution of laundry soap and ammonia for four hours.
Find out more: Ticks - why bites are dangerous. Symptoms and consequences
Afterwards the feathers are rinsed and dried in the sun. Also, ticks are extremely sensitive to saline solutions with acaricides and disinfectants with natural elements.
Folk compositions also include compositions prepared from various natural ingredients, as well as various herbs, the smell of which forces pests to leave the home:
- turpentine;
- kerosene;
- cresol;
- ammonia;
- laundry soap;
- denatured alcohol;
- vinegar;
- wormwood, tansy.
The above products in their pure form are used to treat furniture, nooks, and baseboards. Leave the composition on the surface for at least 8 hours. True, you will have to leave the apartment at this time.
Freshly cut herbs are brought into the house and bunches are placed in the favorite places of parasites.
Linen mite. After getting rid of ticks, you should keep the rooms clean, reduce humidity, use ultraviolet lamps, and ventilate the rooms more often. Natural pillows and blankets should be replaced with synthetic ones, and fabric furniture upholstery with leather or leatherette.
Signs of bed mites in your home
The best and most accurate way to determine that bed mites have appeared in the house, photos of which are familiar to many, is to conduct laboratory tests. But considering that this opportunity is not available to all of us, the following signs will allow us to identify the appearance of house dust mites and fight against dust mites:
- The appearance of lumpy reddish spots on the skin of household members, without traces of a bite from bed mites;
- Increased body temperature for no reason;
- Regular sneezing and irritation of the mucous membrane, which is one of the signs of a dust mite allergy;
- Difficulty breathing and wheezing in the lungs are also a sign of dust mite allergy.
If such signs are observed in one or more family members, it means that house dust mites have settled in the house, so the destruction of dust mites should be carried out immediately.
Ways to combat dust mites
Since dust mites in residential areas are not a new phenomenon, there are also many ways to independently combat these parasites. Among the most common methods of combating dust mites used by home and apartment owners are:
- Regular dry cleaning of mattresses, blankets and high-pile carpets, carried out to combat dust mites, every year;
- Ironing items that are not completely dried on both sides;
- Daily wet thorough cleaning;
- Weekly washing of bedding and accessories that may contain dust mites;
- The use of woven paths in the house, instead of luxurious carpets, in which house dust mites often settle;
- Thorough cleaning of upholstered furniture;
- Regular ventilation of all rooms, as well as maintaining a humidity level not higher than 40%, which prevents the appearance and reproduction of house dust mites;
- Using bedding and accessories made from synthetic padding or other artificial materials;
- Daily bathing and thorough brushing of pets, even those who are not walked outside.
Since the main habitat for dust mites is hidden places with a large amount of dust or things, it is important to carry out regular cleaning in the apartment, especially in places where a large number of them are stored.
Despite the fact that such methods and methods of combating dust mites are often also effective in many homes and apartments, sometimes they are not enough to get rid of these microscopic parasites completely. In this case, home owners will need to focus on the choice of special preparations designed to effectively combat dust mites, presented on the market by well-known manufacturers. Among the most well-known drugs that have proven effective in the fight against dust mites are:
- Special products for cleaning carpets with an anti-dust mite effect;
- Acaricidal aerosols against bed and dust mites;
- Sprays against bed ticks;
- Special additives for washing, practical in the fight against dust mites.
The purchase of such drugs should be focused on the individual living conditions and the complexity of the situation with the reproduction of bed mites. It is best if one or more of these drugs are recommended by experts in the field of pest control and dust mite control.
These are the specialists who work in our company, known as a professional team providing high-quality bed mite control services. Today we are ready not only to recommend the most effective preparations and means of combating dust mites, but we are also ready to carry out this work with a guarantee of quality and at an attractive price for most clients.
Temperature treatment of the room
The linen mite, unlike most known parasites, is able to live in a wide range of temperatures. These insects are resistant to very low temperatures, withstanding short drops in temperature down to -20 degrees. True, if linen mites attacked your home in a cold winter, then individual elements of furniture (shelves, mattresses, chairs and tables) can be left outside for a couple of hours and frozen well.
But it is worth understanding that the dangerous risk of reappearance of linen mites from such procedures, alas, will certainly remain. You can effectively freeze the room completely by leaving the windows open for a day or two.
But such measures may well disrupt the functioning of various plumbing systems. Heating can eliminate linen mites much faster, but not everything in the house can be treated at very high temperatures - 50 degrees or more.
