Dust mites are one of the most pervasive household threats, but there are measures that can be taken to limit their role in your family’s life.

The first step towards prevention is understanding the characteristics and living habits of the mite. The household dust mite, which is an off-white, globular arachnid, is too small for the human eye to detect. The average male dust mite has a life cycle of approximately 19-30 days, while a female can live up to two months and can continue laying eggs until her death.
The domestic impulse seems as second-nature to dust mites as it does to humans. The mites commonly take up residence in domiciles and thrive best in relatively humid conditions: mattresses, carpets and beddings particularly. In these contexts, the mites live off of dead human skin cells and the moisture released by human perspiration, saliva, and breathing.
While the mites do not bite or sting, they have been cited as a possible cause of dermatitis, asthma and rhinitis, particularly in children. It is thus extremely important that households are made as mite-free as possible.

Unfortunately, we have yet to find a successful way to entirely eradicate the mite population from a household. However, there are many small tasks that you can incorporate into your daily routine, which will greatly reduce the presence of mites.

In the bedroom, greater attention can be paid to your bedding. Mites enjoy hiding in bedding, so one solution would be to wash your bedcovers, blankets and sheets, at least once per week, in hot water. Additionally, damp dusting your mattress cover or, alternatively, buying a dust-proof zipped mattress cover will lower the infestation rate. Using fitted-sheets in your bedding would also help the problem.

Another good idea would be to replace down and feather pillows with ones filled with synthetic materials. Dust-proof zippered pillows would be an alternate way to help keep your pillows as dust-free as possible.
Because dust mites thrive best in relatively humid conditions, steps can be taken to limit the mite population by decreasing household humidity. De-humidifiers and air conditioners are viable options, and certain researchers also suggest air filtration systems that utilize a HEPA (”high efficiency particulate air”) filter. This filter has been designed to remove the dust mite allergen from the air.

HEPA filter-equipped vacuum cleaners have also been proven to more effectively decrease the mite level. Whichever vacuum cleaner you choose, it is essential to regularly vacuum household carpeted areas. As a more extreme option, you can replace your carpets with vinyl flooring, as the flooring is far less a breeding ground for mites than carpets.

To monitor your household’s level of mites, there are detection kits that are commercially available. These kits measure mite infestation levels from a series of samples collected from the household.

While researchers are still searching for a more comprehensive solution for eradicating the dust mite, this essay has hopefully given you the skills to, in your own daily routine, combat our small, unwanted insect neighbors.