Dust mites (Dermatophagoides farinae) are often called spider mites. These very small arachnids are off white in color, shaped like a globe and can have an average life span of a month and known to live up to 3 months!
Because dust mites are so small the human eye alone can not detect them; To see a dust mites, you’ll need a basic microscope. Females dust mites are larger than their male counterpart and can lay anywhere from 1 to three eggs per day.
* According to controversial article by William F. Lyon written for the Extension Service at Ohio State University, a typical used mattress may have anywhere from 100,000 to 10 million mites inside!
It goes on to state that 10% of the weight in a pillow that is two years old can be composed of dead mites and their waste. One more disturbing finding was that when you open your shades and see that beam of light with a ton of floating objects, eighty percent of it are flakes from your skin!
In as little as a month, a dust mite can reach adulthood and thrive best in damp material, such as towels, clothes or a mattress.
Dust mites love dead skin and some of the best repositories of dead skin are bed covers, blankets, anything made of cloth, dust and more.
Higher then normal humidity levels can also contribute to dust mites.
Dust mites are commonly thought of as causing dermatitis, asthma and rhinitis. Small children are also said to run the risk of asthma if exposed to the feces of dust mites. For example, if you sleep on a mattress containing a large amount of dust mites, you’ll notice red itchy bumps. These bumps are a result of your skin reacting to the allergen of the dust mite.
Controlling Dust Mites
Dust mites can cause a variety of health problems and while there is no way to completely eliminate the dust mites, controlling them can reduce a person’s risk of suffering from the health problems associated with an infestation of dust mites. This article is an overview of measures you can take to control the dust mite population in your home.
While you sleep, dust mites are hiding in your bedding. There are several things that can be done to reduce the dust mites in your bedding. The simplest solution is to wash bedding such as bedcovers, blankets and sheets once per week in hot water.
For pillows, it is recommended that you replace feather and down pillows with ones that are have synthetic materials as a filling. Alternatively, you can your regular pillow covers with dust-proof zippered ones.
Dust Mite
As stated before, washing blankets and other bedding once a week will help control dust mites in your bed. Also, replace wool blankets with cotton or nylon.
One the more cost effective ways to control dust mites is to damp dust the plastic mattress cover on your bed. Alternative ways to prevent a dust mite infestation is to buy dust-proof zipped mattress covers. Research also shows that covering your mattress with fitted-sheets helps slow the accumulation of skin scales; this is a low-cost alternative to dust-proof mattress covers.
Carpeting is another breeding ground for dust mites, but there is help. Vacuuming carpeting areas regularly helps control dust mite populations. It is also recommended that a vacuum equipped with a HEPA filter when vacuuming the carpet, because the filter will trap allergens. Replacing carpeting with vinyl flooring
Dust mites thrive in high humidity conditions, but this can be controlled through de-humidifiers and air conditioners. To remove dust mite allergen from the air, researchers suggest an air filtration system, but especially ones that use a HEPA filter.
Detecting Dust Mites
Dust mites could be a source of allergens in your home, and detecting dust mites is the first step to controlling them. There are several dust mite detection kits commercial available. We focus on commonly used detection methods for dust mites.
Several of the dust mite detection kits measure the presence of dust mite allergens inside of samples collected from the entire home. The combined collected samples, with indicator chemical agents, tell the user about the infestation levels in the home.
A person may also detect the presence of dust mites by putting a small amount of dust on the surface of water then examining it under 20 times magnification with a microscope. The reason a microscope is needed is because dust mites are too small to be seen with the naked eye.
Using this method requires sufficient technical knowledge and microscope with the required magnification.
RE bug problems everybody…… It seems to me mother nature is fighting back.After all the chemicals we humans have used for to man years.The whole solution is to use a natural ways to clean our home.I advise liquid allergy medicine like you buy for children.It is fast acting an my brother n law whose a nurse recommends it. Lets all invest in using a steam cleaner on our beds.And then encasing or mattress with allergen encasement’s sold at Walmart and at sears, Kmart etc. I read that the steamer needs to reach boiling degrees of 240 Fahrenheit in order to kill bed bugs, mites etc.
I just discovered we have bed bugs! I am so not happy right now. So Saturday I plan to go shopping for those zippered box spring an mattress covers. An I have a carpet steamer but am planning to purchase a portable cheaper model hand held steamer. I have been up washing laundry all day an night.Reading different articles trying to decide what to do next.Well I went against my own beliefs an used a flogger that is intended for bed bugs mites . I found that it killed them. I saw an examined dead bugs on our bed.Might I add I just bought not even two years ago. I don’t want to have to spend 2000.00 we don’t have to buy a new one! Oatmeal baths are good for itchiness.And Eucern cream or cortisone cream. And invest in big air cleaners for your bedroom an living room.
thought I’m being eating by bed bug can not find any, now I think it dust mites itchy skin red circle clean the furniture lots of dust what so you all think?
for the last two week I been itchy thought I was bed bug but did not find any my next thought is dust mites. It look like something is eating on me have little circle on my leg, back, neck and arm. like to know you all think
Three words : No Pest Strip. Look it up.
Hi Dasi,
One year ago, I had dustmite bites all over my body especially my legs & feet. It was so bad that I could get 2-4 bites per night. Then, I changed my mattress to anti-dustmite mattress. But after six months, the dustmite came back again. Coincidentally, a friend introduced me a hydro-cleaning suction machine. It can suck out the dust and dead skin cells together with the dustmites.
After sucking, I could see a powder cum bubbles form of dirt floating in the water inside the machine.
Now I try to suck my mattress every weekend, and I don’t have dustmite bites anymore. Thanks to my friend and the suction machine. The machine brand is Rainbow and is made in USA. It can be used for air purifier as well which can help my husband ‘s sinus.
I am also being bitten by some invisible biting mite. They seem to love my right hand and arm, but bite me all over. As soon as I lay on the bed, I can feel them attacking me. I threw out my entire bed and am sleeping on an air mattress with a memory foam topper. I have washed my sheets in borax, dried all my pillows in the dryer, steam cleaned my carpet, all clothes are in garbage bags, but still get bitten throughout the day. I have sheets over my chairs and couches which helps a bit. I have put diatomaceous earth and borax powder in the carpets. I bombed with a flea/bed bug pesticide which made the problem much worse. (this was recommended by the exterminator in the complex)
I take showers and scrub with neem oil, tea tree oil and Dr. Bronner’s soap. If I make a paste of diatomaceous earth and rub it all over my body at night, then I don’t get bit. The bites are very teeny tiny and are usually clustered together. I am doing an internal cleanse as well, taking herbs and eating tons of garlic. I heard that excess yeast on our skin attracts mites, so rubbing with hydrogen peroxide is supposed to help. I notice when I turn my heater on, the mite problem is much worse. I have a 2 1/2 year old who wakes up at night scratching like crazy, and I have only found 2 bites on her. I have at least 30-40 bites on me from the last 3 weeks. I know they aren’t bedbugs because I get bit all day, especially bad as soon as I lay on the bed or sit on the carpet.
Honestly, I have spent so much money on many different products and very little is helping so far.
One study found that feather pillows are in fact better than synthetic, contrary to the advice on this page.
Has anyone had my problem – these insects/mites seem to have wool around them and are black? They are happy to be around pubic area/backside and under arms, but do feel them crawling around my back sometimes. I am being treated for scabies but these little pests still will not leave me alone. Drive me crazy after being in bed a few hours or so but have put clothes on and felt them on the move! Talked to pest control companies and they say they are just bits of wool, but they are in my bed after I’ve showered and I have found them all over the bed when I leap out!
Desperate, but intend talking to another pest control agent tomorrow.
Okay, here is a revision to yesterday’s post. Saw my new dermatologist yesterday and he does not feel steroid shots are a very good thing. He said they are bad for the bones, stay in your system a long time, etc, hence, no shot. He suggested I use Clobetasol Propionate Cream .05%, two to three times a day on the rash, rather than the Cortaid, as Clobetasol is much stronger. Clobetasol is by prescription only. I am to use this for two to three weeks and the Dr. feels this will clear up the area – if not I am to schedule a return visit. I can apply the ITCH-X Gel over the Clobetasol – thank goodness. When I mentioned the dust mites there was skepticism on the doctor’s part – I know better. He said, if dust mites, the allergic reaction could be caused by their feces or urine – he didn’t comment on bites. I will write again if I get any further information….Good luck all!
I am so glad to have found this site. My husband thinks certain fabrics used in clothing not dust mites is my problem, but since I am the one being bitten, stung, or whatever it is these little devils do, I know better. As a point of interest, my husband can spend time in a dusty room and nothing happens to him, this leads me to believe that only certain people are allergic to dust mites. I was fine until I recently spent several hours in a dusty room. Two days later – oh, boy. I have broken out in white welts and a red rash – usually behind and around one of my knees. The area is so itchy!!! And, once you start to scratch it it just makes the area itch all the more. I have treated the area with Cortaid cream and ITCH-X (over the counter). The ITCH-X will give you relief for three hours – what a blessing. When the outbreaks are overwhelming I go to the dermatologist and get a steroid shot. I’m headed to the dermatologist today for the shot! This will knock the dust mite allergic reaction out of me and I will be okay for several months. Good luck to all of you who are so skin sensitive. This is a horrific problem felt only by the victims.
I have itching in the bikini area for about 4+ years and the skin doctors advised to use Vaseline.
I tried about 20 types of treatments from normal oil to hydrocartisones.
Lastly tried the selsun which is sulpher shampoo
Now not much itchy (but still there) but I can see somethings moving under bikini area and making my issue very worse
Anyone in same situation and found a solution?
Recently found in google that Neem products are good pesticides which will keep away this bloody bugs where ever they are come from bed or animals etc.
So will try Neem oil and cream and post my comment back here in few weeks with results as
I am in very bad condition with this problem and need to sort out this as of emergency and no more can trust the doctors for whom we need to wait for months to get appointments in this country (UK) and after that they say there is nothing in there and you are fine (They are called specialist and get paid top salary to say this)
OK, so here’s my question. I woke up the other day and put on my glasses. I noticed a speck of dust on my glasses that was MOVING! It was the size of a spec of dust, but once I see it moving I of course realized it was not dust. I took of my glasses and could hardly see it, but it was visible. It was so tiny I would never be able to see it if I were looking for it. I tried to put it on my finger so I could look closer at it, but that was not possible as it disappeared. Not knowing what this was, and HATING ANY kind of bugs, I bought three Raid concentrated bug bombs and set them all off in my bedroom. It was very strong 4 hours later, so I opened the windows and placed two fans in there for 6 hours. Knowing nothing could live in there after that, I figured I killed ANYTHING that was in there. Next morning, (today) I wake up, put on my glasses and there are TWO of these things on my lens again!!! (I can only see them because they are inches away from my eyes, ON my glass lens) WOW, what can live through 3 bug bombs? Once again, these are teeny tiny things. Once again I tried to put one on my finger, but once I do, it’s too small to see. I would say they are whitish though. I am thinking the only way I could see these better is with a microscope. And I don’t have that. Does anyone know if you can see these like I do? On my glasses lens placed up to my eyes? Can they survive three bombs and be ‘seen’ the next day? Thanks
DUST MITE KILLER! I had the same problem and used food grade diatomaceous earth (DE) which is all natural and can get at any feed and supply store. It’s the same stuff that products like Dustmitex use, they just package it in a fancy container. Save yourself a ton of money and just buy DE and sprinkle it on your carpet, or if you need spray, mix with water.
Jenny
This is about dust mites! I posted July 7, 2010 and at the time, though my problem was eliminated. Well, the mattress cover, over the old mattress did not work. I ended up taking up the carpet, putting down linoleum, repainting, new mattress, box springs, no curtains, only blinds, and STILL could not get rid of them.
It is now December 11, 2010, and we are both still battling these mites. However, we were able to stop them in two of her carpeted rooms, which we’ve quarantined off so as not to reinfect them, with a product called DustMiteX. You spray it on with a common garden sprayer, and it is sticky. You leave it dry slowly (over days) and I think it works by sticking them when they try to get out of the carpet. Anyway, after it dried, we vacuumed it all up and re-coated the carpets.
My mom goes in those rooms only to empty her dehumidifier, and she says she doesn’t feel any of the mites. Now, for people who say “DUST MITES DON’T BITE”….I agree that they don’t bite, because the sores on my mother’s legs are not any deeper than the skin. However, they do “strip” the skin off you if it is dry, and because she is on coumadin, she bleeds, and gets scabs.
I don’t know if they fly, but they ARE carried by dust, shaking bed clothes, moving things, etc. She feels them going up her nose sometimes, and she says it feels like they are crawling. I bought her an Air Purifier that she keeps in her bedroom and her kitchen, and it does help. She does her bed clothes daily, and showers a couple times a day.
BUT the most effective way I’ve had at getting rid of them is STEAMING! You can actually HEAR them POP when you hit them with a burst of HOT STEAM!. Now, mind you, this is a long and drawn out process with a small steamer, but the larger ones are so expensive. However, it has helped a LOT!
I wish you all luck with yours. But my questions is are these dust mites the same ones I’ve lived with all my life, or have they mutated into some hellish, impossible to deter, monsters? If you have any other suggestions, I’m all ears.
Thanks for listening from me and my “friends.”
Hi,
As a student who lives in the dorms of my school, I have had to deal with dust mites too often.
When the maintenance guys come over and spray the room, it helps, they either die, or they left; at least we didn’t get bit for at least a week.
What I noticed, though, purely by accident, was that when I ate a lot of garlic (I cooked my meal with a whole one, not one or two cloves) after about twenty four hours, I did not get bit anymore.
Pretty much the same effect as giving your dog garlic to eat; you start to pass it through the skin, repelling everything from vampires to dust mites. And you feel great to boot (health wise).
So the short fix, is eat a lot of garlic, until you can have your place professionally sprayed.
I’ve done it for over two years successfully; my roommates who didn’t like the garlic solution did get bitten while I breezed through it.
I recently moved into an extended stay hotel as I relocated for a job. I started going through all the same stuff mentioned above. Itchy everywhere, couldn’t sleep, even thought I had head lice.
Here’s what helped.
1) if possible vacuum the carpet in the room where you sleep often (3 times a week for 2 weeks then just once a week).
2) get a cheap plastic mattress allergy cover and allergy pillow-case covers. Put them on your mattress and pillows. Wash your bedding.
3) THIS is the most important.
SHOWER BEFORE YOU GO TO BED and then put a cream body moisturizer (even a cheap one from CVS or Walmart will do) from your toes to your neck. Let the moisturizer dry on your body , before you put on your bedclothes. Within 3 days of moisturizing my skin these dust mites seemed to lose interest in biting me. I still feel them occasionally jumping on my ankles from the carpet, but they aren’t biting anymore. Also the ones trapped under the plastic mattress protector are gone for good, as well as the ones under the pillow protector, because they can’t get out to harass me anymore.
Keep vacuming and keep moisturizing your body. TRUST ME it works.
I have read all the comments about dust mites . I too itch at night , but never have the rash that everyone speaks of. I can see little white specks on my sheets and feel something bite me . Sometimes I find the specks on my body. Is this dust mites?
How do I know for sure if I have mites or bedbugs?
I get itchy at night in bed. Don’t see anything.
I do see some little tiny white specks on my sheet – it might be my own skin though!
I have some marks on my body – but they don’t look like the bedbug bites you see in online photos. Someone told me there are all different kinds of bites, which confuses me more.
I am lost here. Help please!
I live in England. I have about 7 big bites on my legs and 3 on my stomach and 4 on my face and neck. I don’t know what these are but they look just like spider bites, but I haven’t seen a spider in my house for years! even small ones! Please help me figure it out,
thanks!
Great comments! After a bit of research, I’ve concluded that I and my indoor only cat are suffering from dust mites & their bites. My cat goes where I go at home – bed… couch… Her intense scratching got my attention, so I mentioned it to my vet. He suggested that I start applying a flea & tick preventative. At the time, I decided against his suggestion, as I am opposed to using chemicals like that. Also, it didn’t dawn on me, at the time, that it could be dust mites. Anyway, I’ve begun bathing her. I used to bath my previous cats, until I read in a newer pet care book that bathing them was not necessary. I, now, disagree. I wouldn’t bath her every day, but I’m thinking of doing it every month or every other month, during warm weather. Even quarterly would have to help. I think it’s too cold in the winter to bath her. Anyway, the bathing gave her immediate relief. But, it hasn’t been a permanent solution for either of us. I may look for or make her an herbal necklace and put some orange peels in her bedding, once I determine that she is not allergic to any of this. These ‘lil devils (the mites, that is) need to be attacked from many angles. And, no, I don’t think my cat is the culprit. The dust mites seem to be attacking both of us. Another point is that her itching is not in her imagination.
I am allergic to garlic, but I think that the person who posted that they take vitamin C for dust mites is on to something. And, I may start taking some more often, to see if it makes a difference for me. Supportive reason… I was watching a short video where a woman was out in nature doing some kind of study, when a monkey stole her orange, ran up a tree and started rubbing the unpeeled orange all over it’s hairy body. She wondered, and I do too, if the monkey instinctively knew that the peel of the orange held some properties that would control mites (I think she said mites. Not sure, now, of the exact bug she mentioned.) I’m, also, not sure of all the chemical properties of an orange, but they are very acidic and the aroma may, also, play a part in chasing away the mites too or warding them off. Apparently, the monkey instinctively knew something, as it was quite deliberate in it’s actions. Now, I’m not saying we should all rub oranges on ourselves. That might even sting, or cause other problems, if there are open wounds or a food allergy or something. Perhaps, stain our clothing? I haven’t tried direct application, myself. But, the monkey’s behavior involving the orange is causing me to want to know more; think that vitamin C may just be helpful; and think of how else I might utilize orange peel to help alleviate the situation. Maybe put some little draw string sacks of dried orange peel in my pillow and bedding. (Dried – so that it doesn’t seep through and stain the mattress or bedding.)
Over a year ago, I removed all of my wall to wall carpeting (except in the bedroom) and now just have area rugs. At the same time, I replaced my old bag vacuum with one that has cyclone technology and is asthma and allergy friendly. I immediately noticed a decline in the dust mite population and allergens.
I’m finding, though, that regular cleaning – vaccuming floors and furniture and washing bedding and couch blankets and pet blankets / bedding – helps a lot. But, nothing, so far, has eliminated them entirely. Seems like, if I let up on the cleaning, their population increases exponentially.
Oh, I even replaced my bed. And, vaccumed the daylights out of the carpet under the bed and all over the room, prior to the placement of the new mattress. But, that didn’t stop the ‘lil devils. I still had my old bag vaccum, which probably spread the little beasts all over the place. I’m using a couple of cloth-type mattress protectors on the bed. But, after reading some of the above posts, it sounds like I may need to switch to one that is dust mite proof and encases the whole mattress and is sealed with a zipper. Only a couple of my pillows are encased in protectors, with pillow cases overtop of them. Guess I should encase them all. I might as well give the newer vac a workout and vaccum the mattress every time I change bedding, instead of just occassionally. I, also, like the hair dryer and clothes dryer suggestions, as well as the tea tree oil products. Tea tree oil comes in many products, including bath soap. I have read cautions not to use tea tree oil on ones face. Not sure if there’s any validity to that or not. And, not sure if they were talking about just the plain oil or tea tree products. I sometimes use a body wash, which has soothing oatmeal. And, I use body lotion, daily. There’s some that specifically helps sooth itching, too. Drinking plenty of water helps hydrate one’s skin. Maybe less dry skin might help discourage the ‘lil devils.
Since the bed bug outbreak in some states has been in the news, I saw an exterminator on tv explaining his procedure, which involves heat. I think it was something in the vacinity of 140 degrees (f). Not sure of the exact temperature. It might have been a little less. Anyway, it sounds like heat is about the only thing that kills those ‘lil devils. Maybe this is true for dust mites, as well. Future heat treatments may be necessary, if / when new dust mites develop, of course. Make sure pets are safely removed, temporarily, during any heat treatments.
One last comment. I haven’t seen the dust mites that are biting us. Just felt their biting. I read that they are also called “spider mites”. If this is the same kind of spider mite that gets on some plants, I have seen those. They do create webbing on the plants and in bright light they can be seen in the webbing. Years ago, when I was learning how to test for them, I believe I recall that they turn red if swabbed and put in water or rubbing alcohol. ???? Geez, it’s been a long time. I’ve, also, been successful in spraying an Ivory soap solution on my plants (best to take them outdoors to do that or in a laundry room utility tub with ventilation in the room), to discourage or rid them of some infestations. I’m thinking of using this solution outdoors (shavings of Ivory soap and water in a spray bottle) around sliding glass doors and windows that are near ground level, to deter bugs in general. For myself and my pet(s), I just hate using any kind of harmful chemicals.
No, I still have one more brief comment. I strongly suspect that what is often diagnosed as eczema (especially contact eczema) is possibly caused by dust mites.
Good luck to all who are battling these ‘lil devils!
Steam cleaning is a very effective way of killing the dust mites. Make sure that the steam is really hot (above 130 degrees) to be effective. As commercial steam cleaning equipments are expensive, the best way would be to hire your local steam cleaning company to come and perform a steam cleaning service on a regular quarterly or at least half yearly basis, of course they should also provide a vacuuming process to make the whole process complete to eradicate the dust mites or even bedbugs. Actually the hot steam would kill about any bugs, mites or even viruses and bacteria.
All the best.
Since my mother in law moved in with here two dogs about a year ago I have been bitten by fleas etc. Now that the fleas are gone I am still getting bit on my feet and ankles. Its very painful and my family think that I am crazy. I have tried professional chemicals and nothing seems to work. I think that it is a mite probably Dust Mites. I placed a bowl of water and got a magnifying glass within seconds I could see small things settling on the surface of the water. Things that I could see were black thread like things (probably nymphs, egg cases or mite poop and round things with legs (probably dust mites). Its is almost impossible to see them but if you get the reflection just right you can seed these invaders on the surface of the water. I am desperate to stop the biting.
Pyritherins do not seem to work, when I clean the carpet it seems to get worse and when I vacuum the carpet it seems to help for a few hours. My daughter has had real bad allergies this year. Again, I am the only one getting bit on my feet and ankles when my feet come into contact with my carpet! I get afraid to get out of my bed for fear of getting bit. When I start getting bit I go and wash my feet with soap and water and immediately put on my shoes and the biting stops. What can it be? Can anyone help with remedies or cures. The bites are very painful and itchy and do not leave a noticeable red spot or anything. I want to rip out all the carpets and get rid of all the my pets and fumigate the whole house.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I purchased a MicronOne Allergy & Asthma mattress cover from Walmart back in June. It was EXTREMELY cheap compared to everywhere else (I spent a week researching different places and brands). However, I would give it 10 stars if I could!!! I have not had a SINGLE bite since I put it on my mattress. Also, it is not noisy, it’s really soft, and completely washable. It has given me complete relief from the itching that (I feel) was being caused by dust mites in my mattress.
If you are desperate from some relief and think you have dust mites, I would highly recommend you go to Walmart and look up the MicronOne mattress cover.
i get itchy swollen pates in my skin some times lines that itch are they dust mites?
these dust mites are itchy they go away but they come back help me please itchy itchy itchy!
red spots with white heads sounds more like ant bites .. I have itching I have no idea whats causing it .. but .. I am shampooing my bedroom carpet today .. if the itching gets really bad ..bathe in baking soda it will stop it for a short time .. and leaves your skin really soft .. what ever it is … I can’t see it with a magnifying glass either .. because I was being bitten , I purchased a new bed .. mattress and box spring and I haven’t removed the plastic at all which is sealed .. still I am getting bitten by something.
What gender of dust mite lives longer?????
I think we have dust mites. My husband and I just started getting these bumps this year. They start out red and then turn white and scaly. I know we need a new mattress but can not afford one at this time. I started adding bleach to the hot water wash cycle and I have been using the 1% cortisone cream on the marks on our legs. You can purchase the cream almost anywhere and it helps along with the bleach in the wash. If I forget to add bleach, that’s when the bumps appear. They have been just on our legs so far. Hope this helps someone.
Last thing I want to say, I just did some research and you can get scabies from dust mites….. so if you have a rash of any kind… go to the dermatologist and rule out scabies
I believe I have dust mites… got scabies
Can take 4-6 weeks to have symptoms
If your dermatologist denies it, demand that he check, also get a 2nd opinion
my brother went 6 months with scabies because the first 2 doctors didn’t recognize it
also if you’ve had scabies before its way easier to get it again, so if you get a reoccurring rash, the doesn’t go away in a day or 2, seriously look in to scabies possibilities
Tiffany,
you described my situation to the T.
there is no logical explanation
however for me, I believe I’ve gotten scabies because i have developed a rash in a scabies place.
I believe that it’s dust mites, and the reason others don’t feel them is because we are more sensitive than they are.
You might be the same and not have recognized it, but I’ve always been way more in touch with my body then others, not cause religion or something abstract, an example is I can tell when my body is lacking things like iron and potassium from the cravings I get.
May sound crazy but a lot of things do before they are proven.
Every person who comes in here and says mites don’t bite obviously have never felt it, but let me ask you this… why has not one single person posted either something that solved it completely or what they figured out it is 100%.
better recognize
I’ve been researching this for weeks and months like everyone else, there isn’t an answer.
It almost drives you insane because a lot of times other people don’t feel it.
I think that I have dust mites. I’m positive I can see them… not bed bugs. What I see when I look at the air above the carpet by sort of defocusing my eyes. I see tiny little trajectories. Nothing visible. It just looks like a tiny little tracer with a trajectory.
I’m 99% sure I have scabies as well. I have a derm appt tomorrow. Scabies is mites in your pores and often shows up as a rash in these locations… armpits, under breasts, between webbings of fingers and toes, writs and for me… abdomen.
Thought it was an allergic reaction to my belt at first but I’ve had this belt for 3 years. I hope it’s just scabies but I can feel them jumping on my legs. I moved out of a place I was getting bitten with an old mattress. I don’t feel like I’m getting bitten anymore but I can feel them hitting my legs.
The crazy thing is, is that it goes from around 2-5 am. It’s not bed bugs even though that’s a bed bug thing.
I just find it ridiculous that all these people who are obviously being affected by mites, are still being passed off as delusional. At some point someone important will look at these hundred and thousands of posts on the web and realize, if 50,000 people are all crazy about the same thing, maybe they are not crazy.
Definitely try and rule things out. For bed bugs, contact paper over night near the legs of the bed. Mites… I just don’t know at this point just like everyone else but I’m going to try some of the things listed on this forum.
Lastly… if someone here who thinks they have mites, figures out what to do… don’t just walk away. Spread the word. So many people are suffering.
…and please don’t let other people’s disbelief drive you to do something extreme. All this people are proof that you are not crazy. I know it’s hard to eliminate bias after something like this, but I think a lot of us wouldn’t believe it either, especially if it was contrary to all scientific evidence.
Stay strong people, and don’t give up. Reading all these people who are in a similar desparate position has given me hope.
Just wanted to add another comment…
I bought an allergen mattress cover that works for dust mites, bed bugs, everything… Since I have put it on my bed, I’ve not had ONE SINGLE BITE. I feel this further confirms my belief that my bites were coming from dust mites and NOT bed bugs. Bed Bugs can hide in lots of places besides your mattress. Even while I was putting on the allergen cover, I did not find a single bed bug, feces, or ANY other tell-tale signs of bed bugs. Had they been living in my mattress, surely I’d have seen signs of them on the box spring. Nothing. And, if they were living elsewhere, I’d still be getting bites. Nothing. Not a single bite since I put the allergen mattress cover on.
Just sayin’…
Okay, Okay, you can say all you want that “dust mites don’t bite,” but listen to my story. My mother was ill and in the hospital for a month, then came my house to recoup, actually out of her own bed for about 6 weeks. When she finally went home, she thought something was crawling around the nape of her neck and her backside at night. She couldn’t see anything, day or night, and didn’t say anything for a few days. All of a sudden she called me and said something was biting her at night, although there were no marks on her and no visible signs of anything. However, she was dosing her body with alcohol and showering frequently. She changed sheets and all the stuff they say to do. We have since doused the bed in dust mite spray, let it dry, vacuumed it and covered it with a $90 encasement, with a special zipper. The package said it was protectant against “dust mites.” I got her all new pillows with synthetic filling, and she has slept in the bed for 2 nights now without incident. I am praying this does it, but we’ve bought a chemical to wash the bedclothes in, and will vacuum well to try to keep whatever they were down.
My thought? I think she starved the little buggers the 6 week she was out, and they came back with vengeance. I believe it could be possible that they had eaten up all the dead skin in her mattress, and that they were crawling out of the mattress to pull skin off her directly. This might feel like a bite, but they are leaving no marks.
Good luck to all of you out there!
Looks like many of us are suffering from the same thing, but there is no consensus for what is really causing it. Bed bugs or dust mites?
In my situation, I am waking up in the morning with dozens of mosquito-like bites which itch like all Hades. My husband (and sometimes my young children) sleep in the same bed and get NO BITES. To me, this rules out bed bugs because we’d ALL be getting bit if it were bed bugs. Same thing can be said about scabies which is HIGHLY contagious. What’s more, my bug bite problem seems to only occur or exacerbated in the summer time. I live in the southern US – prime hot & humid season which would make ideal breeding conditions for dust mites.
Finally, for those people who are saying dust mites don’t bite because they feed on dead skin… Well, I hate to disappoint you but our skin is loaded with dead skin cells which slough off regularly. It doesn’t take a leap of imagination to figure out that a dust mite can feed off dead skin cells that haven’t naturally fallen off the body yet. Why do you think the beauty industry sells loofahs, creams, and lotions that are meant to remove dead skin cells?
I am getting bit in places that are under clothing, even tight clothing, and I KNOW aren’t exposed to the occasional, possible mosquito that may be in my house. Places like my behind, insides of my thighs, my stomach, etc… It seems to me that there is a lot of misinformation and opinions based upon myth and not fact. The point is that there are many of us who are suffering from SOMETHING. In my case, bed bugs, scabies, mosquitoes, etc… just don’t fit the facts. Maybe that doesn’t necessarily make the culprit dust mites but they seem to be the most likely contender based upon what I know.
Would be nice if some professionals stopped by on this subject
come on I hope someone is out there, I need your help I had a little relief but now it;s back did someone get a cure. Please help.
Ive been having the same problems its good to know Im not alone try using stayaway from homedepot in the cleaning isle you”ll find some relief Ive beem going through this since Oct. of 2009 yes I do feel your pain
i went to home depot an got some spray called stay away u have to try it .It wont make them disapeer but you will have some re
if I hope it works cause I had so bad I almost was admitted because I thought I was going crazy go to the cleaning isle you’ll find it.
OMG!!!! it’s been two weeks now and am still itchy . All day all night . Bites all over me I hate it, my doctor is has giving me Methyiprednisolone tablets ,and a cream Permethrin for scabies, I’m on day two now with this stuff and i’m still itching.
The past month to 6 weeks I have been getting clusters of bites that look like tiny white welts. The welts are very evident when I first start getting itchy, then disappear or at least diminish in appearance within 30 minutes. They are EXTREMELY itchy and almost burning. I assumed they were bedbugs and called a pest control company. They have sprayed once and are scheduled to come back 2 more times. There was no improvement after their first visit. I don’t know if this is because it takes longer to get rid of them or if it means that there really weren’t any bedbugs to begin with. I have not seen a single bug or any of the classic evidence of them (I have looked on numerous internet sites for signs of bedbugs). I itch pretty much all the time. It is extremely annoying! After reading al;l these posts, I am going to research other things that might be causing my symptoms. Any advice is appreciated!
It is so good to know I am not the only “crazy one” in this world that suffer like the rest of you. And like some of you, I am hyper sensitive, and crawling of insect on skin and body makes me feels like I carry all these insect with me around.
Hey. I have this weird rash, and at first, I was terrified that it would be bed bugs, but the bites/rash is smaller, and mostly located under my shirt, pant legs, and hair. I read that bed bugs don’t go under clothing, and when investigating my bed, I found no feces of bed bugs. This itching recently occured when i brought an old blanket to my room. Up till then, the blanket had been in the storage room for years. Is it possible that the old blanket could have been infested? And could the infestation spread to my whole bed? The itching is getting worse!
i see orange bugs all over the place! are they dust mites?
I woke up this morning with itchy little red bumps everywhere mostly on my hands. They are all gone now 8 hours later and I’m scared to go to bed.
when I get a bruise I will then get multiple clustered itchy welts on the bruise which spread until I have one huge welt. I can feel myself being bitten but I can’t see anything biting me. My bruise will disappear very quickly in about a day after being bitten.
my husband and sons do not get bitten. My daughter only occasionally. I get bitten every time I get a bruise. Does this happen to any one else?
Another possibility for these red, itchy bumps could be demodex.
However, regardless of what others say about dust mites not biting, I do believe they do. A mite is a microscopic arachnid of the subclass Acari, including species that are parasitic that feed on decaying matter and stored foods. If they can feed on decaying matter then they can bite! Plain and simple. Decaying matter can be classified as dry, dead skin cells which these dust mites do feed on and they are not only found on our sheets after flaking but also while still on our body. Sulphur shampoos and soaps help as well as Tea Tree Oil which comes in the form of shampoos, body lotions and soaps. Of course you can also purchase the pure oil which is good for spot treatments on the red itchy bumps. If anyone would like further info on any of the products, please contact me privately. I have been dealing with this for about 7 years and finally have relief.
The only thing I find that helps is the steam cleaning vacuums and wands. I am disabled and live in an old moble home. I have a hospital bed with a kantwet mattress. The sheets are washed and changed twice every week. Moving air helps, so I have a room sanitizer. I have psorisis in addition to advanced Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. Psorisis also is a skin itching problem. I have only 400 threads per inch sheets and duvet’s. These can be washed in hot water. I do find that a hot dryer does a good job. Dust mites are everywhere. Most people are sensitive to the feces left by the dust mites.
They are tiny and when you scratch you are exacerbating the problem. Use an anti-itch lotion like Gold Bond anti itch. Dust mites live on dead skin. I scrub with a lufa sponge to help remove the skin build up due to the psorisis. My care giver shaves my legs to also wash away dead skin. I have found that the anti itch shampoo is also very good even better than the prescription. Every one with skin problems should see a dermatologist. GP’s will make some guesses, but a dermatologist will find the answer.
If a parasite is living in your skin like chiggers or whatever mite person above has. The quickest cure is nail polish spot over bug spot.
dries and bug is dead and gone by the time nail polish wears off.
i had an exterminator come out and tell me we did not have bed bugs and that i should relax i can’t with these bites coming from no where i want to call the health department but i don’t want to cause problems small bites only show up out of the blue help help help!
I think I have the same as Ruth. Feels like something is crawling in my hair and on my skin but I don’t see anything, it is itchy but I don’t see any red bites. I wash my hair everyday and I always take a shower twice a day and I change my sheet every other week. I am very clean when it comes to that. It just happen last week when I went on vacation and slept at the Hotel. my whole body and head is itching. what can I do ? please help…It’s been 3 days now that I am having this problem.
my god! i can see the dust mites in my room they eat so much they get as big as my fingertips and i take my hammer and smash them and they get cranky and growl what should i do please tell me help my room is dust mite world!
Dust mite bites are not scabies. Scabies are very contagious dust mite bites only itch for a little bit then go away they are in places were there has been dust for a while. and scabies live under the surface of your skin.
THE BEST WAY I THINK IS TRY A HYPO-ALLERGENIC MATTRESS COVER(VINYL OR FABRIC) ON THE BED SPREAD AND THE PILLOWS . DUST MITES CANNOT PASS THROUGH . SOME PEOPLE ARE ALLERGIC TO DUST MITES AND SOME ARE NOT HENCE THE DIFFERENT REACTIONS . THE PROBLEM WITH VINYL IS THEY TEAR AFTER SOME TIME BUT THE OTHER KIND IS MORE DURABLE. ALSO THE COMFORTER AND SHEETS HAVE TO BE WASHED IN HOT WATER WITH TEMPS ABOVE 130 degrees F.
If you have a set of bedding you can’t wash on a hot setting, place the bedding in your freezer for 24 to 48 hours to kill the dust mites. if you don’t like the idea of placing dirty bedding in your freezer, you can wash the bedding first, then freeze it.
Hope this helps all of you and Good Night!
Please send me help Dust Mights in NYC Same others, Help with cure. I have sprayed Pronto poison bought at Walgreens says kills dust mites and bedbugs. Directly to my arms and sheets. This helps but not enough. I am living in poison. I like the Hairdryer directly on the arms to kill nesting approach. I wish I had a washer and hot dryer. The laundry mats on Lexington Ave , 3ave around 28st There dryers don’t get hot enough. What happened to the old laundry mats that would burn your clothes. That’s what I need now. Help please send help to digitaldivide212 [at]gmail.com
i have been getting these bites that look like mosquito bites for about a month now i have done everything i have read on the computer and i still get them i have thrown away my old sheets and bed spread vaccumed my mattress and box spring,i even sprayed bengal insect growth regulator all over my house and i’m still getting bite marks and i only start to itch when i lay in the bed to go to sleep,but get this i lay in the bed most of the day because im on bed rest and i dont get any bites then. my mother in law stays with me and she does not get any bite marks my little sister comes over and spends the night with me some times and we sleep head to toe in the same bed ,but she doesn’t get any bites its just me i thought it may have been dry skin but its not i even got a pest control company to come in and spray.i’m tired of itching i wanted to know if i threw my whole mattress set out will i still have a mite problem.i currently stayup till 5am scatching and fall asleep when i become to tired to scratch some one please help me so i can go to sleep.
this time last year son in law broke out with rash that looked like very small bites all over. He went to dr and was told was an allergic reaction, yada, yada, yada. not long after daughter #1(sharing bed with afore mentioned sil) got this same “rash”. my first thought was scabies or body lice since we had not long ago had parent of childrens friend report head lice. we treated for lice…nothing. sent daughter to dr to check for scabies…this was more or less full-body rash of again very small bites but could not see typical tracks…dr agreed not scabies.
we moved to new home and used different topical solutions…tea tree oil worked the best…and eventually she cleared up. several months later and after changing some bedrooms around daughter #2 breaks out with these bites. same as other two. only common thread with these three is the matress she got as hand-me-down from daughter #1. so as having already ruled out scabies, lice, and fleas….i research bed bugs…we can find absolutely no evidence of bedbugs…and the bites themselves are much smaller than what i see in pics on net…no welts, hives, just teeny tiny bite. not much longer i start noticing these bites on myself….daughter #2 often will crawl into bed with me at night so i figure she shared her bed bugs…but still not adding up. we itch at night when covered snug..but also can be sitting at computer or sofa or even in the shower/bath and feel itch and notice the bite but never see the invisible lil devil…so in a bored research attempt and discussing such with daughters i stumbled onto this info…im with everybody else..i believe this may be dust mites. what we have done …tea tree oil. we have used for a long time added to hair products to “prevent” headlice and decided to add to body products to see if it helps..it does. some.
daughter #2 seemed to go overboard with it and ended up with a few worse sores but neosporin and vaseline helping that. SIL swears nix cleared his up. daughter # 1 swears by caladryl and tt oil. something we have recently stumbled on by way of a hobby/home interprise…coconut oil. we experiment with different sugar/salt body polishes and recently tried coconut/sugar/honey. coconut is known in natural health circles for its very strong antifungal/antiyeast/antibacterial(?) qualities when injested as a cured for overgrowth of such…quite possibly has these same effects when used topically. both daughter #2 and myself have noticed much improvement after only a few uses..her other sores are healing up(where she overused tt oil and hand sanitizer) and the itching is aleviated some and seems to quite possibly be “warding off” new bites. after reading some posts also seems could be the almost daily exfoliation of the scrub itself…just thought i’d put this out there. its sounds as if we’re all desperate enough to try just about anything to help with this..
i also found it intriguing that somebody mentioned dust mites burrowing under skin. we have no evidence of the typical scabies “tracks” but daughters hands do have affected webbing just not burrows…ive concluded its chapping from overusing the tt oil and hand sanitizer. but find the burrowing of mites interesting to look into more later. something i forgot..i have seen/experienced flea, lice bites…these are not…as with mosquito, ant…these are not…1 reason also i thought possibly bed bugs was that on me they seem to have the 1st, 2nd, 3rd feeding pattern of which bed bugs are known but again someone mentioned as also being common with dust mites. and the first bite i remember taking notice of on myself happen while at work..and looked like miniature spider bite fang marks…2 bites right next to each other the size of pin point…
DUST MITES DO NOT BITE. DUST MITES DO NOT BITE. DUST MITES DO NOT BITE. DUST MITES DO NOT BITE. DUST MITES DO NOT BITE. DUST MITES DO NOT BITE. DUST MITES DO NOT BITE. DUST MITES DO NOT BITE. DUST MITES DO NOT BITE. DUST MITES DO NOT BITE!
They’re too small to be seen without a microscope and feed on DEAD skin only. Their excrement is what humans react to, and we DON’T get skin reactions to dust mites, we get respiratory reactions. Most of you who are getting bitten are being attacked by scabies mites or bed bugs. (and for those who think they KNOW what bed bug bites are like, travel all over the world and you’ll see different types of bites from different types of bed bugs. The tell-tale symptom is being bitten an hour or so before sunrise.)
DUST MITES DO NOT BITE. DUST MITES DO NOT BITE. DUST MITES DO NOT BITE. DUST MITES DO NOT BITE. DUST MITES DO NOT BITE. DUST MITES DO NOT BITE. DUST MITES DO NOT BITE. DUST MITES DO NOT BITE. DUST MITES DO NOT BITE. DUST MITES DO NOT BITE!
Sounds like an allergic reaction to dust mites possibly but most likely bed bugs, which are extremely difficult to get rid of and to detect in the first place. Please research more on bed bugs, as they do bite (usually an hour before dawn) only for about 5 min./night and leave mosquito like bites.
A lot of us have a disease, which is shared by thousands of people in this country.
Please see The Morgellons Filarial Research Organization and The National Association for People with Unidentified Skin Parasites.
Bentonite clay can be used as a paste on the lesions. This clears them up. People all over the world are suffering from this disease and are usually being told that they are delusional by doctors who are ignorant about it. This disease surely involves more than the skin. I don’t know if Be Bentonite clay can be taken internally but will find out and be back. I wonder though is charcoal tablets would work to detoxify.
charcoal tablets can be used to treat drug overdoses and poisonings. The charcoal absorbs chemicals and toxins the same way it does excess gas. In this case, the tablets work best if they are taken 30 to 60 minutes after a poisoning, and always under medical supervision. Since the dose of charcoal for poisonings is much larger than that of a supplement, it is best to let a certified medical practitioner administer the charcoal.
Morgellons (also called Morgellons disease or Morgellons syndrome), is a name given in 2002 by Mary Leitao[1] to a proposed condition referred to by the Centers for Disease Control as Unexplained Dermopathy and characterized by a range of cutaneous (skin) symptoms including crawling, biting, and stinging sensations; finding fibers on or under the skin; and persistent skin lesions (e.g., rashes or sores.
I just checked into a cheap motel this week because it was all I could find in my price range and the first night I slept calmly. I always travel with my own bedding. I also checked the bedding for signs of bugs and it was decent. I forgot to check the pillows which I don’t use but did not remove because I was so tired. The second night I found a small cluster of red, itchy, bumps on my left wrist, I complained to the manager an we both inspected the bed for bedbugs and found nothing. I presumed it was an allergic reaction to something.
When I checked the pillows later I saw the signs of bedbugs, dried bloodstains, that were old. I had the manager remove the pillows from the room immediately. There’s another bed in the room I have not used but the manager insists that the motel is fumigated for bedbugs regularly. My fourth night here, I’m paid up for the week, and I wake up from a sleepless rest thinking dust mites! I had forgotten about the horror of these invisible monsters.
I know my own bedding w as free of mites when I brought it here but I’m certain these beds and the carpet is loaded with dander from people and pets, and I love a warm room and a warm bed. I have also been moisturizing my skin after showering for the dry winter season. I am extremely sensitive to dirty pests like flies, cockroaches, and mites. The rash has now spread to both wrists, my neck and shoulders, my thighs and butt, and even my feet. These filthy creatures love me to death. Whether they are actually biting (sucking blood) or feeding voraciously on my skin before it exfoliates naturally, they are a nuisance. People who insist that mites can’t be the problem because they don’t bite are just plain wrong.
Everyone has different reactions to contact with mites and body chemistry clearly plays a part. Maybe what you eat can attract them more than others. Maybe what you wash or condition your skin with can attract them more than others. I don’t think its fair for people to dismiss the complexity of the problem because scientists say dust mites don’t bite. If they are invisible whose to be the wiser if the bite or not? That’s not the point. The point is that the problem needs to be addressed both as a household pest and also as a medical issue where studies are done for the treatment and prevention of this common pain.
Btw, thanks to everyone here for sharing their experiences and remedies with dust mites. It’s helped take my mind off of the itching for the past couple hours.
I have been fighting this for about six years now. I have told dr.’s and they always have a far fetched answers like hair molecules or dry skin, but I not only get bit, I am hypersensitive to them. I can feel them moving on my skin. They don’t always seam to bite but instead go through cycles. I wander if its when the females are breeding, like in so many other insects, they need extra protein or blood that they began to bite, or maybe it really is my diet. I have been researching and trying different treatments for all this time and nothing works for long, its like the evolve around it. I am determined to find the answer, but for now this is what works to keep them at bay.
Hydrocortisone cream is inexpensive and if you put it on the sores they will heal and the other mites wont keep feeding on the open sore. That will stop the rash within a few days, or the single bumps, both coming from the same source, I am sure. Maybe the smaller rashes are the newly hatched young feeding???I know but forget what they think they know, these are the super mites of the new millennium.
Next, my hair dryer has become my best friend. Turn it to as hot as you can stand it, and aim it at the bite, you’ll have to experiment. The heat not only gets in there and itches that deep itch but it also kills the mites that are on you and stops the itching for a while. Repeated heating kills the rash eventually.
I read recently that someone who was terribly affected found they had a vitamins B deficiency especially vitamin B12. Or it could be any number of other deficiency’s, I suppose.
I also read and have not tried it but that you can mix vodka with about twenty drops tee tree oil in a squirt bottle and spray infested areas. Clove oil would work too, maybe garlic oil but be careful how much you use of these, it can burn the skin. I know for sure cloves deter them.
Shake out sheets and blankets right before bedtime, there in there waiting with anticipation for your arrival.
Take advantage of sunny weather, hang the bedding out for the day, they hate sun and it has been proven the sun will kill up to 98 percent of the pests that are in the aired article.
Go back to washing clothes in hot water, add borax, it suffocates them, use an iron on article.
Go back to washing clothes in hot water, add borax, it suffocates them, use an iron on your clothes, I know, bother huh, but it kills them, what the hay, iron you be with a steam iron, make sure its good and hot or they’ll think it’s a fine humid day and start breeding.
If you steam your carpets but in some borax, not the soap and make sure it’s a steam cleaner that is hot enough, long hoses cool the water.
Invest in a vacuum cleaner that kills allergens.
I’m still searching, good luck, and I’ll be back.
You all do not have bites from dust mites – they do not bite. A lot of you sound like you have a different mite which is scabies. If a dermatologist told you that you have mite bites he/she means scabies and there is a lotion that you use to kill it on your body. Google scabies and you’ll find out more. DUST MITES DO NOT BITE!
I believe I have an infestation of dust mites. Feels like something is crawling in my hair and on my skin, but nothing is evident. Dermatologist could not give me a reason for this happening. Did anyone find anything that helps? I mean that really helps, not some of the outlandish reasons I have read here
thanks for the info its quite interesting,i do believe i have a dust mite infestation Ive been getting bit quite a bit in the last few weeks and washing the bedding doesn’t seem to help much but iv found that if i take a very hot bath with a lot of salt and soap it makes most of the bites go away. (like a cup or so ,I’m using regular table salt )
This morning i woke up with shivers and itchiness all over my body…then i noticed some little red bumps that were the cause of my itchiness…eww!!! anyways i need to get rid of them!!
Do they fly??
Are they more common in feather pillows??
hello i have tons of those things those are sooooo disgusting.
I have been feeling like I am getting bitten every night and feel very itchy in the morning but I am not experiencing the welts and painful bites. Could this be bedbugs or dust mites?
My mom has these big itchy places on her skin for about 6 years she has been to countless doctors.I am at my wits end, she does not have scabies. The doctor she went to on mon. said she might have a household mite living in her skin these holes in her skin itch uncontrolably.What is the kinds of household mites,are there diffrent types?
just so everyone knows, if u r waking up with clusters of bites and they only seem to show up when u sleep, u might have scabies(skin lice). you can catch it from just brushing the arm of someone who has it. the bites are sooo itchy and it’s a pain to get out of your house.
hey every body there… Try covering your matress with plastic, make it very tight (air tight as posible) as it will kill the dust mites. It also help stop the dust mites from flying all over because it is of course trapped inside the plastic. it’s very effective, it worked on me, it might work on you.
My story is similar to the others on this website. For almost 9 months now I have been getting red bites in random spots on my body. Feet, legs, torso and arms tend to be attacked the most! I have gone to 4 doctors including an allergist and dermatologist. The dermatologist did a biopsy and it came back with four possibilities, as such further blood work narrowed the possibilities to just one: mite bites! I am assuming dust mites since my house is primarily carpeted and I don’t physically see any bugs. No one else in the family is getting any symptoms other than myself. I am really at my wits end here since I am getting married in 5 months and the last thing I want is to have red dots across my arms in the pictures. It’s just good to know I am not alone with my bite issues!
My son is constantly scratching his head and sometimes has a rash around his neck area. Now I am having the same problem. He has been checked for lice twice weekly for the last month and I have checked myself as well. The itching seems to get worse after sleeping and my son has also been sneezing, with runny watery eyes. I do have ALOT of dust in my house due to living so close to a main highway so could dust mites be the cause?
Try tea tree oil spray on yourself and spray sheets.
Use good quality mattress/pillow protectors
Wash sheets in hot water then put in dryer
Vacuum at least once per week if not more
You can get a special attachment for mattress vacuuming
Steam clean hardwood floors and tiles after vacuuming
get rid of carpets, minimum of soft toys,
Replace Mattress if old
Throw Pillows in dryer, dryers good for killing dust mites
Keep washing sheets as frequently as you can and vacuum
as often as you can. They don’t like leather or vinyl.
ive never been attacked by any kind of bugs in my life….until now i started sleeping on the floor of my friends apt and i got attacked by dust mites i don’t care when people say they don’t bite because i know they do, garlic doesn’t help me and nothing really does i need a serious remedy because i’ve been getting attacked now for 2 months and i’m really getting tired of the bites on my legs, HELP
shadowclan12@ yahoo.com have a good remedy email me please.
#58 George those are baby spiders. A common house spider they on occasion have been known to bite. I get them here in Canada or at least something similar and I live in a tropical environment in bc.
I also have the same problem as virginia (#73). Did you find anything that worked to get rid of the problem? I went to my doc and they said it could be anything from folliculitus to, eek!, scabies. I even went through the scabies treatment and that did nothing at all, except make me miserable for 8-14 hours. It’s not bed bugs — I’ve done a full check during the day and at night. Help!
I am getting bitten, and it is awfully itchy, we had just some months of extremely hot and humid weather, I spend nearly every day vacuming and washing. I find relief to have a bath with a handful of washing soda, and get rid of as much as possible dead skin flakes as I can, when I go to bed with clean sheets, I surround myself with thin slices of garlic, and I have a decent night sleep, also to rub fresh sliced garlic on the itchy spots, stops the itch, and seem to drive the little creatures away. Hopefully helpful.
I love this website ! It gives me all the info I need.P.S. especilly the Black widow in my water meter.
we are not sure what this is. they are tiny pin size bites, that itch, no clusters they are random from the neck down,usually on limbs and torso. we live in Vermont and it seems to be a recent 3-4 mo. occurrence. There are no visible bugs, the mattress is 1 yr old. and aired out before changes, sheets are washed in hot always. the bites are itchy for a couple of day but it is a daily recurrence. Are they dust mites? What to do?
These dust mites I’m trying to control with spraying alcohol, will this help?
I can’t catch my breathe many times. I think it’s from the dust mites…
HELP!!!
I have been getting these bites for about two months and it’s driving me insane! How do you get rid of dust mites and how can i get rid of these bumps. Nothing i try helps with the itching either. My kids don’t have them. My husband is always itching but he doesn’t get the bumps. Just me! What is going on with that? Does this mean that i’m allergic to dust mites?
I get bit at night by something I can’t see and it doesn’t matter
if I sleep on the couch or in the bed. It’s been going on for about
(2) months. They are hard, itchy, red bites like spider or mosquito on my arms, legs and feet. They don’t bother me right away but after about 2-3 days they get bigger and really start itching. I have searched the bed and couch. Washed, cleaned, sprayed -nothing helps. My husband doesn’t get the bites but my 4 year old sometimes does.
Is it dust mites and if not any ideas?
my family have the same problems as above, we just rented a house and as far as a knew this house is very old and our beds too, we just bought it from the second hand shop. please help me, it really really itchy and I’m worried for my kids because they cannot stop scratching in it.
My husband and I have been getting a severe itch on our upper arms only. We would not see anything that would be causing it. After hours of scratching we would get an actual bite looking sore from this. We do not get them anywhere elst but the arms. What could it be? You can actual feel the bite, but you can’t see anything or see any mark when the itching first starts. Our son does not get it at all. Please help, it is driving us both insane.
yes dust mites do bite but its a fine tiny bite but enough to cause you to be discomforable, i have this problem for years and could not figure it out and we sprayed the home, it does no good, I was told by the allergy doctor to get rid of the carpet so now we are, its hard I do know for everyone who is allergic, there needs to be a shot for dust mites, the allergy doctors has not come out with one, I taken shots for 3 years and guess what, it did no good, and I have read where there is no shot for the dust mites, but I suffered bad, and so doctors needs to study this out, and come up with a shot for anyone allergic to these dust mites, now in the fall and winter and spring the dust mites is no problem its the summer around last of July and August and first two weeks of Sept.
last year I had a bad time with the dust mites, well now I am also allergic to spider mites, on juniper trees, and lealand cyress, and pine trees, and so one year I was near one tree one time and then the other later, and when I came in I felt them all week, on my skin and those you can not see, so now at times i wondered if the spider mites, on those trees was coming when doors are open, in the summer, and so now i will get rid of carpet to make sure its dust mites, instead of spider mites, on the trees, now dust mites are in the family of spider mites, so if the doctors come out with the shot, then if its the ones on the trees that is causing us all, alot of skin problems, then the shot that would come out could be the answer to dust mites and the ones on trees to, you see the allergy doctor says its would be pollen, i said no cause you tested me for that and I was not allergic to the pollen, so I know its the mites, now which one who knows, but a shot needs to come out, for people who is allergic to these.
bed bugs r disgusting
I woke up Sunday morning with 26 dust mite bites on my arms, legs and back. I remember I had been in my crawl space throwing down boxes on to my bed, Saturday night I crashed on top of the bed spread instead of pulling the spread off the bed. This summer I was bit by dust mites over and over again on my legs. My neighbor sent me this article, because we thought it might be bed bugs, and that would have really been an issue. I have also gotten asthma since moving in this new development, a conversion loft/live/work space. Everytime the air or heat kicks on the dust comes out from the vents and I start to cough.
What color are dust mites?
Dust mites are cool!
Also, do you think they (the dust mites) could be the reason I am getting bites… mostly around my ankles? Scary! I don’t know where these bites are coming from… I have no pets, so I doubt they are fleas. HELP!
I just found out I am allergic to dust mites… and cockroaches… lol. Any way to rid your house of dust mites??? LOL!
I would love to know what the red bumps on my hand and no where else. I have just got off the night shift of where i work at 4 this morning. I did notice last night/early this morning that i had some bumps on my right and left hand and nothing more. I thought it was nothing.
Now the bumps kinda itchy but i am just more worried about what they are. My night job was taking inventory of all the tobacco products. Some were dusty. I am wondering if i have dust mites and what i can take medication wise to make the red bumps go away since i do have to back to work.
I woke up one night with bug bites too. At first I thought it was an allergic reaction. But I doubt that, because the bumps were all in groups. If it was only an allergic reaction, it would be evenly distributed like hives. Also my boyfriend who doesn’t have any allergies at all had some bites all in a row on his leg. I just wet vaccuumed my bedroom carpeting. Which I have never done before. And I added OxiClean to the water tank – which has hydrogen peroxide in it – to kill the dust mites, and disinfect the carpet. I hope this helps. Just have to wait for it to dry before I sleep in the room again.
A lot of wee mites crawling over our computer screen the smaller ones are off white and the bigger ones dark brown. I’ve included a picture below.
They say dust mites are invisible but I can see these clearly. the small ones are about 0.75mm and the larger ones 1.5mm. I can even see their legs and antennae!
Not sure what they are, I’ve cleaned out the keyboard and there was a lot of potential sustenance for bugs down there!
Eh, it seems that more people have problems than answers…Isn’t there one solution to stop the itching? What the heck are all the Dermatologist folks doing in life if they still have yet to find an answer to the problems we are having?
is there any antibiotics that we can take…any lotion we can put on…what is the CURE…not the prevention….?
yes, I have dust mites on my body and face, arm, that starts off like an scratch and then it turns red and swollen and itch. Do I have dust bites?
It helps to put your pillows in the dryer on high to kill the dust mites that may be living in them. Also replace the pillows once a year. Hope this helps.
For those of you who are being bitten, it is not dust mites as they don’t bite people but feed on cast off skin cells.
It may be scabies — check into that.
It may ALSO be bird or rat mites. Permethrins and pyrithrins are useless against these — not many insecticides will do anything against them except stir them up to bite more. That said, there are a BUNCH of effective things you can do. These include Epsom salt/water spray, windex with ammonia-d, rubbing alcohol, Cedarcide, ozone, etc. These each have pros and cons, and some have real warnings on how to use them safely (e.g., DON’T breath ozone).
Do Dust mites bite humans
Here I am ‘again’ still somewhat in misery. I have tried everything in dealing with these dust mites. However, I find that in cold nights, I keep my windows open a bit and let the cold air come in, that makes for a relief. Thinking, what about summer and the hot air, don’t you know those devils will be in full swing, making us miserable? Seems people they like BODY HEAT, like bedbugs. Think I will move to the north pole, south pole or wherever it stays cold year round, can tolerate the cold, not the bites. Will there ever be any true relief in sight???????
Dust Mites DO NOT bite. The allergen associated with dust mites is their feces. Their feces is a protein, it attaches to receptors in your nose and can cause allergy type symptoms, runny nose, scratchy throat, etc. Chem-Dry carpet cleaners have a product that you can apply to your carpet, mattress, furniture, etc. that stops the feces from being able to attach to the receptors in your nose. I’m sure there other products out there as well but the Chem-Dry products are the only ones I am familar with.
hi nell. wow, what a situation. even after using the lice treatment all over my ‘bod’, my imagination ran, with the idea that any little itch or movement, which could have been just hair, was a louse or dust mite. i never figured out which or whatever plagued just me, in my household of 6 total & german rottweiler, ta boot. and, i read that public lice can spread to other parts of the body!! i was miserable. i work in a call center. i don’t know where my misery initiated from — work or my nifty stack of clothing, on my extra shower curtain, under my window. i suggest that you use the lice treatment again, all over your ‘bod’ (long hair requires 2 little bottles, as i read on the box) & use the lice treatment spray. the treatment i used came with a gel. for the hair, which aids, in loosening the nits. when my daughter had head lice, from elementary school years ago, i was advised after shampooing, to use a vinegar/water solution, on her hair, to loosen the nits, then, sit outside, in the sun. the nits glisten, so i could see & slide off every nit. i would have a bowl, of vinegar/water, for fingernails before pulling off more. it worked. you know to wash, in hot water & use very hot dryer setting, for at least, 20 minutes. i was tempted to take my wash clothes to a laundrymat to dry since theirs are super hot, for good reason. hope this helps.
Hi. I have woken up heaps lately with the smallest of lumps on my body, like mini mozzie bites. I live in Austria not the US. My kids have had nits twice over the summer season, only 2 out of 5 appeared to have them but we treated everyone on both occasions. First time for us to have them. I have long hair so it is a real problem for me! The other night i woke and thought i was itching from them again in my hair and on my skin. However I am now rather paranoid at this point about the nits and i am fearful i have an overactive imagination.
I have woken again tonight and come down to the computer to help me sleep again. As i sit here it feels like i have ‘something’ crawling along my lower eyelid, inside of my arm even in ‘other’ spots that may be dust mites. We are used to deadly snakes, spiders and most insects here but these guys are freaking me out. I sprayed the lounge carpet tonight as when i sat down on arrival from work (leather lounge) i felt like I was jumped on by some biting things. They are definitely not fleas nor ticks.
I sprayed all the carpet and floor with baygon and tomorrow I think i will ‘bomb’ the entire house with a flea/pest type bomb, especially the bedroom One of my kids has got into my bed now so i cannot check the mattress for the ‘blood’ marks but i just feel scared to go to bed or go near it now. My head seems to be itchy too.
It appears most houses have these blighters from this website. Is this the case? We haven’t stayed in any motels anywhere for months. I put the air conditioner on in my bedroom tonight so my skin wasn’t as hot which seemed to help by around 60%. Do the bed bugs tend to crawl into your hair and stay there…..any hair?!?!
Hi–sounds like a lot of these folks may have scabies. You have to get a lotion Peremethin (may be spelled wrong?) from a doctor and do a treatment. It causes red bumps that are really itchy–wrists, underarms, back of legs at the bend, arms at the bend, underwear line at the buttocks. Usually one treatment works but you have to wash all bedding, etc.
Thanks
i started getting bitten about a month ago. the bites were not only on the truck & limbs, but, along the seams of my undergarments – top & bottom. i was distraught thinking i could have body or public lice. FROM WHERE? after awhile everywhere on me seem to itch. i even wondered if i had head lice! it was just dandruff. anyway, after scatching the itch, it feels more itchy. the little scab it creates is hard. even makes matters worse as far as the itch is concerned. i bought the walmart brand lice treatment, took hot as i could stand, & washed & dried on high heat. unfortunately my hot water doesn’t stay hot for a full load, but, i boiled water the other night. i used the spray in the package to spray down my bed & sofas. i may spray the carpet, too. well, it seemed to work. just when i thought i was over the assumed lice thing, i was getting bit again. so i bought more lice treatment. all is calm again today. still itchy from the previous bites. darn them! that’s why i google searched lice & bed bugs, today & found this msg board. i think i was or am dealing w/dust mites since i can’t see them. i had a group of clothing sitting on a shower curtain under my bedroom window, due to lack of room to store them. i guess i’ll be washing the whole heap. hopefully, finally some long lasting relief. hope my little remedy helps someone. it’s worth a shot. thanks all.
I have the same darn problem… I can’t see the little bugger.. well you get the point… I wash sheets and clothes… seems like no one has the answer to fully get rid of these dust mites. Ive tried spraying raid and it seems to not be working… I am going crazy the bites itch so bad. I also had a thought, this might sound funny but at this point i am willing to do anything! I was thinking about spraying “off” on myself before i go to sleep, any ideas? I would appreciate it.. A LOT
Thank you,
Brooklyn
i suspect i have mites in the carpet. sometime i feel itchey in my legs. how can i check for this and what can i fo to get rid of them?
I have a ‘wool’ couch. I sleep on it all the time, and not my bed. I get bit day and night with lots of red swell bumps on all parts of my body, including my hand. Looks like blisters. They are NOT bed bugs as exterminator comes to my complex once every other month. I have a ‘wool’ blanket, and think it is harboring the dang ‘dust mites’. They really itch and they go away after a while and some welts linker for few days. Is this, ‘dust mites’? I got a vacuum cleaner that will suck HELL up if need be…will that work on my couch and floor? I been using that swivel sweeper and it don’t do any good. Help!
My baby is going through some bad bed bugs or dust mites bites. He slept in his crib up until he woke up from a nap with nasty red bumps on his legs that itched he scabbed them very badly I guess from the itch. He now sleeps in bed with me and he still wakes up with these nasty, itchy red bumps.
I don’t wake up with any bites at all. Some are big and some are small. Have taken him to the doctor to only prescribe bactoban cream to take them away in like 3 days then a week later and maybe even 2 days later wakes up with new ones.
Can someone please help me with this problem? Please, please mom and baby want to sleep.
I recently rented an apartment in Naples Florida that was completely furnished. It sounded good and the price was right and at a quick fast glance everything looked ok, until I tried to live in it. I woke up one night shortly after moving in and found a thousand microscopic dust mites all over my legs bitting me feircely, they are very hard to get rid of they ruined all my clothes and personal possessions in the apartment and my car, I had to move immediately, my body is permantely scared for life because this apartment sat empty for too long they were mature and had to be dug and scratched out of my skin, they burrow in.
I live in Florida, A suppossedly reputible property management company managed this apt. They denied the bugs had me followed to make sure I didn’t go to the hospital without someone telling them I was imaganing things and my car was totalled in a strange accident the night before I was going to discuss this with management. Everyone was told that the bugs I showed them were lint or dirt even exterminating companies. This little opps we forgot to tell you cost me $12,000 dollars and I only stayed there 2 nights and ten days out of a one year lease.
I have serious allergen reactions now and became very sick with them. I will not live in a place with carpeting down here or accept used furniture. Beware of some property management companies in Florida and carpeted bathrooms that are old, at first sight the condo looks very good.
I have had dust mite bites before when I rented an apartment in 1967. They agreed and at once replaced the mattress. With an over the counter cream the bites/rash went away. This week I had to go out of state to a funeral and stayed 4 nights at the home of the deceased’s wife, the house was horrifying. I immediately started itching from my knees to the ankles. I started using bactroban and the itching has subsided greatly. However, talking to the wife was impossible. Is there anything else I can do as far as by rash and bites.
The only thing I remember doing is cleaning away some dust from my walls from behind my bed and thereafter, every morning and ever since I’ve been seeing welps or bumps on my skin. They were on my behind, arm, thighs, legs and a very slight one on my face but that was in different spots. The bites are not in the same area all the time.
My wife and I sleep in the same bed and I don’t understand why she is not getting bit. I went to the dermatologist and he told me it was something from a pigeon or if I have an animal (mainly a cat) in the house it could be from that. This cat was in the house for six years and just now I’m experiencing itching. The cat is kept in the room with the door close at all times. I don’t really come in contact with the cat; however, my daughter stays in the room with the cat and she doesn’t have anything on her body.
Can you tell me whether this is dust mites or bed bugs? I thought it was bed bugs but I am ruling it out now. I still don’t understand why my wife is not getting bit and we sleep in the same bed. It’s always at night and in the middle of the night I could wake up itching and when the morning comes that is when I look at my skin. Sometimes I have to go into the living room to continue sleeping.
Can you respond so that I’ll know what it is. Thank you.
It sounds like all of you who can’ t sleep and wake up with itchy bumps all over your body are actually suffering from bed bugs — NOT dust mites. They only come out at night. This is a much more serious issue and will require you to fumigate your room and/or house. New York Magazine wrote an article on bed bufs earlier this month that’s worth checking out.
i don’t have any photos on me, i think they are all back home, but I am pretty sure I am allergic to dust mites. I broke out in intense itchy bumps for almost a year, they were very bad when I woke up in the morning. I tried everything, from buying new sheets, to vacuuming my bed everyday. It did not work, I had to stay doped up on Benadryl all the time. I then switched to Zyrtec for my itching, it is by prescription only, unfortunately, and pretty expensive too, but it was well worth it for me. Finally, ran out of Zyrtec and didn’t go back to the Dr. to get anymore, and believe it or not, there is no more itching. Well, I get the usual every once in a while itch, but no more breaking out in bumps and whelps or waking up covered in bites. I am not sure what changed the problem, but I have done nothing else different besides the Zyrtec. After a year of itching, and a 3 month regimen of a zyrtec tablet a day, it has been right at 4 months since I had my last breakout. I hope this helps others, it is worth a shot for you to try if you are as miserable as I was
I seem to be experiencing the same problems as everyone else. I’ve recently started to wake up in the morning with one or two small bites either on my arm or finger and then there are other red spots to go along with the bites, but the red spots do not itch. Some are small and some are larger (dime shaped). They last about 2-3 days and then are gone. My roommate isn’t experiencing anything and when I stay at my boyfriends, my skin is fine. I’ve done everything I can to clean the mattress, sheets, etc. and am still getting this. I’m also in my late 20’s–is this something that comes and goes? Do I need to let more sunlight in??
I am a pretty woman and i was wondering why i am breaking out with red and itchy patches on my face everytime i wake up in the morning. It is uncomfortable and people are laughting at it and stuff. It is not funny and i need advice.
Are these dust mites and SHOULD i go see a doctor?????
Many of you may be suffering from a follicle problem with the skin rather than dust mites. My son has always had bumpy, red skin with pimple-like postules. We went to a dermatologist in the early summer and he was able to diagnose it as soon as he saw it. I believe the name was Keratosis pilaris, not to be confused with Keratosis pilaris.
Keratosis pilaris is a condition where the hair follicle doesn’t shed properly. It can be treated to look much better with special topical antibiotics and a special lotion. The dermatologist also suggested that he wear as little clothing as possible to help the skin clear up and also to expose it to the sun regulary. His skin looks much better and he only used the cream and antibiotics for a few weeks.
I hope this helps. BTW, it is a genetic disorder passed on from one or more parents and usually affects 1/3 of the children born to them. Maybe more, maybe less.
This is Hell!!! At first I thought i was getting small, red, itchy bumps from an allergic reaction to a detergent. I’ve since changed detergents 3 times to no avail.
This has persisted for about 2.5 months, and I can’t take it anymore. I’ve been researching dust mites and am so fed up that my friends and I are considering having a Bed Burning Party, which I think is a good idea, but I can’t pollute. Even if I get rid of the mites in my current bed, it will not do. That damned thing is out today. I’d rather sleep on rocks than deal with this any further.
Layman’s Advice: don’t bother seeing a dermatologist, they aren’t going to help you in this situation. They will make suggestions such as to start cutting things out of your diet, change detergents, soaps, perfumes, etc. They really won’t know what your problem is, unless they say, “Dust mites,” which they can do nothing about.
I put my pillows in the dryer on high heat for twenty minutes every time I change my sheet which is once a week and I heard that kills the dust mites. Does anyone know if that is true??
I have this one place on my right leg that has not healed properly ffor three months. Now I live in a basement and I have three more on my left leg~on my ankle, on my shin and in the back of my knee! They itch profusely and drive me crazy. I just want to make it stop itching.
Please how do I get rid of these dust mites. I’ve tried smothering them with fingernail polish and used anti itch creams that don’t work and I don’t like the fact that it never heals. Also, I have a few places on my belly that don’t really itch but they don’t heal either. I’m not sure exactly what they are because I can’t see them but I sure can feel them bit me…it hurts really bad. Can anyone help? Please!
hi! i just would like to know how you find out if your mattress has dust mites. Is there a home test that you can use without buying those test kits available?
I remove dustmites from their hideouts, they love to breed inside the mattresses, woollen clothing, carpets, pillows etc. by using a high end vacuum cleaner. Traditional vacuum cleaner can’t do the job, the normal choking and porous vacuum bag cause dusts to escape back and the bad odor during vacuuming is from bacteria.
Your 5 year old bed has an average of 5 to 10 million mites.
You could also kill the dustmites using steam vapour but must use one of those high end vacuum cleaners with a high rpm water filtration to suck out the deeply buried dustmites from pillows and mattresses.
I woke up on Saturday with a small nickle sized red mark on my forarm arm that I believe to be caused by a dust mite. There was a dot in the middle, sort of brownish…there was a small bubble on the top, and then it popped and drained. Now the next day (Suday) it is about the size of a dollar coin, maybe a bit larger, very hard, very tender, and very hot to the touch.
I don’t even have to touch it to know its hot…its a weird feeling. I have some throbbing pain in my shoulder, and my hand feels sort of weak. I have been taking benedril and put some triple antibiotic ointment on it. Is this enough? Should I go to a doctor?
for the past 2weeks ihave been itching like crazy an i have redbumps in my skin, at first i thought it was fleas is the cause of it, but i dont see anything. can you please help me i dont know if its dust mites or somthing…
I have these red itchy bumps that i thought were mosquito bites but they aren’t.They are so close in range and it looks like i have the chicken pox, I only get them when i wake up in the morning and they itch really badly. Are these dust mites? I just moved to SC and thats when i started getting them. I need to know what to do, i had such beautiful legs, but now they are scarred by dark marks from the bites, on my stomach, and my back and my feet, my family thinks thy’re just mosquito bites and dont want me to go to the doctor, but i know i need to go, i get more everyday…what should i do???
I was thinking it was hives at first, then I looked at pictures of hives and mine are so small and not the same as hives. When they itch so bad I make them bleed a bit and then they make a small scab and itches around it. I have like 15 of them all over my body and think these are from dust mites. My daughter was complaining about getting bit when she slept on my bed and I never was bit untill she asked me about it. Now i’m going crazy scratching. I’m going to the doctor tomorrow, its just too itchy now. It’s my second day now.
I live in a hot humid climet and suffer form dust mite bites a few tips that I follow which help.
-When you change your beding vacume your matterace paying perticular attention to the seams.
– Air you bed for at least 1/2 an hour before you make it and pull the fitted sheet as tight as you can. At boarding school they used to make us bounce a coin on the sheet to see if it was tight enough
– Air your matterace at least once a month and give it a good beating
– Flip your matterace at least once a month
– Fluff your pillows every day when making your bed
– Dry Clean your duvet every 2 months, I have 2 so they take it in turns
– always keep air flow in the bedroom either by a/c or a fan, dust mite breed in areas without air flow
– Vacume your lounge once a week and your car as they travel with you on your cloths
– Ladies waxing your legs works because it removes all the dry dead skin which they feed off or exfoleate every day in the shower.
– A soak in the bath also helps to soften and remove dead skin
I hope this helps you.
I have those same very tiny whitehead pimple-like bumps all over my body too.. started almost 2 weeks ago. They can get quite itchy. I can scratch them until they bleed/burst open and they can still be itchy. I can also squeeze them like I would whitehead pimples, but I know they are not pimples, because pimples don’t itch like this.
I must have like 30+ little bumps, perhaps from dust mites and they are not congregated in just one area too. They are on my back, my stomach, my arms, certain parts of my legs.
I haven’t tried any new soap or anything like that. If this persists, I’m going to have to see my doctor.
Oh yeah, but the thing was, over a month ago, I noticed three very painful bites/stings or something on my left outer leg. I believe that was a spider bite because I can’t think of it being anything else. When my wife touched it and rubbed the area by accident, it hurt like a bad bee sting. It hurt for like 2+ weeks straight, and then gradually the pain went away. Finally after the 3rd week or so, it started to itch somewhat.
Now, it’s essentially entirely gone. However, I sometimes wonder if that is related to these little bumps all over my body because they seem to have appeared one after another.
Hey I have bites only on my left leg! Go figure! And I am the only one in the family getting them! I seem to get bitten when on my living room couch, which is odd. And my son will lay or sit on the couch and not get bitten. But in the evenings when I relax on the couch, I will get bitten! And only my left thigh area! And they are very itchy, and from what I have read seem like dust mite bites.
My skin appears to be allergic to them, so this is very uncomfortable. I know with sheets or something you can just throw them in a hot wash, but what about couch cushions? Does anyone know of any treatment for that? I have tried vacuuming, but I cannot see the dust mites of course. No help. Please help if you can!
i am the same as jan! but its weird, because they are ALL on my right hand. strange, no?? Im not sure what it is, but i am thinking some sort of spider bite
I have same as Dana ,shower twice daily but each morning seem to have new bites espesially on my body. Red bumps with little yellow heads. Are these dust mites? HELP
For all of you with itchy red spots and itching at night you may find that you have bed bugs! Take a look at Bed Bugs for more information
I have red little bumps on my arms and legs, with tiny white heads that almost look like pimples. You can pop them and then i have red marks all over my body. I am very clean and shower atleast 2 times a day. Every morning i wake up with new ones. Could these be bites from dust mites?
I have the red bumps and get the red itchy scales only on my face. I have put the mattress and pillow casings on my pillows, but not on my husbands. Do dust mites jump or move? I washed the sheets and was okay for about a week. Now the red bumps are back! Help!
I first noticed the itchyness whenever i lay in bed about 3 years ago. i have tried washing my sheets every week, tore up my carpet (hard wood now), vacuum my mattress, chairs, curtains regularly, it improves but then the dust mites always comes back.. anybody who’s succeedingly gotten rid of them for good.. please tell me how….
i have been bitten and not sure what is is….my leg has a bigggg bump that is hot top the touch and very tender its opnly in one spot…could that be mites or a spider….
I have red itchi bumps on my hand, body, leg, neck and some on my face. Is that dust mites?
The red itchi bumps are in different sizes. some are small n some r big…
It’s been around a week..
It started with 1 than spread to 2, 3 n more…
pls help.. is itchi..:s
hellllllllllllllp. ok ok so i woke up 2 days ago with an itch on my hand, now 2 days later there are these bubbles on my hands and i dont know how to get rid of it. the spot i was bitten is rock hard and red and itches, this is so not cool
I have a similar problem to Bernie’s…
I have been spending my nights scratching and itching (especially on my arms and tops of my feet) and waking up with what look likes mosquitoe bites. I’ve spent countless nights flicking on the lights to try and find the little criters and have found nothing! Unless i scratch them, the bites disapear quickly (within 2 days). I worked in a hostel for a very long time and am convinced that these aren’t bedbugs, so what are they? Please help, i want to sleep!
Me and my family have been getting bites for a month now I don’t see anything that flies I’ve washed all clothes and beddings I don’t know where do we get our bites. I inspected our matresses during night time I don’t see any trace of bed bugs We see our bites in the morning. I have fumigated our house twice already and have thought that it could be dust mites, please advice on what is the best thing to do. Thank You!
Hi, I get something like eczema spots on my body but they are smaller and pink, can it be from dust mites???
I am having problems with my itching. I decided to check read about mites. It looks very much like I might have them. I am going to a Dermontologist May 14 so he can help me. Thanks for the information I received from the questions and answers. Peggy
It’s really hard to avoid them completely. And some of us seem to be more affected by dust mite bites than others.
Apparently, in Japan, they have different names for 2 common dust mites, and they identify the types by the bites made. One type makes a single bite and wound, and the other type’s bites come in pairs, next to or very close to each other.
Anyway, I used to react quite badly to the bites, with terrible itching and clear fluid oozing out of the wounds for days. I have since discovered that when I’ve taken large doses of Vitamin C, about 1000mg, the itching stops and the wounds start healing up. Also, I don’t get any more bites as long as I maintain at least 500mg or more of Vit C daily.
Another remedy I’ve found effective is to take large doses of garlic oil. Whenever I get a fever or am down with influenza, I will take 2 x 20,000 unit garlic oil capsules every 4 hours. That not only helps clear up the illness but also seems to fend off dust mites and considerably lessens the severe itching of their bites. Since these capsules are so strong, if I’m not ill, I will just take one in the morning and one at bedtime if I feel I need them.
I had an exterminator for what we beleive is dust mites in the lower level . Yesterday I had to call them back because the problem still exists…..What should I be looking for in terms of what the exterminator uses for this…..He sprayed , I realy don’t know what he uses. My roomate is getting bites……HELP
Perhaps you should consider the fact, that human hair is long, so can be seen perfectly well. Try to cut from hair long enough piece to match its thickness… thats right folks, not so easy to see now, is it? And also, as they are mostly white in colouring, they are not that easy to spot amongst all the dust that lies around your house or whatever. If you put them on plain dark paper, you just might be able to see them. But dont expect them to wave at you, or move like faster and bigger spiders. They just are like your normal dust on the black paper.
Yes. I share Ray Lopez’s question about the dust mite. If these creatures are 0.0003 meter in length then I should be able to see them with my naked eye in the right circumstances. That size is four times the width of a human hair. It is about the size of one printer’s point (1/72 inch), the size of a period in 8 point text.
But I can’t seem to see the dust mite. What am I missing?
i am thinking of breeding dust mites in my mite-farm, here in alberta. would anyone be interested in contributing unwanted mites? i shall pay a hefty compensation.
I’ve read that dustmites are ~300 um in width and a human hair is ~60 um in width, so why can’t you see dust mites with the naked eye? Also a history of dust mite discovery would be a nice feature to add.
RL
These dust mites are itchy and form red bumps, please help make them stop.
Hi Jay,
These Dust mites are tiny microscopic relatives of the spider and feed on the flakes of skin that people shed daily and love a nice warm and humid environment.
Dust Mites are said to bite, but in most cases they are referring to the common house mite which eats skin – dead skin that is! There are many types of mites, but the dust mite is what we are covering here.
Most everyone that has been diagnosed as being allergic to dust (house dust) is really allergic to the feces produced by the Dust Mite. Although the house mite may catch a ride on clothing, they do not live on people.
Hope that helps!
Do Dust Mites Bite?