There are around 50 species of mite found in the UK. They are tiny 8-legged insects and the more common types associated with houses are:
- Scabies mites – often causing mange or scabies in animals as they burrow into the skin. Can be knows as itch mites.
- Bird mites – usually associated with birds and can find their way into your house if a bird has been nesting in the roof. Often they can then drop down from the nest and start appearing through gaps in the ceiling, such as light fittings, as they crawl through the loft spaces.
- Harvest mites – can come into the house on pet fur and might bite people.
- House dust mites – these are very common, living on mattresses and eating tiny, shed skin particles. Can cause allergies and sometimes aggravate asthma but non-biting so generally harmless.
- Flour mites – normally live in damp food stuffs such as pasta, flour and cereals. Can cause itching.
- Furniture mites – usually found living in damp soft furnishings and upholstered furniture.
- Red Spider mites – very distinctive red colouring and will come into houses during Autumn to hibernate, and also at Springtime when they are looking for safe places to lay their eggs. Plant feeders so normally non-biting to humans.
It can be difficult to get rid of mites yourself and if you need mite extermination it is always best to seek out professional pest control with a mite pest control or mite extermination service.
Once the source of the mites has been identified it will need removing and disposing of to avoid mite re-infestation. If the source of the mites cannot be found, then some pest control companies offer an insect identification service. Insect identification may need to be done within a laboratory, so a mite sample will need to be collected. Results normally take around 7-10 days.
If the mite infestation cannot be identified easily then laboratory identification is the sensible step, as your pest controller will then know what source these mites are normally associated with as well as living conditions they require and life cycle. This information makes mite extermination services far more effective, and the source more easily identified. Future mite infestation can also be prevented as living conditions, such as humidity, within the home can be adjusted to discourage mites from returning.
Mites can spread quickly, and early mite infestations can be difficult to spot at first due to the tiny size of these insects. However mite infestations can grow rapidly in size, and if it gets to the stage that you are seeing them moving around your home, it is definitely worth contacting a reputable local pest control service with a mite extermination program.