| They are tiny. They are dirty. There are probably | | | | smorgasbord.Dust mites are related to the Spider and |
| thousands if not millions of them in bed with you every | | | | they have eight legs, but no eyes and no antennae . |
| night!! They are called dust mites and if you suffer | | | | Female mites lay between 40 and 80 eggs in a lifetime |
| from asthma or allergies, they make your symptoms | | | | which lasts up to seven weeks. The good news is |
| even worse. So whether you have an adjustable bed | | | | that they are tiny. Just a gram of dust may contain up |
| or a regular bed, these little critters are nothing but a | | | | to 5,000 mites, and an ounce of dust may host 150,000. |
| nuisance.Dust mites make their home in mattresses, | | | | You just cannot see them crawling about, but they are |
| pillows, blankets, quilts, carpets and fabric covered | | | | there.How do you Control Dust Mites?*Pesticides are |
| furniture, thrive in the summer and usually die in the | | | | not approved for control of house dust mites because |
| winter. They may continue to thrive in the winter if your | | | | they can damage to you as much as them.*Replace |
| house is warm and humid.The bedroom is an area that | | | | feather and down pillows with synthetic fillings.* |
| has an environment that the dust mite loves. An | | | | Enclose the mattress top and sides with a special |
| adjustable bed, or any bed for that matter, can contain | | | | synthetic cover.*Vacuum your mattress thoroughly |
| hundreds of thousands of them and an old pillow can | | | | especially the base and head of the bed.*Keep the |
| have 20% of its own weight made up of dust mites, | | | | mattress as dry as possible; dust mites like it damp, |
| dead and alive, and dust mite droppings.But mainly their | | | | especially with sweat.* Change and wash pillowcases, |
| droppings. Kind of makes you look at your bed a little | | | | sheets, and under blankets regularly.*Vacuum the bed |
| differently tonight.Why do they love to get in bed with | | | | base and around the covered mattress weekly.*Wash |
| us ? Because most animals, including humans shed skin | | | | all bedding frequently in hot water (60oC weekly). |
| flakes every year. We all naturally lose skin, head and | | | | Wash curtains regularly as well.*A dehumidifier helps |
| pubic hairs by the thousands every year. A household | | | | because house mites need high humidity to live and |
| of four normal adults shed over three pounds in weight | | | | grow*Throw the bed-clothes back and open the |
| of skin flakes annually. Over 80% of the dust particles | | | | windows wide, to have a good blow through. When |
| floating in the air and settling on your furniture is made | | | | you make your bed, you cover up the little critters and |
| up of dead skin cells. Since dust mites eat dead skin | | | | make them feel ,well, as snug as a bug in a bed. |
| cells, our beds are like an all you can eat for free | | | | |