Pests from A to Z
Mites
Barely visible to the naked eye, mites have eight legs and a round body, and are seldom noticed until they have built up sufficient numbers to be a major infestation. They are not insects but are arachnids, related to spiders.
The typical mite emerges from its tiny egg in a dark crevice as a six-legged nymph, growing by a series of moults and acquiring another pair of legs in the process. Some species can survive starvation for up to six months.
Most houses have the House Dust Mite which lives on our mattresses, feeding on tiny particles of shed skin. The Furniture Mite occurs in damp upholstery. The Flour Mite infests damp cereals or pasta and causes “Grocer’s Itch”, in people who handle infested commodities.
Mange in pets is caused by mites; and the Itch Mite or Scabies Mite causes the disease of scabies by burrowing into the skin, causing an irritating rash. Bird Mites frequently enter houses from old nests of sparrows, starlings or house martins, or from poultry. Harvest Mites may bite people if brought in on the coats of dogs or on clothing. The most conspicuous mite that enters houses is the Red Spider Mite, a plant feeder which comes indoors in spring to seek egg-laying sites and again in autumn to hibernate.
Flour Mite
A minute, slow-moving, white or pale-brown creature only a barely visible 0.5mm long, with eight legs. A pest of cereals and cereal products especially if they are damp.
Furniture Mite
A tiny speck of “living dust”. If the dust gets up and walks away from you, it is Furniture Mites. About 0.5mm long, with eight tiny legs, they infest certain types of upholstered furniture – especially vegetable fibres in damp conditions. May cause an allergic reaction in sensitive people.
House Dust Mite
Exceedingly common, minute creatures of the genus Dermatophagoides. The main source of the house dust allergens implicated in allergic, respiratory reactions such as asthma. Feed on human skin scales and require both warmth and humidity. Mattresses and pillows provide ideal habitat.
Harvest Mite
A very tiny creature living in long grass but which can be carried into homes on clothing or the coats of dogs. Can give a very irritating bite.
Itch Mites
See Mites
Red Spider Mites
Tiny, bright red specks, about 1mm across, sometimes move into buildings in large numbers. There are two species with several names, generally known as Red Spider Mites. Although they do no direct harm inside the house, if the mites are squashed they stain walls and decorations.
It is the female mites, also known as Clover Mites and Gooseberry Mites, which invade homes and other buildings in spring and autumn, climbing walls to seek egg-laying sites or places in which to hibernate. According to entomologists male Red Spider Mites are “hardly ever found”, because the females lay their eggs parthenogenetically -ie. without the benefit of male involvement.
There are two species with different habits. Bryobia is dull red, moves slowly and feeds on plant sap; while Balaustium is bright red, runs quickly but erratically, feeds on pollen and lays its eggs in cracks in walls or the soil. Correct identification is important – for if you grow grass around a building to discourage Balaustium, you may get Bryobia and if you put down concrete to discourage Bryobia, you are likely to get Balaustium!
Ticks
Closely related to the mites, but much larger and reliant on vertebrate blood. They are occasionally brought into the house on domestic animals and can be picked up by humans after walking through long grass in an infested area.
Ticks are implicated in the transmission of Lyme disease and medical advice should be sought if a rash appears at the site of a bite. Remove them with a twist to avoid leaving the mouthparts in the skin.
