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What is the Difference Between a Dust Mite & a Bed Bug?
There have been several stories in the news recently about the return of bed bugs, which is rapidly becoming a growing problem throughout North America as well as worldwide But first, it’s important that you know the difference between a Bed Bug and a Dust Mite. Dust mites and bed bugs are very different organisms and affect humans in very different ways. Dust mites are present in every room of every home, multi-bed facility such as hotels, dormitories, nursing homes and just about any building. Bed bugs are not present everywhere, although they are beginning to appear in many places ranging from hotels to college dormitories to hospital wings to homeless shelters to private homes and beyond. Dust mites are microscopic bugs that primarily live on dead skin cells shed regularly from humans and their pets. They don’t carry disease, but they can cause some rather uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous allergic reactions in a growing number of people who are allergic to their feces. Dust mites create even more of a problem for asthmatics and others with severe allergies. A single dust mite produces about 20 waste droppings (feces) each day, each containing a protein to which many people are allergic. Depending on the person and exposure, reactions can range from itchy red eyes, headaches, nasal and sinus problems, scratchy or sore throat, fatigue, depression, to triggering more frequent asthma attacks. And, unlike other types of mites, house dust mites are not parasites since they only eat dead skin. Bed bugs, on the other hand, are small, wingless insects that are part of the arachnid family that feed solely upon the blood of warm-blooded animals. Bed bugs and their relatives have evolved as nest parasites. Certain kinds inhabit bird nests and bat roosts and await the return of their hosts; others have adapted well to living in the “nests” (homes) of people. Hatchling bed bugs are about the size of a poppy seed, with adults about a quarter-inch in length. Bed bugs seek out people and animals, generally at night while these hosts are asleep, and painlessly sip a few drops of blood. While feeding, they inject a tiny amount of their saliva into the skin. Repeated exposure to bed bug bites during a period of several weeks or more causes people to become sensitized to the saliva of these bugs; additional bites may then result in mild intense allergic responses. The skin lesion produced by the bite of a bed bug resembles those caused by many other kinds of blood feeding insects, such as mosquitoes and fleas. The versatility of the Hygienitech system allows you to treat bed bug and dust mite issues before the infestation expands beyond the mattress, box spring and other upholstered items nearby.
