Almost every home in the UK has unwanted lodgers - the common dust mite. You can't see them because they're so small, but left long enough, you will definitely start to notice their presence. And lots of people are allergic to them, with 20% of the population suffering from the little blighters.
The mites are often to blame for causing conditions like asthma and eczema, because their droppings cause an allergic reaction in some people. But there are ways to reduce the amount of mites in your home.
DUST MITES! The microscopic, spider-like organisms are found primarily in our homes where dead skin cells are plentiful. Dust mites are thought to be the most important allergen associated with asthma. It is actually the excretion (feces) of this critter to which people are allergic. Research has revealed this trigger is a microscopic protein in the mite excrement calledDer p1. One tenth of the weight of a two year old pillow is dust mite feces.
A double bed mattress can easily harbor 2-10 million dust mites, with each mite producing 40 to 100 pellets per day. The average dust mite is 0.5 mm in length, not visible to the naked eye. Over 7,000 can fit on a fingernail. A dust mite molts several times during its life, producing 200 times it's weight in waste and will lay 300 eggs. Each mite produces 40 to 100 feces pellets per day. The mites droppings are coated in an enzymatic slime substance, which after drying become mixed with other particles forming