Bed Bugs vs Dust Mites Bites: Treatment & Prevention

Today, we’re comparing two common bug bites, bed bugs vs dust mites bites. It’s never pleasant to wake up covered in itchy red marks and irritated skin. If that’s the case, then there is a strong possibility that your home may be Infested by either bed bugs or dust mites.

While the discomfort caused by both bed bugs vs dust mites bites is similar proper identification is key to getting rid of your bug infestation.

So in this article, we’ll go over how you can easily tell bed bugs apart from dust mites and how to treat them. Read on!

 

Bed Bugs vs Dust Mites Bites: How to Identify

To avoid spending unnecessarily, the first thing you should do in any pest elimination plan is identify the exact pest you’re dealing with. Moreover,  careless identification can lead to wrong treatment methods which will cost you time and money.

 

How to Identify Bed Bugs Bites

Bed bugs have flat brown oval-shaped bodies, six legs, and two antennae. After feeding, their bodies swell to an oblong shape and take on a reddish color.

The blood they feed on makes them grow faster, mature bed bugs are five to seven millimeters in length. So you can see them with just your eyes alone.

Knowing how to identify the symptoms of bed bug bites can be an important tool in the fight against these pests and the possible health problems they can cause. Bed bug bites often appear as clusters or lines of tiny, red, painful welts on the skin.

Arms, shoulders, neck, and face are common locations because these parts of the body are left uncovered while sleeping. Bed bug bites, unlike those of certain other insects, typically do not have a distinct central puncture site.

Instead, they look like red, irritated patches on otherwise paler skin. The severity of an adverse reaction to a bed bug bite, however, might vary from person to person.

Allergic reactions can vary greatly across individuals; some people may have a strong reaction while others may have none at all. It is important to check your bedding and sleeping places for signs of these pests if you suspect bed bug bites and to seek professional pest control if you discover an infestation.

 

Read also: Bed Bugs vs Tick; Facts, Differences, Identification, and Prevention

 

How to Identify Dust Mites Bites

Dust mites have unsegmented bodies with eight legs, and no eyes, and their colors can include tan, reddish-brown, creamy blue, and white. These pests are microscopic and cannot be seen with the naked eye alone.

To be clear, dust mites are not known to cause bites in humans. People’s allergic reactions to “dust mite bites” are actually triggered by proteins in dust mite excrement and body pieces.

Microscopic arachnids called “dust mites” flourish in house dust and upholstered furniture because they feed on human skin flakes. Dust mite feces include allergenic proteins that the mites release when they die.

Bedding, pillows, and upholstery can all become contaminated with these proteins if they are released into the air. Sneezing, a runny or stuffy nose, itchy or watery eyes, coughing, wheezing, and skin rashes are just some of the reactions that may occur after exposure to certain allergens.

While dust mites themselves do not cause bites, being aware of the symptoms caused by dust mite allergens and taking measures to reduce dust mite populations in your home can help alleviate these symptoms and make for a healthier living space.

 

Read also: Flea vs Bed Bug Bite; Facts, Comparison and Symptoms

 

Bed Bugs vs Dust Mites Bites: Where to Spot Them

Next, we’ll describe common habitats and conducive conditions that are unique to each pest. One environment suitable for bed bugs may not be suitable for dust mites or any other pests.

Bed Bugs:

Bed bugs can survive indoors and outdoors, but prefer living inside homes. They hitchhike indoors on clothing, shoes, luggage, and pets. Once inside, they hide in crevices around sleeping and living areas like:

• Furniture
• Mattresses and
• Baseboards

 

Dust Mites:

On the other hand, dust mites can’t survive in outdoor environments. They can be found in areas with high moisture so be on the lookout for water leaks or anything else that can cause water stagnation.

You can find dust mites within the dust on furniture or around the roof including on mattresses carpets and curtains. To confirm their presence, you’ll need to collect a dust sample and examine it under a microscope.

 

Bed Bugs vs Dust Mites Bites: Signs of Their Activity

Now that, you know what these pests look like and where they can be found, look for signs of their activity.

Bed bugs: These bugs will leave several obvious indicators that they’ve infested a home. Look around your furniture, including in tight, cracks crevices, and folds.

They’ll leave behind fecal, traces, blood smears, molted skin, shells, and eggs. If bedbugs have fed off of you, you may feel a rash or irritation with raised red bumps on your skin.

Dust mites: This pest can pose serious health hazards. They can trigger asthma or other allergies like coughing watery eyes sneezing, or a runny nose.

Dust mite activity can also cause a rash to form, but just coming in contact with them is enough. Any skin irritation is likely caused by the leftover fecal matter or body fragments they leave behind as they don’t pierce human skin to feed. Instead of feeding on blood dust mites feed on dead skin cells.

 

Read also: Bat Bug vs. Bed Bug: Identification, Similarities & Differences

 

Bed Bugs vs Dust Mites Infestation: Treatment and Prevention

Once you’ve confirmed a bed bug or dust mite infestation, it’s time to start treatment before starting any treatment be sure to wear your personal protective equipment or PPE and remember to keep all people and pets out of the treated areas until dry.

 

Bed Bugs Treatment

To treat bedbugs, you’ll need time, patience, and several products to ensure you get full control and eliminate bed bugs completely.

You’ll need:

• Mattress encasements
• Handheld sprayer
• Flex 1010 insecticide
• Gentrol IGR Concentrate
• Handheld duster
• Defense dust and
• Pyrid insecticide aerosol

 

How to Apply

To treat bedbugs start by:

• Sanitizing the entire room, vacuuming everywhere.
• Be sure to use a crevice attachment to get bed bugs in the folds of your mattress or in the cracks of the bed frame.
• Use hot water to wash pillow covers and bed sheets.
• Dry them on high heat, then seal them in a plastic bag.
• Adult bed bugs die at 119 degrees Fahrenheit. Don’t return them until treatment is complete.
• Treat the infested room with Flex 1010 and Gentrol IGR.
• Mix 6.4 fluid ounces of Flex 1010 into 1 gallon of water and with a handheld sprayer sprinkle around the mattress edge, seams, and folds.
• Next, add one ounce of Gentrol IGR to treat 1,500 square feet, spray the bed frame, box spring, any furniture, closet flooring, and baseboards.
• Use Pyrid aerosol to flush out bed bugs, from cracks and crevices. Insert the straw into the target area and spray for areas where liquids can’t be applied like behind electrical outlets.
• Use defense dust. Apply 2 to 3 puffs using a handheld duster.

Prevention: Use mattress and box spring encasements to prevent infestations and trap existing bed bugs afterward. We recommend you make follow-up treatments with the pesticides seven to ten days after your initial treatments.

 

Dust Mites Treatment

To treat dust mites all you’ll need are:

• Mattress
• Pillow encasement
• Steri-Fab Disinfectant & Insecticide

 

How to Apply

Now, we’ll go over treatment for dust mites.

• First, cover your mattress, box springs, and pillows with the proper encasements. This traps any dust mites and prevents them from feeding.
• Vacuum the room and collect blankets, bed sheets, and pillowcases to wash in hot water, dry, and apply high heat to them.
• Disinfect carpets, rugs, mats, sofas, and chairs with Steri-Fab disinfectant.
• Sanitizer dries fast and won’t harm fabrics or carpets.
• If used as directed treat crevices, cracks, seams, and folds, thoroughly and repeatedly.
• For small sofas use 4 to 5 ounces, for regular sofas use 6 to 8 ounces, and for convertible sofas 8 ounces.
• Apply Steri-Fab disinfectant & insecticide to both sides of carpets, rugs, or mats. Keep them wet for at least 10 minutes.

 

Rapping Up

We recommend you repeat these steps weekly until your bed bugs and dust mites infestation have been eliminated. As we mentioned earlier, use mattress and box spring encasements to prevent infestations and trap existing bed bugs afterward.

We recommend you make follow-up treatments with the pesticides seven to ten days after your initial treatments.

Proper identification and treatment are crucial when trying to eliminate pests like bed bugs or dust mites with these professional pest control tips from Pestclue, you can eliminate your bed bug and dust mite infestation. Visit our website to stay updated with the latest pest control guide.

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