Bed bugs and dust mites are hard to differentiate, but one thing they have in common is the ability to make your life miserable. Both will equally interfere with quality of your sleep and can cause serious health problems. Infestation by one or the other will result in different symptoms. If you suspect that your home is inhabited by either of the two pests, call for professional pest control immediately. When you do, you’ll be asked specific questions to help determine the cause of your woes. Here’s a guide to help you distinguish the physical features, habitats, feeding, of the pests and possible health symptoms resulting from infestation:
How Big Are Dust Mites and Bed Bugs?
Dust mites are about 0.25 to 0.3 mm long. They are therefore not really visible to the naked eye. On the other hand, bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed, particularly after they have taken human blood. Therefore, they are easily seen on your furniture, home, or clothing.
Image from badbedbugs.com
What Are Their Natural Habitats?
Dust mites live in dark and damp environments. These environments have to have a constant supply of food. They’re mostly found in pillows, sofas, mattresses and under carpets. On the other hand, bed bugs, as their name states, are known to inhabit the crevices of your bed. They also hide in mattresses, nightstands and even on headboards.
What Do They Feed on?
Bed bugs feed on warm-blooded mammals. These pests have two hollow tubes, known as rostra. Through one of the rostra, the bedbugs will inject an aesthesia so you do not feel pain as they suck out blood with the other rostra. They also inject an anticoagulant to enhance flow of blood while they attack. Dust mites, on the other hand, feed on dead human cells (like the flakes of skin that fall on your bedclothes or carpet). Other times, they will feed on bread crumbs, cereals and fungi.
What Health Symptoms Do They Cause?
Image from howrid.com
Dust mites can cause severe health effects. They cause allergic reactions such as wheezing, hay fever, nasal congestion, and coughing. They can trigger severe allergic reactions in people with asthma, rhinitis and eczema. On the other hand, if bed bugs have been joining you at nighttime, you may wake up with red marks on your skin. These bites are generally itchy and sometimes very painful. Although bed bugs do not cause allergic reactions, if scratched the bites could make you vulnerable to infection.
Their Removal
If you are trying to solve the problem yourself, the best way to initially address it is by washing your sheets and pillow covers in hot water or steaming them. This does method does not promise a 100% guarantee the pests will be eliminated. The only get a guarantee you can get is from a reputable, professional pest control company.
Save yourself the hassle and concern of trying to rid yourself of dust mites and possibly spreading bed bugs to your friends and neighbours. Call JDM Pest Control at 416-729-3568 so we can alleviate your suffering and rid you of these pests once and for all.