Difference Between Dust Mites and Bed Bugs

This week’s blog will not be as cute or cuddly as my previous blog. Today I’m going to discuss the difference between dust mites and bed bugs. I’ve had many calls and questions about dust mites and bed bugs and how to treat them. However, people often use these terms interchangeably, but they are very different pests! Knowing if you’re dealing with dust mites vs bed bugs can help you know how to get rid of them. So here of some of the major differences between the two and how you can get rid of them with dust mite allergy products.

Dust Mites
House dust mites are tiny arachnids (kin to spiders and scabies), commonly found in carpets, mattresses and upholstered furniture. At about 0.25-.3 mm in length, dust mites are not really visible to the naked eye. If you can see dust mites, you’ve Normal, Non-Godzilla Sized Dust Miteeither got bionic eyeballs or godzilla-like dust mites. The Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, of the University of Virginia explains their diet consisting of human skin scales and the moisture of “human shavings”, which we naturally shed, all day, every day. Sometimes they diversify their diets with fungi, cereals, crumbs and fish food.

“Well, Rachel this is pretty gross. How is this relevant to my asthma and allergies?”

Well, digestive enzymes found in dust mite excretions trigger allergic reactions such as wheezing, airway hyper responsiveness (AHR), nasal congestion, cough, hay fever, etc. Most of us breathe in this allergen to no effect, but for people with allergies, asthma, COPD or other respiratory problems they can trigger reactions. Where, specifically is the allergen found? Considering the ubiquitous nature of dust mites, it is found everywhere! If there are people, there are dust mites, but specifically, the allergen is found in their their dead, decaying body parts as well as their feces. You read that correctly, dust mite poo.

A blog on termite control sydney talks about how young children and senior citizens are the most vulnerable to these allergens, but as the most common household allergen, dust mite allergies affect a wide variety of people. However, there are a few limiting factors to these cosmopolites’; survival, and controlling these is something we’ll discuss below.

Bed Bugs
These parasitic six-legged creatures are flat rusty colored insects that are about the size of an apple seed, which means they are visible to the naked eye if you are unfortunate enough to spot these elusive creatures of the night. Cimex lectularius comes from the the insect genus Cimex, which are known to be hematophagous (bloodsucking insects). So to recap, they’re tiny vampires. In addition to size and allergenicity, this is the primary difference between dust mites and bed bugs.

Difference Between Dust Mites and Bed Bugs - Bed Bug in Later Stages of Life Cycle

According to some pest control services, a bed bug infestation can happen anywhere, but usually happen in messy households or apartments and hotel/motel rooms. Mess affords them better opportunity to hide, and areas where there are frequently visitors provides greater opportunity to travel and spread. They can and do travel anywhere, usually by hitching a ride in suitcases, pillows, or any travel items really. So, they’re also hitchhikers (except these ones simple hide in your trunk without thumbing for a ride!).

Bed bugs are most active at night, and tend to hide in crevices, mattresses, behind headboards, base boards, nightstands etc. Their activity mainly consists of coming out from their hiding spots and doing their best Count Dracula impression, feeding directly off of us, and leaving small itchy bites all over your skin. The one small upside is they do not create allergic reactions (they lack the enzymes that we react to). The bites can be itchy and physically painful, and knowing you have a hidden infestation of tiny, hitchhiking, blood sucking vampires can be psychologically disturbing.

During World War II bedbugs were a huge problem in the U.S. military, and in response, they used cyanide-based pesticide, Zyklon B to exterminate them. As a “safer alternative” DDT was later used to fumigate these pests. Both of these toxic treatments are not longer in use. Oh the good ole days.

Limiting or Eliminating These Pests
Bed bugs are repulsive but more importantly, very difficult to get rid of without professional help. If you rent, call your landlord or property manager. If you own, this is something you’ll be paying for out of your own pocket, but despite some websites and people offering cheap advice on how to rid yourself of bedbugs, most are simply looking to make a quick buck at your expense or worse, offer dangerous or banned substances. When you travel, check your luggage and personal belongings. Bag luggage and clothing and store it outside or in the garage until you can wash and inspect it. When staying at a hotel or motel, report any bites to management ASAP, and keep your bags elevated. Avoiding them is your best bet, and in that vein, you can use bed bug proof mattress covers to seal up your mattress and box spring. In the event you do find bed bugs, you often have to discard a lot of things, and covering your mattress like this can avoid the pain and cost of potentially having to purchase a new one.

Dust mites are easier to rid of with the help of dust mite bedding covers, cleaning products that denature the dust mite allergen or kill dust mites, and general cleaning methods to reduce house dust (the primary component of which is dust mites). Hot can be very useful when it comes to dust mites. Wash your bedding in hot water of at least 113° F but ideally warmer (140°). It will work wonders for killing not only dust mites but also bed bugs. For dust mite allergen that might linger, the use of an anti-allergen detergent or a dust mite laundry additive to denature the actual protein allergen in the bedding.

When it comes to bedding, bedding that is simply labeled “hypoallergenic” is probably a complete waste of money. What actually helps though, are bedding covers. Quality mattress, pillow and box spring covers actually create a physical barrier between you and the dust mites that are most certainly in your mattress and pillows. These specially woven covers block the allergen and keep it out of the air you breathe. This, as part of an overall environment control regimen (washing regular bedding in hot water, dusting and vacuuming more frequently) can help to reduce allergic reactions without the use of medication.

All of these things can help you not only determine what type of pest you’re dealing with but how to best to rid yourself of it, such as calling pest control services like pest control green bay. Make sure to hire professional pest control services who possess SPCB certifications and expertise on the job. Remember, if you can see the critter, it’s not a dust mite, and there are other bugs and pests that can move in besides dust mites and bed bugs.

Good night, sleep tight, and don’t let the bed bugs bite!

10 thoughts on “Difference Between Dust Mites and Bed Bugs

  1. Linda Perkins November 22, 2013 / 8:42 pm

    I absolutely agree with these insights. Bed bugs infestation or even dust mites are indeed an awful thing. Getting rid of these sleep stealers is something every home owner should do to avoid getting bites while asleep. Finding ways to eliminate these is one important thing to do. Using bed bugs remedies helps so much. A bed bug cover is a great tool in avoid bed bugs frustrations. Keeping everything clean helps a lot, too.

  2. Godffrey brown October 16, 2014 / 2:31 pm

    Dust mites infestation since 2011 Tried every thing still infested ,,,need help

  3. KevvyG October 16, 2014 / 2:37 pm

    Dust mites are going to be nearly impossible to get rid of unless you're living in a clean room. They are so light, they can be carried by a breeze and easily hitch a ride on clothing, pets, and really, just about anything. They've long been a microscopic companion of human beings. The two largest sources though will be your bedding and carpet, followed by upholstered furniture. You can limit them with carpet removal, regular cleaning, and bedding covers. An air purifier can help, but getting completely rid of them, unfortunately, is almost impossible under most circumstances.

    If the problem is bed bugs, an exterminator for the home/apartment and a short vacation for you is likely your best bet. With either pesticides or heat, the living space will have to be thoroughly treated and possibly retreated before they are finally gone.

  4. Laura Head December 14, 2014 / 10:22 pm

    Do products that kill bed bugs also kill dust mites?

  5. KevvyG December 15, 2014 / 10:24 am

    Pyrethrins are often the common ingredient in modern sprays and treatments designed to kill bed bugs. These same compounds also kill dust mites. The same goes for heat over 140°. There may be some treatments where there isn't this overlap but when it comes to pesticides and insecticides which is what pyrethrins are, there generally tends to be a lot of overlap in terms of what it kills.

  6. Lori December 31, 2014 / 2:44 pm

    My son has a "snot-filled" sneeze at least once every morning; and I usually hear him sneeze once or twice in the middle of the night. My mother thought this was due to dust mites in/on his bed. We treated his bed and his stuffed animals and then put a special cover on his mattress after treating the mattress. This treatment was started due to my sister's son getting a lice infestation from the preschool he attends; we took precautions and did all the appropriate treatments including spraying a store bought Pyrethrin spray on items that cannot go into the washing machine and dryer. However, this seemed to really change nothing about my son's "snot-filled" sneezes every morning and the middle of the night sneezes; which have been occurring way before we took action to prevent a possible lice infestation.<br><br>Could it be dust mites some place we're not catching in his room? Such as in the carpet or on the walls?<br><br>Another point: Where we live is VERY humid most of the time as a matter of fact, it's at 86% humidity right now on New Year's Eve; and we don't have exhaust fans in our bathrooms it's an older house to suck out the humidity after showering. Could there be mold and/or mildew in the ducting in our house or other places that might be causing my son's sneezing? How do I check?<br><br>Also, I regularly ask my husband to wipe down our master shower and bathroom walls/ceiling with a 50/50 water-bleach mix because of mold/mildew; thankfully our guest bathroom shower/tub is not ever used.<br><br>I'd love to hire professionals to come in, but we just can't afford those type of services at the moment. But if removing the carpet or wiping down the walls might solve it or help, I can do that myself.<br><br>Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

    • Patrick September 29, 2015 / 5:01 pm

      Get rid of the stuffed animals altogether. And, if you have carpeting, tear it out and use tile or laminate flooring.

  7. Stacy May 27, 2016 / 8:03 am

    If you think you have bed bugs then why is only one person getting bites? My fiancé has no bites what so ever but I do. Can someone help me on this? I’m not even sure it’s bed bugs.

  8. Rachel July 7, 2016 / 11:25 am

    So I have a problem I’m trying to figure out if I have dust mites first I thought it was scabies so we went to the doctor got treated cleaned our bed with something. We sprayed the mix my husband made and 2 days was good but then I got to feelings something jumping on me but I can see nothing I’ve looked and looked to make sure it’s not bed bugs but I’ve found nothing. I just trying to figure out if it’s possible to vacuum your carpet then your bed and move them from one place to another like that. Do they also make you itch too?

    • KevvyG July 13, 2016 / 10:31 am

      First, if they’re not biting, then it’s not a bed bug. Second, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to transfer a pest from the floor to the bed, via a vacuum cleaner head or attachment. It’s not highly likely, but it’s not impossible. Lastly, if you felt it jump, you may want to consider fleas. They’re tiny, but visible (less so than a bed bug though). With dust mites, you won’t ever feel or see them. With bed bugs, you generally don’t feel or see them since they hide during daylight hours and only come out to feed at night. With fleas, you may feel them and though elusive, see them as well. For dust mites and fleas, you can try the Dust Mite and Flea Control powder. You’d mix in water, then spray the mattress. It’ll primarily target the young and eggs, so even after you use you may have a short time where adults may still live. They life cycle of either of these is rather short, but if it’s fleas or dust mites, the DMFC should clear them out. Hope that helps!

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