They Creep! They Crawl! They Feed on Your Flesh! And … They’re already here!
You can’t run! You can’t hide! Every step you take sends them swirling into the air, only to settle down once more and begin their scavenging for flesh.
They Are …. The Dust Mites! These little buggers are commonly found in most homes. At 0.5mm in length, they are only visible under a microscope. They feed on the sloughed-off skin of humans and animals. They are very happy living in clumps of dust, mattresses, stuffed chairs and sofas, and carpets. Most people live normal, unaffected lives in their presence. They are not capable of biting or stinging humans or pets. The problem with them arises with those who suffer allergies, and especially for those individuals with asthma, a compromised immune system, and/or respiratory complications.
Biologically speaking, the dust mite is an arachnid, related to spiders and … yes …ugh … tics. They are happiest in temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees F, with a relative humidity pretty much the same. They go through several stages of maturation: egg, larva, protonymph, tritonymph and adult. A single wad of dust weighing less than 0.352 ounces can contain thousands of the little flesh-eating scavengers.
So … the next time you’re watching that horror movie through splayed fingers, or reading that science fiction novel with all the lights on, wondering in which dark corner the monster is lurking – remember – they’re already beside you.
0 Comments