The dust mite is a subclass of spiders that is too small to be seen with the naked eye. It doesn’t bite people and it’s not poisonous or harmful per sé.
However, the dust mite’s feces creates all kinds of problems for people with allergies and respiratory ailments. This arachnid eats dead skin flakes which is why people will have most of their problems in bed or on furniture where they spend a lot of their time, such as a favorite chair or couch.
Watch the video below to learn more about dust mite allergy.
Because they’re so small, it takes a special kind of filter on your vacuum cleaner to pick them up and trap them. These are called HEPA filters and they’re your first line of defense against dust mites.
Also because of their small size, the only way to really know if you’ve managed to eliminate them is when your allergies and respiratory problems die down. In other words, no news is good news.
Is there Any Natural Way to Eliminate Dust Mites?
How to get rid of dust mites naturally is a question a lot of people ask these days, wanting to use methods that don’t rely on chemical insecticides.
While there are a few “all natural” remedies out there, their efficacy is disputed by many. Nevertheless, in the interests of fairness, here are two of them for your consideration.
One natural remedy is eucalyptus oil.
People report being able to breath easier and more freely when using this essential oil on their furniture, bedding, and clothing. Whether it actually kills dust mites or not is debatable but if people feel better after using it, they feel better.
Another all-natural remedy is this spray made specifically for dust mites – a combination of cloves and cinnamon. You’re told to spray it on pillows, bedding, mattresses, furniture, and clothes to eliminate dust mites.
Again, how well it kills dust mites (if at all) is an untested proposition. But if you feel better after using it, it means that the solution is working.
What Are Acaricides And Why Should You Care?
Acaricides are substances that kill mites and ticks. These include substances as diverse as targeted antibiotics, certain insecticides, and diatomaceous earth.
Acaricides are widely used in agriculture to protect crops from mites. They are also found in pet products that protect animals against ticks. Any spray or insecticide that claims to be able to kill mites is, by definition, is an acaricide.
Mites and ticks are members of Acarina, a subclass of arachnids. An acaricide can be subdivided depending on its end use.
Did You Know
Dust mites neither drink nor urinate. However, it doesn’t mean that these arachinds don’t need water. They absorb moisture from the environment through the glands on their front legs.
A miticide is an acaricide that kills mites, and an ixodicide is an acaricide that kills ticks. They are available in different formulations depending on whether they are to be used on humans, animals or plants.
Two of the least toxic acaricides are diatomaceous earth and pyrethrin-based compounds.
Diatomaceous earth is the pulverized shells of tiny fossils. The shells have razor-sharp edges that cut the exoskeleton of mites and ticks, causing them to dehydrate and die.
Read more: Click here to learn more about diatomaceous earth.
Although it is not a fast method, diatomaceous earth is effective and safe to use around people and can be applied directly on pets. Pyrethrins are natural chemicals derived from chrysanthemums that, although they are less toxic than other insecticides, require direct contact with mites and ticks to be effective.
What is the Best Way to Kill Dust Mites?
At the end of the day, the best way to kill dust mites is to spray them with pesticides designed to kill spiders.
You need to be aware that insecticides or pesticides (in this case the terms are interchangeable) don’t kill the target pests instantly. If they were that strong, they’d be dangerous for us. It will take several days before it begins killing dust mites.
There are four main sprays we’ll look at that have a pretty good track record in that regard. Since they kill spiders (arachnids) they’ll also kill dust mites.
Continue vacuuming the furniture with your HEPA vacuum cleaner if you have one. It won’t affect nor remove the pesticide. Rather, it will give you a sense of relief as you wait for the insecticide to take its full swing.
5 Best Dust Mite Sprays
As a quick recap, here are the dust mite killers we looked at.
- Bedlam Pro Plus Aerosol
- NyGuard Plus
- Onslaught Micro-encapsulated
- Nuvan ProStrips
- CimeXa Insecticide Dust
Our #1 pick went to Bedlam Pro Plus Aerosol. Also, be sure to take a look at the Nyguard Plus. Its track record is nearly as good as Bedlam’s.
A word of caution; these are chemicals. Always be careful around chemicals, and don’t forget to wear disposable latex gloves when handling them.
Be sure to take a look at the Allersoft Pillow Protector who don’t need a full mattress protector, but only something to protect their pillows.
Bedlam Pro Plus Aerosol
Because Bedlam Pro is the best choice when it comes to taking care of dust mites and because of it’s residual effects, it also kills the dust mites that may still be in their eggs once they hatch. Insect eggs are notorious for being waterproof; Bedlam Pro will still be active once they hatch and keeps them from starting the cycle all over again.
Bedlam Pro is also safe to use around the home and has a low odor. Always follow the instructions on the product before use and use all the protective equipment that it recommends.
Bedlam Pro comes in a spray can with a straw extender so you can easily and effectively get into all the nooks and crannies that you wouldn’t be able to with a traditional backpack or handheld spray can.
NyGuard Plus
Another excellent broad-spectrum insecticide is Nyguard. It is similar in many respects to Bedlam Pro Plus. It is made out of the same base ingredients. It would take years of repeated direct exposure to the concentrated form every day for it to begin having any effect on you.
However, as long as you follow the directions and allow this product to dry before anyone interacts with it, you will be just fine.
Nyguard is designed to treat large areas such as carpets or the underside of a couch. While using this product, it is important to wear gloves, cover or remove exposed dishes and foods in the area, and never use it directly on people or pets.
Once Nyguard has completely dried, you are good to use the area or items treated.
Onslaught Micro-encapsulated
Onslaught is an indoor and outdoor concentrate insecticide that covers most kinds of mite issues. When it comes to products that you have to mix yourself, I cannot stress enough how important it is for you to read the label, wear personal protective equipment, and follow ALL of the instructions.
Onslaught is an encapsulated pesticide, which means it attaches to the pests’ legs as they walk over it, and then when they clean their legs off, they will die in 3 to 5 days. This also means that there isn’t a contact kill involved, so it will take a little bit longer for your pest problems to resolve. Still, in return, the product lasts for three to four months, so you do not have to treat your home constantly.
In addition to needing the proper safety gear, you are also going to need a small handheld spraying device to mix this product in and then apply it to the area in question. When mixing half a fluid ounce concentrated Onslaught is added to a gallon of water to treat 1,000 square feet. So unless you have 1000 square feet to treat or want to have extra left over, you are going to want to do some math and reduce how much you make at a time.
Nuvan ProStrips
Nuvan strips are impregnated with an 18.6% solution of Dichlorvos. This is a cholinesterase inhibitor that works on the nervous system of anything that is exposed to the vapors.
There are some fairly rigorous instructions on how to use them though, and you need to follow them carefully because cholinesterase inhibitors are used in nerve gas.
Seal the windows and doors of the room/s you intend to fumigate with these strips. Using a masking tape around the edges of the windows works very well.
Seal all air vents with plastic, held in place with masking tape, and tape sheets of plastic over any A/C window unit. The room needs to be as airtight as you can possibly make it.
Once the strips are unsealed and placed in their plastic hangers, don’t inhale the fumes any more than the bare minimum needed to hang them in the room and get out of it. Overexposure will give you a splitting headache.
Each strip will fumigate a 200 cubic foot area.
There are twelve strips in a package, so calculate the cubic footage of the room(s) you need to fumigate and hang the required number of strips in it. Once the strips have been hung around the room you’re fumigating, close the door and seal it from the outside.
Leave the room sealed for seven days. After that, open all the doors and windows to let it air out. Immediately throw the strips away.
Vacuum the room, bedding, and furniture. Virtually everything in the room should be dead by that time.
CimeXa Insecticide Dust
CimeXa is a slightly different take on the dust mite problem than all of our other products. While everything we have previously mentioned has been spray products, CimeXa is a dust formulation that works differently. Most of the other products on our list take a little bit of time to start killing a pest; CimeXa gets to work as soon as the dust mite or other target creature comes into contact with it.
There are several application methods. The most common one is to squeeze the dust into some crack or crevice where no one is going to disturb it and then just let it sit there like a minefield, and every time a creature crawls through it, they die. This kind of dust can last for years inside of a wall void where no sunlight is getting to it and is constantly breaking it down.
Because this is a professional strength product, you need to make sure to read the directions before you use it and equip all of the PPE (personal protection equipment) to make sure that you are kept safe.
Think you might need professional help with your dust mites problem? Use the form below to connect with local pest control pros:
