On this last day of BED BUG WEEK, we thought it would be cool to profile the difference between beastly bed bugs and disgusting dust mites. Thanks to www.yourdiscovery.com for shedding some light!  

Bedbugs and Dust Mites

Let’s get one thing straight – bedbugs and dust mites are not the same. The first is a nasty little bloodsucker that makes you itch and the second is a nasty little dead skin eater that makes you sneeze.

How about we start with the nasty little bloodsuckers?
Remember what your Gran used to say as she tucked you in? “Sleep tight; don’t let the bedbugs bite”? Well, she should know, because fifty years ago one in ten homes had them. Thankfully the little monsters are much less common than they used to be, mainly due to the modern, clean homes that we now live in. They feast on human blood, but will slum it on pets if they have to.

How do you know if you have bedbugs?
You’ll wake up with itchy, whitish bites, usually on your neck and arms. Bedbugs don’t carry disease – but don’t scratch the bites because they may become infected. Another way of finding them are the telltale spots of blood you will find on your bed linen after they’ve had dinner at your expense.

You’re not likely to see your houseguests, because they only come out to feed at night when you’re asleep. They are about the size of an apple pip, a reddish brown colour and have six legs. By day they hide in cracks and crevices around the home like skirting boards, behind loose wallpaper and in your bed.

Bedbugs live between six and 12 months and adult females will lay an average of 2-3 eggs a day. So once they’ve moved in, they tend to take over. They also love to travel – on clothes, luggage and in second hand furniture. Therefore, houses or hostels with a lot of people coming and going are more likely to be infested.

The only way to get rid of bedbugs is to call in a reputable pest control company to spray your home with insecticide. Your local council should be able to recommend one, and may even pay for the treatment.

Before they visit, pest control will ask you to wash all bed linen, soft toys and clothes in the hottest wash allowed – 60 degrees if possible. You’ll need to expose all potential hiding places and make sure the kids and pets (especially fish) are out of harms way. After the spray has dried, expect a break from the housework because you won’t be able to vacuum for at least ten days!

Invisible filth
Like it or not, no matter how clean you think your house is, you live in invisible filth. Eighty per cent of house dust is made of dead, human skin. We shed 5-10 grams a week and this is what dust mites like best for dinner.

The average house will be home to 100,000 to 10 million of the little monsters. You can’t see them; they’re translucent and only about 0.3mm long. Most people don’t even know they share their home with dust mites, but their existence is evident is you have asthma, eczema or allergies due to the enzymes in the mite droppings.

The good news is you won’t have to call in the pest controllers; the bad news is you’ll never get rid of them completely, no matter how much you clean your house.

There are ways to control dust mites by simply reducing the dust they like to eat. They love bedding; a two year old pillow is full of dust and will be made up of 10% dead mites and their droppings, so start by getting new ones. Vacuum your bed regularly, you might think it sounds bonkers but it helps! Wash your bed linen on the hottest temperature allowed and air duvets and pillows regularly. Dust mites love moisture but hate air and light.

Dust mites will aggravate asthma so if you or any members of your family are sufferers, it would be a good idea to get rid of carpets and rugs as they are real dust traps. These can be replaced with wood or vinyl flooring. If this isn’t an option, vacuum everyday if possible and dust surfaces with a damp duster (a feather duster just moves it from one place to another).

To see the full article, click here.

Your home can be a huge source of allergies, even when it looks spotless!  Dust mites, pet dander, molds and more can be lurking everywhere, causing allergy and asthma symptoms.  The American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) offers top tips to reduce indoor allergens and to help you feel better and control your symptoms.  Highlights from the article are below, or check out the full article on the AAAAI’s website by clicking here.

Millions of people suffer from allergy symptoms caused by indoor allergens such as house dust mite droppings, animal dander, cockroach droppings and molds. The symptoms are the result of a chain reaction that starts in the genes and is expressed in the immune system.

Your immune system controls how your body defends itself. For instance, if you have an allergy to dust mites, your immune system identifies dust mites as an invader or allergen. Your immune system overreacts by producing antibodies called Immunoglobulin E (IgE). These antibodies travel to cells that release chemicals, causing an allergic reaction. This reaction usually causes symptoms in the nose, lungs, throat, sinuses, ears, lining of the stomach or on the skin.

With the help of an allergist / immunologist, often referred to as an allergist, you can learn what indoor allergens cause your symptoms and make environmental changes to avoid them.

Healthy Tips
• Keep your home clean and dry to help make it “allergen-free.”
• Focus on sites where allergens build up – bedding, carpet and upholstered furniture.
• Weekly vacuuming can help. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter or double bags.
• Keep humidity low by using an air conditioner or dehumidifier.
• Fix leaks to avoid mold, and clean or remove moldy materials promptly.
• Avoid pests by keeping food in sealed containers and using covered garbage cans.

You can visit your phyisican or allergist for medical advice on controlling allergies.  Also check out the hundreds of products to help your allergies at www.AllergyControl.com.

I needed to better control the horrible allergies my kids were facing and, at the same time, stop spending ridiculous money on all the drugs that are being prescribed or pushed at my children! I decided the best way to stop the madness was to simply avoid the things that trigger my kid’s Read more »