Flour Mite and the Furniture Mite
These mites are less than 0.5mm (1/32") in size. They are translucent
light buff in colour, wingless and oval in shape.
Flour mites are found in flour, cereal products, cheese, dried fruit
etc. Furniture mites are found in the same foods as the Flour Mite as
well as wheat, hay and the filling materials of furniture.
Bird Mites
"Bird mites", "Tropical fowl mites" or "Starling
Mites" are the common names used to describe the mite Ornithonyssus
bursa from the family of mites Macronyssidae. Bird mites are most active
during Spring and early Summer. They are are problem usually when the
birds leave the nest & the mites have nothing to feed on. They will
then spread & will feed off other animals. They are small but extremely
mobile, barely visible to the eye, with eight legs (except the larva
that has 6), oval in shape and with a sparse covering of short hairs.
They feed on the blood of common birds including pigeons, starlings,
sparrows & poultry. Bird mites are semitransparent in colour, which
makes them difficult to detect on skin until blood is ingested and then
digested; when they may appear reddish to blackish. They will show up
when crawling across a light coloured ceiling or wall. They move slowly.
The mites feed on the un feathered nestlings, as well as the adult birds,
and the large amount of nesting material used by the birds provide the
mites with an ideal environment in which to thrive. The mites have a
short life cycle (approximately 7 days) and can rapidly generate large
populations.
When the young birds leave the nest, or die, many mites (often many tens
of thousands) are left behind in the absence of a suitable host, and
these will disperse from the nest into and throughout the dwelling searching
for new hosts. Most mites will die within 3 weeks without a blood meal
from a bird host. They will bite humans they encounter but cannot survive
on human blood.
As a result of their 'test biting' while searching for a new bird host,
the mites inject saliva. This can lead to severe irritation with rashes
and intense itching. Scratching of the bites may result in secondary
infections. Bird mites are not associated with the transmission of any
infectious disease. The bites are often difficult to diagnose and can
be mistaken for bites from a number of other arthropods.
The greatest impacts from bird mites are usually experienced in rooms
close to the point of entry of the mites. The mites have no preference
for any particular areas of the body and they do not live underneath
the skin, nor can an infestation be maintained on humans. However, the
problem will persist while the bird-related source of the mites remains.
Until the infestation is controlled, the occupants of the building can
experience considerable discomfort. Also, the sensation of crawling mites
on the skin will irritate some people.
Clover Mite |
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As autumn approaches and the weather gets cooler these insects sometimes
move into buildings through cracks in window frames etc. Although they
are of no public health significance and can't damage textiles or foodstuffs,
their nuisance value can be quite considerable?
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Booklice |
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Booklice (or psocids) are a common but harmless insect that can usually
be found in animal nests, tree trunk crevices, under bark or on leaves.
They are known better, however, as pests in the home as well as food
manufacturing or retail premises.
What are psocids?
Psocids are tiny (about 1mm long) grey or brown insects. Food cupboards
become infested with them, with the packaging from flour, milk, powder,
sugar or semolina covered in them.
The food itself is not at fault. Psocids are not caused by poor hygiene,
and in most cases the type of psocid found in domestic premises if not
found in places where the food is produced.
Psocids are also known as booklice because some types of the insect are
attracted to delicate materials such as books and furs. Here they can
cause significant damage, but you do not normally find this kind in the
home.
What attracts them?
They are attracted by the warmth and damp often found in kitchens,
especially the darkness of kitchen cupboards. Some foods, including flour,
naturally contain some moisture and it is here that psocids are likely
to increase rapidly in number. They are also attracted by microscopic
moulds that develop in humid conditions.
Bathrooms as well provide ideal conditions. Moisture in these and other
rooms in the home can be caused by not enough ventilation - this is most
likely during the summer months.
Do psocids do any harm?
Psocids do not cause any direct harm in small numbers although large
infestations contaminate foods. They are also known to swarm over new
plaster which may still be damp. Again they do not cause any harm as
they are attracted by minute bacteria and moulds.
How do I get rid of them?
Remove all contaminated food from the cupboards and place in an outside
dustbin. You can then clean the affected cupboards with a dry cloth,
or even vacuum - you should empty the contents of your vacuum cleaner
into the dustbin as well. The area should then be treated with an insecticide.
How can I prevent reinfestation?
As long as the kitchen and food cupboards are well ventilated and dry
and you have not kept the food in these cupboards after its best before
date, it should be possible to prevent a reinfestation of psocids.
Check packaging before buying to make sure that it is not damaged, and
foods that are vulnerable - flour, semolina, etc - can be stored in washable
covered containers.
Plaster Beetles - Cryptophagus and Latridius species (Families Cryptophagidae
and Lathridiidae) |
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Very small black or brown beetles (about 2 mm long), which frequently
appear in newly-built and reconditioned houses. Several kinds may be
found and often occur together. They feed on moulds and mildews and can
only survive in damp conditions. The beetles may sometimes infest food
stuffs, fabrics, carpets, etc., that have become mouldy. The conditions
found in new and refurbished buildings suit them, since moulds may develop
on recently plastered walls and ceilings before drying-out has been completed.
Generally, the beetles soon disappear once everything has dried. Obviously,
this can be hastened by treating with an insecticide and keeping newly
plastered and decorated rooms warm and well aired.
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