# Dust Mites **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 17, 2003, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dust-mites/202159 "2003-09-17T16:19:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![beerchick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71c47a/32.png) [@beerchick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beerchick)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dust-mites/202159/1 "2003-09-17T16:19:03Z")
Does anyone know if there is a way to kill dust mites ? ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dust-mites/202159/2 "2003-09-17T16:57:41Z")
Sunshine kills them. Water over 130F kills them. Chlorine bleach kills them. Humidity below 45% kills them. Freezing kills them. Drycleaning kills them. Temperatures below 70F discourage them. Killing them, however, does not remove their little corpses and droppings, which are what cause allergies. Washing and vacuuming are the best you can do, in that respect. Reference “Home Comforts” by Cheryl Mendelson. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dust-mites/202159/3 "2003-09-19T16:48:42Z")
You can also drive them away temporarily. For example, if you set your electric blanket on high when you are not in bed, they will crawl away from the mattress. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dust-mites/202159/4 "2003-09-19T17:38:44Z")
It has been estimated that a bed pillow exceeding two or three years old is over 25% dust mites _by weight_. If that doesn’t put you off your kibble, I don’t know what will. ---
**Author:** ![beerchick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71c47a/32.png) [@beerchick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beerchick)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dust-mites/202159/5 "2003-09-19T18:49:28Z")
Thank you all for your help. all of a sudden I have been plagued by these filthy beasts and will be spending the weekend tearing my house apart to clean their carcasses and droppings after I kill them all. what the hell I havent slept more than 4 hrs a night in the last 3 weeks anyway. Since I’ll be awake I might as well be productive. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dust-mites/202159/6 "2003-09-19T19:32:03Z")
Zenster, I’m gonna need a cite on that one. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dust-mites/202159/7 "2003-09-19T19:46:03Z")
Why ask **Zenster** when you’ve got \*\*[Cecil\*\*](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/000407.html)? ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dust-mites/202159/8 "2003-09-19T23:01:33Z")
There are also chemicals that can be used to neutralize the allergenic effect of dust mite carcasses and droppings. Some products contain tannic acid, not sure what is in the others. Google for allegy supply should get you some options to buy this stuff. In my experience, the air feels tangibly more breathable to dust mite allergy sufferers almost immediately and has a slight, mildly annoying odor to non-sufferers. And cleaning it all up yourself is likely to make you even more miserable, so if there’s a beerdude, get him involved! ---
**Author:** ![MaryEFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MaryEFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaryEFoo)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dust-mites/202159/9 "2003-09-20T02:52:15Z")
Wo, I love Cecil’s last paragraph about communicating with the media! [Cecil](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/000407.html) ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dust-mites/202159/10 "2003-09-23T05:38:43Z")
Uh… hon… dust mites are too small to see. What you are describing are either ticks, or fleas, or bedbugs.