Where do house mites live? - briefly
House mites inhabit indoor spaces rich in dust and organic debris, including carpets, bedding, upholstered furniture, and wall cavities. Their populations thrive in warm, humid conditions where they feed on skin flakes, mold spores, and pollen.
Where do house mites live? - in detail
Domestic mites inhabit any indoor area that provides warmth, moisture, and organic debris. The most common environments include:
- Mattress layers, pillow covers, and bedding fabrics where skin flakes accumulate.
- Carpets, rugs, and floor coverings that trap dust and retain humidity.
- Upholstered chairs, sofas, and cushions, especially in seams and folds.
- Curtains, draperies, and window blinds that collect airborne particles.
- Pet bedding and litter boxes, offering a steady supply of keratinous material.
- Wall cavities, baseboard cracks, and under flooring where micro‑climates remain stable.
- Heating, ventilation, and air‑conditioning ducts that circulate warm, moist air.
These microhabitats share three essential conditions: relative humidity above 50 %, temperature between 20 °C and 25 °C (68 °F–77 °F), and a continual source of dead skin cells or other organic matter. Dust mites, for example, thrive in the fine dust that settles on textiles, while grain mites prefer stored cereals and flour in pantry shelves. Their presence is typically confined to areas where the combination of heat, moisture, and food persists over time, allowing populations to reproduce rapidly.