Did you know you come into contact with thousands of mites every day?
These tiny arachnids live throughout our homes, lawns, pets, and even on our skin, where they help dispose of dead cells and excess oils. While most of these mites are harmless and go unnoticed, others can bite repeatedly, causing intense skin irritation.
These parasitic mites include everything from chiggers and hay mites to the burrowing itch mite, which causes scabies in humans and mange in our pets. However, if you’re dealing with biting mites indoors, the culprit is most likely a type of bird or rodent mite.
These little monsters can grow to thousands in just days, so if you think these mites have invaded your home, you need to act fast. But don’t stress, we're here to help—below you’ll learn how to get rid of mites in just 3 steps, without resorting to toxic pesticides or pricey exterminators.
READ: How to Get Rid of Chiggers: 3 Steps | Cedarcide
1. Protect Yourself from Mite Bites
While the thought of little bugs crawling all over your body and home is awful, the worst part of having mites is definitely their itchy, stress-inducing bites. We believe no one should have to suffer with these symptoms, nor should you have to expose yourself to scary chemicals to find relief. Thankfully, with non-toxic Cedarcide Original Bug Spray you don’t have to. It’s easy to use, pet-safe, and both kills and repels mites.
To apply, just mist your skin, clothing, and footwear daily, or more often as needed. We also suggest applying before those times when you experience the most bites, such as right before bedtime or before entering spaces where you suspect mites are hiding. Make sure to reapply every 5–7 hours and after bathing.
2. Treat Your Home for Mites
While newer, smaller mite problems can often be tackled by spraying affected spaces with Cedarcide Original, in most cases fogging is the quickest and most cost-effective approach to getting your mite problem under control.
Because mites breed quickly, they’re usually spread throughout your home, not simply isolated to just a few rooms. In other words, spraying alone risks leaving some mites and eggs untreated, which could allow the problem to return in a few days. This is why fogging your home with Cedarcide Original is strongly recommended for getting rid of mites. Below we’ll outline how to both spray and fog with Cedarcide Original.
For spraying, thoroughly mist affected areas such as carpeting, bedding, and furniture every 1–3 days until the mites are gone. For best results, vacuum flooring and rugs just as frequently, and wash any clothing, bedding and other fabrics that could contain mites at least weekly.
Fogging with Cedarcide Original is not only easy and family-safe, but also more effective than traditional bug bombs or services. For the best possible results, prep your home first by organizing and decluttering. This will allow the fog to penetrate all the areas where mites could be hiding. Lastly, switch off HVAC systems, fans, pilot lights, gas-powered appliances, and all electronics before fogging. If you have pets or plants, make sure to remove them, too.
Fill the fogger with Cedarcide Original, put on your fogging mask, and you’re ready to go! Start with the rooms farthest from your planned exit, slowly filling each space with fog and closing them shut before moving onto the next room. Don’t forget to fog smaller areas like bathrooms and closets, too. Make sure to point the fogger directly where biting mites tend to hide, such as within rugs, carpets, beds, bedding and furniture.
Once you’re done, switch off the fogger, walk out the door, and that’s it! Let the fog settle for 3 hours before you and your pets return home. Fog again in 5–7 days to get rid of any mites or mite eggs you might have missed. After that, monitor your mite problem and repeat the fogging process as needed. (Note: 1 gallon Cedarcide Original fogs approx. 1,800 sq. ft.)
3. How to Prevent Mites
Whether you’ve never had biting mites before, or you’re struggling with an ongoing issue, the following precautions will help you avoid additional mite problems in the future.
- Biting mites often originate from nearby bird or rodent populations, so take precautions to keep these animals and their nests away from your home, including regular lawn maintenance.
- To protect your outdoor space from mites and other unwanted bugs, apply Cedarcide Outdoor Bug Control monthly, and reapply Cedarcide Granules every 4–6 weeks.
- Periodically clean and vacuum your home—the less clutter and mess, the less chance you’ll struggle with mites and other bugs.
- Avoid bringing used furniture or clothing into your home without thoroughly washing them first.
- To prevent biting mites and other bugs from entering your home, spray potential entryways with Cedarcide Original weekly, such as around doors, windows, baseboards, attics and basements.
- Because mites thrive in warm spaces, consider using an air conditioner or dehumidifier to reduce the humidity levels within your home.
- To avoid accidentally bringing mites back home, apply Cedarcide Original to you and your pets before walks, hikes, dog park visits and other outdoor activities.
And you did it! Repeat the steps as needed above, practice prevention as necessary, and you’ll get those mites under control in no time.
If you have questions about mites or need more help getting rid of them, contact us at 800-842-1464 or questions@cedarcide.com.
Other bug problems? Check out our library of pest control guides for quick, non-toxic tips for tackling troublesome bugs like fleas, ticks, mites, ants, mosquitoes, roaches, wasps, scorpions, Japanese beetles, and chiggers.
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8456244/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15881008/
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.567902/full