Worth noting: What's in common "house dust"? Dust mites, Dust mite fecal pellets, Mold Spores, Pollen, Shed skin cells and Pet dander. Hmmm. For today's discussion, let's focus on Dust mites
Want the "skinny" on this unobserved, but constantly-present "house guest"? Here are a few facts about dust mites (for a picture of one, click here)
1. Dust mites feed off human squamae - i.e. the skin that we shed daily, in addition to other organic debris.
2. They love animal dander, and thrive in places where the humidity and temperature are high.
3. Though they live only about 3 months, a fertile female can lay as many as 200 eggs during that time.
4. Approximately 10% of the weight of your pillow is comprised of dust mites, living and dead...along with their excrement.
5. Upholstered furniture and drapes are a couple of their favorite places to live.
Enough already...you may be thinking YIKES! What to do? I'll cover some practical suggestions in my next post.
I now wonder what to do with my pillow. Yuck!
Posted by: Jason D | August 21, 2009 at 08:18 PM