As if having mould in your home wasn’t bad enough, did you know that mould can attract mould mites? They are also known as mold mites depending on where you live.
In this post, we will tell you a little bit more about these arthropods, whether mould mites are dangerous to health and property, and of course with how to get rid of them.
What are mould (mold) mites?
Mould mites are, as you’d expect, tiny mites that feed on mould. They live in damp walls, soil, food cupboards, or shelving in shops. You are unlikely to see them in an early infestation as they are so tiny, but as they breed you may then see them clustered together, ‘dripping’ off surfaces, in their thousands. They are usually white, with a pale brown cocoon.
Mould mites multiply quickly. The lifespan of each mite can be anything from nine to 30 days, with a female laying between 500 to 800 eggs during her lifetime.
Are mould mites dangerous?
Mould mites are generally not dangerous to humans. They do not bite, but they are covered in tiny hairs and the hairs themselves can cause skin irritation once they have shed. Mould mites do not cause structural damage to property.
That said, the mould that they are feeding on can be extremely problematic to those with asthma and allergies, and can cause infections and sinus problems. Mould can rot wooden structures and frames, and cause damage to walls, so there is the possibility of long-term structural damage to homes and workplaces.
How to get rid of mould mites
To get rid of mould mites, you need to treat the source of their foodstuff and remove the mould.
For small areas, you may be able to get rid of the mould yourself by scrubbing the area with home remedies made up of bleach or white vinegar, or even shop-bought mould-remover preparations. You may need to treat the area two or three times in quick succession and ensure that you treat the source of the mould problem.
If your mite infestation is located in a food cupboard, be sure to throw out any contaminated food. If the mould is on soft furnishings or toys, wash at high temperatures and dry thoroughly.
However, for large areas of mould and mite infestations, you should call in a professional pest removal company. They will be able to treat the property with an insecticide to kill the mites, and will usually recommend using a dehumidifier to remove the moisture from the property.
They can also advise you on how to keep damp and mould at bay by ensuring that your home is well ventilated and structurally in good repair.
What causes mould?
Damp and mould can be triggered by many things, including:
- Leaky pipes.
- Missing roof tiles.
- Holes in walls.
- Blocked gutters.
- Poor insulation.
- Poor ventilation.
- Broken or unsealed window frames.
Damp and mould can also be caused by lifestyle choices such as:
- Drying washing indoors.
- Not leaving doors open after showering or cooking.
- Positioning furniture right up against external walls.
Questions we’ve been asked about mould mites
Q: I have them on my fridge door, and we keep looking for mold. BUT THERE IS NO MOLD. I’m going crazy trying to get rid of them. Is the any available advice for my case?
Answer: If your mite infestation is located in a food cupboard, be sure to throw out any contaminated food. The mites will most probably be living, breeding and feeding off some food like dry dog food, breakfast cereal, flour, bird seed and other cereal-based foods. Look for a fine, brown dust building up in cupboards, worktops etc. This biomass indicates heavy mould mite activity. Once the food source has been found and removed the area must be wiped down with bleach diluted in water. I would then recommend a dehumidifier to dry the room as much as possible. A professional insecticide fumigation may be required for heavy infestations.
If you suspect you have mould mites we can help!
Eradipest can help your remove mould mites if you are based in southern England. Our service areas include :
- Hampshire
- West Sussex
- East Sussex
- South London
- Surrey
If you live within these areas then one of our experienced pest control team can help remove mould mites. Call us today where we can appoint one of our expert pest technicians to treat your infestation. We are here to help 24/7.
☎️ Call us now on 0333 600 6005 or 01243 717606.
You can also book a callback for one of our team to ring you at a convenient time.
No matter how much we clean the area with bleach and hot water they are in our kitchen and getting worse! Please help!
Hi Georgina,
I’m not sure where you’re based but you could give our team a ring for advice on 01243 717606.
I hope this helps!
Eradipest
How to get rid of booklice?
Hi, this might help : https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-get-rid-of-psocids-2656435
If you’re near us in Sussex then we could come out and provide an estimate for professional pest control. Call our office team on 01243 717606 and they will be able to advise the best course of action.
Hi Georgina, it may be that you need to call in professionals to fumigate your property. That will deal with the problem effectively and permanently.
I had mold in my property got put into a hotel why it got resolved but the landlord sealed up the house I couldn’t get into my property for 2 months I went bk in to find the mold spread everywhere the whole house and mold mites in there millions spread onto every single item washer fridge sofa ect..
I don’t think it’s possible to get rid of as there are far to many so I made the decision to skip everything in the house TVs the lot and bill my landlord..
If anybody has this issue with mold I would recommend binning everything they multiply in thousands and each female lays 500/800 eggs
I have them on my fridge door, and we keep looking for mold. BUT THERE IS NO MOLD. I’m going crazy trying to get rid of them. Is the any available advice for my case? Thanks in advance!
Hi Dani, that’s annoying! I’ll ask the team and get back to you…
Hi again Dani, please check above where we have answered some common questions. It may be that you need to call the professionals in but there are definitely steps you can take in the meantime.
I have them on my TV stand, I have used pest remover spray when there was 1000s. I have only seen 1 or 2 at a time, but still causes anxiety to live here
Hi, have you had your property professionally fumigated? It may be that you need to do that to get rid of them permanently.
Not sure where your form is located ?
I’m pretty certain I have these things in my bathroom. I’ve used various cleaning chemicals as well as installed a new exhaust fan recently. I’m not sure if this is enough ??
I’ve been checking the areas with a hydrometer often as well.
Do they get into HVAC duct work also? – that’s my biggest question / concern currently ?
I’m in North Carolina. Im not sure fumigating the house would be enough?? Perhaps there’s more damp / humid / mold areas than im aware of ?
Also- can they get into your clothing or in dressers ?
Thoughts or suggestions ??
Thanks much!!
Hi, we don’t have a general contact form, just an email address. I’ll ask the team for some answers to your questions.
Best regards, Ali
Hi,
We have had what we think are mould mites but could be other mites on and off for about 3 years.
The house has been professionally fumigated twice to no avail. We were told to hire a freezer truck and to freeze all that we can to kill them or throw it out but we did not do this due to the insane costs/losses.
They usually only appear in August/September but they’ve been found today in clothing. Have had them in every room in the house and are at the stage where we may move out if a solution cannot be found.
Any help is really appreciated.
David
Hi, I will get in touch with the team and see if they have any advice.
Hi are you based in UK>? How much would it cost to fumigate a property in DEvon?
Hi, we are based in West Sussex and cover most of the south east, but sadly don’t travel as far as Devon.
After fumigating will they still keep living in appliances as in kitchen toaster, microwave back of fridge ect
i live in pakistan, there are so much of the in my room its been an anxiety case for me now from two days, i have spray them but it didnt work, kindly tell me some solution or suggest me some type of spray
its on my wood furniture, tv, mirror, sofa, and almost everything
We found mould mites in our kitchen, had someone come and spray our kitchen 4 times to no avail. We decided to get a new kitchen fitted but lo and behold they are back! There’s no mould and we frequently have a dehumidifier running. I can’t see where they’re coming from but I always find them in the middle of the counter top. We’ve binned absolutely everything from our previous kitchen except the fridge and washing machine. Any advice?
That’s so frustrating! I can only suggest that you get a professional pest controller in to survey the new kitchen to see where they might be gaining access. Where are you located?
I noticed a mold problem near my ac return. Can the mites get into my return causing them to be everywhere in my house? Never experienced this until the last several months. Help!! Thanks in advance
Hi Jennifer, the best course of action is to get a professional pest controller to survey all places where mites can gain access and then treat them effectively. Good luck!
Hi, we have one or two appearing and causing anxiety for our children. Have bleached, dehumidified, thorough clean etc but still a few remain. Can you recommend a spray as we live too far away from you to call you out? Thanks
Hi, you need to be careful with children in the house. We’d recommend getting a professional pest controller in so that they can treat them safely and permanently. Good luck!