20 Ways to Trap Mites

10 Ways to Get Mites Out of Skin 10 Ways to Get Mites Out of Cars How to Get Mites out of Clothing Five Devices Commonly Used to Battle Serious Mite Infestations Mite Control Checklist: 20 Things You Must Do if You Have Mites What's Biting Me? How to Identify Your Mite Ears, Eyes, Noses

This site is dedicated to those who suffer in silence. Those who've been called crazy. Those who go to work everyday fearing that they may be a danger to others. Those who remain isolated at home. Those who spend every moment of their spare time vacuuming and washing endless loads of laundry. You are modern day heroes. You are a living testament to the tenacity of the human spirit. Like a true warrior, it's time to don your battle armor and sharpen your swords. There are many effective strategies to make your home an inhospitable place for the micro tiny monsters that torment you. This page will focus upon trapping methods. Other pages will focus upon skin treatments and home pesticides. You will get through this. It won't be easy, but it CAN be done.

The author of this article has worked in the pest control industry since 2009, specializing in flea, mite, springtail and bedbug infestations and dealing with thousands of mite cases to date. I give free consultations at 734-782-5205. I care about people. There's never pressure to buy products.

1. A good mattress encasement is the most critical trapping item you can buy!

Link to Mattress Encasement: https://amzn.to/3y2ftJu Mites don't just linger on the surface of your bed. They can hide deep within mattress and box spring cavities where spray pesticides can't reach them. Parasites such as bird and rodent mites can keep emerging from hidden areas to attack. Encasements are designed to ensure that deeply hidden mites or bedbugs can't come back to harm you. The link above leads to one of my favorite encasement brands. The smooth fabric doesn't feel like plastic against the skin. There's a PVC free waterproof backing that helps the encasement keep liquids from soaking into the mattress. If you'd prefer to shop local stores for an encasement, be sure it's a waterproof encasement certified for bedbug and dust mite protection. If your current encasement doesn't feel like it's containing the problem well enough, DOUBLE ENCASE YOUR MATTRESS. If your bed design features a separate box spring unit, be sure to encase that as well.

2. Make plastic bowl traps to protect bed legs

Link to Diatomaceous Earth: https://amzn.to/3WgfRhL Link to Plastic Bowl Set: https://amzn.to/3QpSVsN Divide 4 tablespoons of diatomaceous earth among four plastic bowls. Move the powder around to coat the sides and bottom of each bowl. Insert one bed leg into each bowl. Crawling mites will be forced to crawl up the side of the bowl and walk down into the powder if they want to reach you. Diatomaceous earth causes insects to die by absorbing the oils and fats from the cuticle of the insect's exoskeleton. It's particularly important to protect bed legs BEFORE spraying pesticides, as pesticides can encourage mites to travel up walls and furniture legs to escape fumes.

3. Avoid brooms! Use heavy duty Swiffer dusters to trap mites.

Link to Swiffer Heavy Duty Dry Sweeping Cloths: https://amzn.to/4bdZJl5 Traditional brooms can spread dirt, pet hair and tiny bugs all over the place. Swiffer Heavy Duty Pet Cloths are designed to trap trap all sorts of debris. Be sure to enclose used Swiffer pads in Ziplock plastic bags before tossing them into the trash. Mites can crawl out of garbage cans and re-infest your home.

4. How to make a carbon dioxide trap for mites

The gas that humans expel when we breathe is rich in carbon dioxide. Parasites use this gas to find us, and they will tend to congregate in rooms with more of this gas in the air. To build a carbon dioxide trap, tape a piece of contact paper to the floor, sticky side up. Be sure that all edges are fused to the floor with tape, as mites will have trouble crawling over raised edges. Mix 2 teaspoons of baking soda with 1/4 cup of vinegar. Pour the mixture into small bowl. Place the bowl at the center of the contact paper. Fun Fact: If you mixed this solution into a bottle and stretched the opening of a balloon over the bottle, the rising gas would inflate the balloon! It would be fun to watch, but it wouldn't be a bug trap.

5. Use a long arm lint roller for carpets, couches and beds.

Link to Long Arm Lint Roller: https://amzn.to/3WpbLDZ This super sized lint roller on a stick beats the hell out of smaller models meant for clothing. Swipe your bed before going to sleep and roll over fabric couches before you sit down. The device will pick up parasites, pet hair, lint, fibers and more. Long arm rollers are particularly handy for cleaning under tables and beds. You may also need a standard sized but extra sticky lint roller to swipe your clothing. Link to Standard Sized Extra Sticky Lint Roller: https://amzn.to/4dhLzBk

6. Three ways to use double sided tape for trapping mites

Link to Double Sided Tape: https://amzn.to/4aZo4ve 1.) Wind tape around bed legs to stop mites on their journey to the host. It's particularly important to do this BEFORE cleaning the floor with pesticides, as the fumes will drive mites up walls and furniture legs. Be sure to check the tape often becauser it won't be effective when the adhesive begins to dry out. 2.) Place a strip of double sided tape across the floor leading into your bedroom. This will help stop mites from leaving your room and infesting the rest of the house. Remember to apply tape around the inner perimeter of the door frame as well. 3.) Apply double sided tape around the perimeter of the room where the top of the wall meets the ceiling. Bird mites are known for assaulting from above. They can travel up walls, scurry across ceilings and drop down into your bed. The double-sided tape will prevent them from advancing to the ceiling.

7. Create your own steam trap.

Parasitic mites are are attracted to heat and humidity. You can use a bowl of steaming hot water to attract and trap them. Start by taping a piece of contact paper to the floor, sticky side up. Be sure that all edges are fused to the floor, as mites will have trouble crawling over raised edges. Fill a bowl with boiling hot water and place it at the center of the contact paper. Heat seeking mites may try to approach the bowl and get stuck on the contact paper. Link to Contact Paper: https://amzn.to/3Uk2GJX

8. Protect bed legs with a bug interceptor.

Link to Bug Interceptor: https://amzn.to/3xXlJlV Bedbug interceptors are like coasters designed to catch bedbugs on their journey from the floor to the host. Such devices can also be used to catch crawling mites. Fill the outer chamber with diatomaceous earth. Note: Interceptors will only be effective against crawling organisms such as bird and rodent mites. Springtails are jumpers. They can catapult right past the interceptor and make direct contact with your bed frame.

9. Enclose couches and recliners in furniture bags.

Link to Furniture Bags: https://amzn.to/3weei9t Parasites, including mites and bedbugs, will often congregate deep inside the couch crevices where wallets and keys get lost. That means many mites will be untouched when you spray the surface of your furniture with pesticides. In addition to spraying the surface, flip your couch upside down, tear off the protective covering and fog into the cavity of the couch. After fogging, Insert your couch into a giant furniture storage bag and keep the bag sealed. Link to Fog Machine: https://www.wholesalepesticides.com/shop-online/indoor-pest-control-products/ The length of time you'll need to keep your furniture bagged will depend upon the type of mite infecting your home. For example, a rodent mite can only live about a month without a blood meal. A chicken mite can live up to nine months without feeding. The northern fowl mite can only live a month without feeding.

10. Hang wide fly strips near air vents.

Link to Wide Fly Strips: https://amzn.to/49XPOiy Mites don't fly, but they can invade ventilation systems and get recycled back into the environment. They can be concentrated in dust balls clinging to air vents, ceiling fans and portable cooling fans. Mite afflicted homes are often reported to have debris problems, including excessive dust, grains and specks resembling salt or pepper. Hot Tip: Use a simple paper towel rack to hold fly strips in a vertical position. This improvised stand will make it much easier to place fly strips near heater vents that are close to the floor. Study your traps with a magnifying glass every 24 hours. You may eventually need to hire an air duct cleaning company.

11. Place a lantern over a large strip of contact paper.

Link to Contact Paper: https://amzn.to/4bjNzr1 Mites are attracted to things that glow within dark rooms. In fact, many infested homeowners get their first glimpse of a mite when it comes crawling across a cell phone, television or computer screen.

Start by taping a piece of contact paper to the floor, sticky side up. Be sure that all edges are fused to the floor with tape, as mites will have trouble crawling over raised edges.
Place a battery operated lantern at the center of your sticky trap. If you don't want your lantern to stick to the paper, cut a piece of cardboard to slip under the base of the lantern. Never use candles or other lighting devices that operate by flame.

12. Use these bait ingredients to lure springtails into glue traps.

Link to Boric Acid: https://amzn.to/4dmtP82 Note that this trap won't work for blood feeding mites such as bird mites, rodent mites or cheyletiella mites. Springtails are not mites, nor are they classified as parasites. These tiny hexapods can feed upon a variety of things such as yeast, mold, fungus, rotting wood or decaying plants. In many springtail infested homes, only one person is bothered by their presence, and it often tends to be the immune compromised person. In cases where non parasitic critters become unusually attracted to humans, undetected fungal infections of the skin or digestive tract can be the culprit. Directions to Make Bait: Combine 1/4 tablespoon of boric acid powder with 1 tablespoon of white flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of yeast. Add just enough water to turn the mixture into dough. Pinch off little pieces of dough and place the sticky balls near the middle of a glue board made for spiders. Study your glue boards with a magnifying glass each day. If springtails actually eat the bait/attractant, they'll die. However, the glue board should prevent them from getting to the bait unless they jump straight onto the tainted food. Note that boric acid and Borax aren't the same product. It's important to use boric acid when mixing bait. Borax is the basic mineral mined from the ground. A refining process turns it into boric acid. Boric acid is more powder like and more "absorbable" through digestion. Be very careful if you have pets or small children who might eat the bait by accident. Open baiting techniques aren't advised for homes with pets and toddlers.

13. Try an indoor bug zapper (Only works against jumping critters)

Link to Indoor Bug Zapper: https://amzn.to/4beh4dE Some tiny critters (like bird mites and bedbugs) can only crawl. Others (like springtails) can jump. Indoor zappers will only be effective against the jumpers. Indoor zappers work especially well in darkened rooms, as many micro tiny insects are attracted to heat and light. You may have already noticed that mites like cell phones and television screens.

14. This extra powerful vacuum cleaner combines 3 motors to give you 20% more suction power.

Link to Kenmore 31150: https://amzn.to/3xZ8SzA There's no better way to trap mites than to vacuum frequently. The Kenmore Elite 31150 combines three motors to give you 20% more air power than a conventional upright vacuum while never loosing suction. This ultra powerful vacuum was rated number one by Consumer Reports Magazine, a publication that does not accept advertising dollars. The vacuum also earned Amazon's prestigious Editor's Choice award for 2019. Additional features include triple HEPA filtration to reduce allergens and a bagged design, which is essential for trapping bugs. Tip: Sprinkle diatomaceous earth into your vacuum bag to kill trapped bugs.

15. Use weatherproof storage bins for clothing and valuables. No wicker hampers!

Link to Weatherproof Storage Bins: https://amzn.to/3WiyIsn Don't wait for everything you own to become infested! Place your valued items in WEATHERPROOF plastic storage bins. Tape notes to the bins to indicate the degree to which your items may be infested. Examples: "Washed with pesticides on August 9." "Packed without washing on September 10." "Treated with essential oils on June 26." When your infestation is over, these notes will help you decide which items can safely be removed from storage. Don't be afraid to put infested items into tubs until you can decide what to do with them. The important thing is to get as much clutter out of your environment as possible. Be sure to make a note indicating that the bin contains items that were never treated. Above all, avoid storing infested items in wicker laundry hampers. The slats in wicker laundry baskets allow mites to escape freely.

16. Various infested items can be wrapped in shrink wrap.

Link to Shrink Wrap: https://amzn.to/3Wm22yr Infested items such as couches and electronic equipment can be wrapped in plastic and put in storage until the mites die off. The length of time it takes will depend upon the type of mite you're battling. Rodent mites are said to die within a month without a blood meal. Chicken mites are said to die within nine months. The northern fowl mite is said to die within a month. Springtails can keep living and breeding within storage lockers indefinitely because they are not classified as mites or parasites. In other words, they don't need a blood meal to survive. They can feed upon things like decaying wood, mold, fungus and mildew. If you don't know what type of mite is bothering you, it's always better to error on the side of caution. Keep infested furniture in storage for a year.

17. Use live bait to trap mites.

It has come to my attention that some folks are using live bait to trap mites. I don't condone that, but if you're going to be doing it anyway, the least I can do is tell you how to do it without harming your gerbil, hamster or guinea pig. Cover an old card table with contact paper, sticky side up. Be sure to tape down the edges of the contact paper so that mites won't have trouble crawling over raised edges. Place your cage at the center of the table. This will force mites to crawl over the paper on their way to the host. For an added measure of protection, tape a large piece of contact paper to the top of the cage, sticky side up. That way, mites attempting to drop down from the ceiling will fall onto the paper rather than falling into the cage, where they can bite your hamster. Link to Contact Paper: https://amzn.to/4bjNzr1

18. Use an old television screen as bait.

Mites love televisions and computer monitors. Some say it's the flickering light that attracts them like a moth to a flame. Other's claim it's the warmth of the television and the electromagnetic fields. Whatever the case, the mite victim's first real glimpse of an unseen attacker often occurs when a micro tiny critter comes crawling across a television or computer screen. It's common for me to run into people who claim to have become infested after buying a used computer or television. If this is happening to you, learn to take advantage of the situation. Cover an old card table with contact paper, sticky side up. Be sure to tape down all sides of the contact paper so that mites won't have trouble crawling over raised edges. Place your television at the center of the table. If you don't want your television to stick the paper, cut a piece of cardboard and slip it under the base. Leave the television in a dark room and wait for mites to approach it. Study the contact paper with a magnifying glass each morning. Link to Contact Paper: https://amzn.to/4bjNzr1

19. Use your own body as bait.

This isn't as scary as it sounds! Just use double sided tape to create a large rectangle on the floor. Place an air mattress within the tape, and go to sleep. Crawling mites approaching your space won't be able to cross the sticky barrier. Some may even get stuck on the tape. Be sure to vacuum and clean the floor thoroughly before you begin, as the goal is to place your air mattress upon an uninfected surface. When choosing air beds, go for camp products designed with extra thick plastic to resist punctures. Link to Air Mattress: https://amzn.to/4aXiycA Link to Double Sided Tape: https://amzn.to/4aZo4ve

20. How to trap mites outside play areas. Keep small children safe!

Use double sided tape to create a large rectangle on the floor. Place a kiddie pool within the sticky border. Toss some plastic toys into the empty pool, and call it a play fort. Crawling mites approaching your space won't be able to cross the sticky barrier. Be sure to vacuum and clean the floor thoroughly before you begin, as the goal is to place your pool inside an uninfected barrier. Above all, be sure to sterilize plastic toys before tossing them into the pool. Avoid fabric or stuffed toys. Link to Small Kiddie Pool: https://amzn.to/3yaI3Zd Link to Large Kiddie Pool: https://amzn.to/4aYHErw

Five Key Items Commonly Used to Battle Serious Mite Infestations

Fog Machine - An Aggressive Approach to Mite Control

Fogging is an aggressive agenda for serious or chronic mite infestations. The mist settles on walls, ceilings and other surfaces that traditional spray techniques don’t reach. To determine if a fogging agenda is right for you, call 734-782-5205. Link to Fog Machine: https://www.wholesalepesticides.com/shop-online/indoor-pest-control-products/ Link to Organic Liquid Fogging Agent: https://www.wholesalepesticides.com/shop-online/indoor-pest-control-products/

Ozone Generator/Air Sterilizer

Link to Ozone Generator: https://amzn.to/49Zgyz6 Ozone generators are quite popular among mold and mite warriors. They're also purported to kill bacteria, viruses and small insects such as fleas and mites. Read reviews carefully and note the thoughts contributed by mite victims. When purchasing an ozone machine, be sure to follow all manufacturer safety guidelines related to airing out rooms after use.

UV Light Disinfection Lamp

Link to UV Disinfection Lamp: https://amzn.to/49UJNmR UV disinfection lamps have long been purported to kill mold, mites, bacteria and viruses. They're also popular among those who suffer from parasitic mite infestations.

Dehumidifier

Link to Dehumidifier: https://amzn.to/3Qmtece Like all creatures, mites need moisture to thrive, and they extract it from the air. In the wild, mite populations can decrease exponentially under dry conditions. For this reason, it's a standard recommendation for mite victims to purchase dehumidifiers.

A great transitional bed - inexpensive and highly rated

Link to Memory Foam Mattress: https://amzn.to/3xW2oSe Link to Sturdy Platform: https://amzn.to/3QqNKZt If you plan to throw away an infected mattress, don't invest in an expensive bed from a furniture store until you're sure that the mite infestation is over. This extra strong and inexpensive folding bed platform received more than 100,000 favorable reviews on Amazon. The extra cheap and comfy foam mattress received more than 150,000 favorable reviews, earning it a place on USA Today's list of high quality viral products. A good folding bed can get you through that transitional period between "almost gone" and "really gone." The mattress will arrive in a compressed roll wrapped in strong plastic. Don't remove the mattress from the plastic if you don't have an encasement handy. Be sure your new mattress is encased before you begin using it.

Treatment of skin, hair, eyes, ears and private parts

Treat Deep Skin Infestations with 10% Sulfur Cream

Link to Product: https://amzn.to/3WiGBy6 Infestations below the surface of skin are most commonly connected to scabies or cheyletiella mites. However, plenty of my callers have found bird and rodent mites in their scalp, and many have gone out of their way to send samples to laboratories for a formal identification. If your problems have escalated to this degree, you probably already know that mites coming from your skin can keep re-infesting your bed and environment. Ask your doctor for oral ivermectin and topical permethrin. If standard protocols don't work, consult our guide to mixing your own skin treatments. Essential oils are no joke. In an article released by the National Library of Medicine, essential oils are characterized as effective alternatives for chronic scabies mite cases where permethrin and lindane fail. (View Source.) As with ANY PRODUCT, chemical or natural, do a patch test on a small area of the body before applying essential oils or sulfur creams to wide areas.

Shower with sulfur soap

Link to Sulfur Soap: https://amzn.to/3y4hi8L Sulfur soap has long been associated with the treatment of bacterial, fungal and parasitic skin conditions.

Use a good sulfur shampoo and sulfur conditioner

Link to Sulfur Shampoo: https://amzn.to/3UwARiV Link to Sulfur Conditioner: https://amzn.to/3UBLVLC

Look into ear drops containing grapefruit seed extract

Link to Ear Drops: https://amzn.to/3Uj4BOZ Over a 15-year period, I've talked to many clients who said that bird and rodent mites had entered their ears. Grapefruit seed extract has long been prized as an emergency water purifying agent, but it's also commonly used to fight intestinal parasites, respiratory infections, ear infections and antibiotic resistant urinary tract infections. All over the world, long distance hikers use grapefruit seed extract to kill bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi within water collected from lakes and streams. Consult your doctor before beginning any regimen involving grapefruit seed extract, as it should not be taken along with specific medications, especially prescriptions for high blood pressure.

Mentholated eye drops with boric acid

Link to Eye Drops: https://amzn.to/3UBxpDG No over-the-counter eye product will be as strong as boric acid drops prescribed by doctors, but mentholated eye drops containing boric acid are known to sooth the itch and sting associated with many different eye conditions, including pink eye. Boric acid is the "secret ingredient" in all sorts of bait products used to poison larger insects like ants and cockroaches, but don't try to mix regular boric acid into your own eye applications. A highly purified medical grade form of boric acid is used in making commercial eye drops. Stick to commercial or prescription products made especially for eyes. Eyelash Cleansing Towlettes: https://amzn.to/3JAMhfp These towlettes are designed for folks with Blepharitis and other eye conditions related to overgrowth of the human demodex mite.

Boric acid vaginal suppositories

Link to Vaginal Suppositories: https://amzn.to/4a8Bkww It's not the most pleasant topic in the world, but I've had countless conversations with female callers who've told me that parasitic mites had entered intimate places, causing great physical discomfort and emotional distress. Boric acid vaginal suppositories are frequently used to fight yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis and vaginitis. Such products can also be used to fight parasites. Ask your doctor if a boric acid regime may be right for you. Discuss all aspects of your condition with a physician before trying new products. Boric acid is the "secret ingredient" in all sorts of bait products used to poison larger insects like ants and cockroaches, but don't try to use boric acid to make your own vaginal applications! A highly purified medical grade form of boric acid is used in making vaginal suppositories designed to battle yeast infections.

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