How to Spray Treat Homes for Mites - Step By Step Instructions
Start with Dr. Ben's Evictor - One gallon per 1,000 square feet
|
|
1. Vacuum carpets thoroughly and clean hard floors with Dr. Ben's Evictor.
Vacuuming will remove stray bugs on the surface and loosen sticky eggs hidden within carpet fibers. To clean wood or vinyl floors, saturate a dry Swiffer pad with the Evictor. You may also use a clean sponge mop or rag to spread the treatment over the floor.
2. Spray BOTH SIDES of your mattress with Dr. Ben's Evictor.
Some pesticides are merely contact killers. They don't keep protecting sprayed areas when dry. Dr. Ben's Evictor kills mites on contact AND leaves behind residual scents that keep bedbugs and mites from crawling back into sprayed territory. Residual scents will discourage nesting in sprayed spaces.
3. Spray BOTH SIDES of box springs with Dr. Ben's Evictor.
4. Spray all metal or wood parts of bed frame and headboard.
5. Spray under beds with Dr. Ben's Evictor and allow to dry.
6. Dust under beds with diatomaceous earth. Here's why:
 |
It's difficult to refresh spray treatments under beds and furniture on weekly basis. If you apply diatomaceous earth to hard-to-reach areas, it will keep protecting the area for years to come. Use DE under beds, dressers, couches and other spaces that are hard to reach. The brand pictured at left comes with a handy puffer that will allow you to blow the powder into tight spaces, such as gaps between appliances. Important: Do not spread large amounts of diatomaceous earth over open floors and high traffic areas, as this substance can be like fiberglass when it becomes airborne. It's best to keep the dust contained under beds, couches and furniture. Diatomaceous earth is considered to be quite safe when used judiciously. In other words, don't get carried away. A light dusting is all you need.
|
7. Enclose your mattress in a PROPER waterproof encasement.
  |
Mites don't just linger on the surface of your bed. They can hide deep within the mattress where spray pesticides can't reach them. Like bedbugs, mites can keep emerging from hidden areas to attack. Encasing your mattress will ensure that hidden mites can't come back to harm you. The picture at left links to one of my favorite encasement brands, but any waterproof encasement certified for bedbug and dust mite protection should do.
Price: $18.99
|
8. Move beds six inches from the walls, nightstands and dressers.
This will ensure that mites crawling up the wall can't easily transfer to your bed. Your bed should not touch nightstands, storage chests or bedside tables.
9. Get rid of puffy blankets and double layer comforters!
|
Don't use any type of blanket that features two layers of fabric stuffed with cotton, down or synthetic materials. Mites can infest between those layers and survive a trip through the washing machine. To kill mites embedded between the layers of thick blankets, soak comforters in Borax overnight. If Borax doesn't do the trick on its own, add two cap fulls of our PCO Concentrate or Vet's Choice Concentrate. Store comforters in air tight plastic containers, and don't return them to the bed until you're 100% sure that your home is no longer infested.
|
10. Choose blankets made of synthetic materials
It's wise to choose SINGLE LAYER blankets made of synthetic materials such as rayon or polyester. Most plush blankets are made of synthetic materials. Read tags to be sure you're not purchasing organic materials like wool or cotton.
11. Spray couches and easy chairs with Dr. Ben's Evictor.
Spray every inch, including sides, back, seats and bottom. For leather or vinyl couches, you may saturate a rag with Dr. Ben's Evictor and wipe the surface clean.
12. Enclose couches and recliners in furniture bags
  |
Parasites, including mites and bedbugs, will often congregate deep inside the couch crevices where wallets and keys get lost. That means many will go 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. The length of time you'll need to keep it in the bag will depend on the type of mite you have, as some types of mites can live for extended periods without a blood meal.
|
13. Spray inside cabinets and drawers with Dr. Ben's Evictor
Yes, it's important to remove dishes, utensils and clothes from cabinet drawers before spraying.
14. Soak infested laundry in a proper organic pesticide
Click image to buy product.
|
For more than 20 years, pet owners and veterinarians have trusted this product to wash and soak animals afflicted with mites. The formula can also be added to laundry water to help kill mites in the wash. Detergents and hot water alone don't always kill parasites in the laundry. When scabies outbreaks occur in nursing homes and other institutions where bedridden patients have no skin-to-skin contact, the laundry is usually blamed for transmission. Over a twelve year period, I have received thousands of phone calls from frustrated callers who claim that they can feel things pricks and movement coming from parasites like bird mites or springtails in laundered clothing that comes straight out of the dryer. As a general rule, infested laundry should be soaked for an hour in Boax before washing. A cap full of Vet's Choice Concentrate can be added along with the Borax. When soaking thick items such as blankets and sweaters, add two caps of Vet's Choice Concentrate.
|
15. Store laundry in proper air tight containers. No wicker hampers!
  Click image to buy or read reviews.
|
The seal on this storage tub is weatherproof. Mites will have trouble escaping and re-infesting the environment. If you're currently using wicker laundry baskets, enclose them in sealed garbage bags and get them out to the curb IMMEDIATELY. Mites love to hide in wicker, and some species can even feed upon it.
|
16. Do you need to fog the home?
|
Fogging is an aggressive agenda for serious or chronic mite infestations. The need to fog depends on the type of mite you have.
Dust Mites: A fog machine is not necessary, as these mites are connected to carpets, couches and bedding. Simply spray the affected areas such as beds, couches and carpets. Dust mites do not bite! They feed upon pet dander and skin flakes that humans naturally shed. Scabies Mites: A fog machine is not necessary, as the human scabies mite doesn't travel far from the human host. Frequent spray treatment of skin, bedding and surfaces will be required. Doctor's visits will be required to monitor skin. Bird Mites: Fogging is considered very helpful for this type of infestation, as bird mites tend to spread all over the house. In addition to congregating inside couches or air ducts, they may be found climbing up walls or dispersing across ceilings. For this reason, a good fog machine may be necessary to help pest control fluids settle upon walls, coat ceilings and penetrate unseen crevices. Most bird mite clients come to me after hiring pest control operators and failing with typical spray protocols. Rodent Mites: Fogging is considered very helpful for this type of infestation because rodent mites tend to hide behind walls and emerge in large numbers when rodents die from various poisons that were used to eradicate them. Most clients come to me after hiring pest control operators and failing with typical spray protocols. Cheyletiella Mites: Fogging is useful for this type of infestation. Skin treatment will also be necessary, as the cheyletiella mite can burrow down into the superficial keratin layer of skin. Doctor's visits will be required to monitor skin. Springtails: Fogging is considered very helpful for this type of infestation. Springtail infestations are among the most chronic and difficult to treat because these mites are often connected to mold issues behind walls. Outdoor treatment is often necessary because many clients report that their springtail problems began after dumping new landscaping materials or dealing with mold and moisture issues under the foundation. Springtails often enter homes through cracks and crevices around windows and foundations, but they may also be carried into the home via pet paws and human shoes. |
17. Fog Machine Instructions
Proper fumigation should not involve releasing large amounts of water into the air. Safety Notes: Wear a mask and goggles when using ANY type of fogging solution, including our organic product. Pilot lights should be turned off. Remove people and animals from the home before fogging. Occupants may return in 4 to 5 hours.
18. Consider purchasing a dehumidifier
  |
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. In an average sized home, two inexpensive dehumidifiers placed at opposite ends of the structure will do the work of one giant deluxe model.
|
19. Test to see if your ventilation system is infested.
    |
This is a test to see if your air ducts have been affected. Bird and rodent mites get sucked into ventilation systems. In fact, 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. (Shown below.) 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 fog into air vents or hire an air duct cleaning company.
|
20. What to do if mites are affecting the air you breathe.
  |
Aside from a good air duct cleaning, a single room air purification system is a wise investment. The perfect air purification system should have two features. It should remove particles down to .03 microns, and it should have a HEPA filter to prevent particles from blowing back out into the environment. The filter pictured below has a third feature of great interest to mite infested homeowners. The UV-C light technology works to reduce airborne organisms, including dust mites, bacteria, viruses, germs and mold spores.
|
More Articles Connected to Mite Eradication:
|
|
|
|
|
|
