Mites are tiny arachnids that are related to spiders and ticks. There are over 48,000 known species of mites that inhabit a wide variety of environments around the world. Mites are found on animals, plants, foods, and in dust and soil. Some mite species live on the skin of mammals, like humans, and feed on skin cells and oils. Other mites infect plants and feed on leaves, stems, roots, and fruits. Mites are so small they can only be seen with a magnifying glass or microscope. Despite their tiny size, mites can cause significant damage as plant pests and disease vectors. Knowing where mites are commonly found allows people to take steps to control mite populations and prevent infestations.
On mammals
Many mite species live on the skin and hair of mammals as ectoparasites. The most common mites found on humans include:
– Demodex mites: These mites live in hair follicles and pores and feed on skin oils and cells. Demodex are normal inhabitants of human skin. But when populations explode, they can cause skin conditions like rosacea and demodicosis.
– Scabies mites: Sarcoptes scabiei mites burrow into the skin and cause intense itching. Scabies infestations spread rapidly between people and other mammals.
– Dust mites: House dust mites feed on dead skin cells shed in homes. They thrive in warm, humid environments like mattresses, carpets, upholstered furniture, and stuffed animals. Allergic reactions to dust mites are a major cause of asthma.
Other mammals frequently inhabited by mites include:
– Cats and dogs: Mites like ear mites, fur mites, and mange mites commonly afflict household pets.
– Livestock: Mites cause mange in animals like cows, pigs, horses, sheep, and goats. They lower meat and milk yields.
– Wild mammals: Rodents, bats, rabbits, deer, and seals harbor diverse mite fauna on their bodies.
Mite Habitats on Mammals
Mites occupy different microhabitats on the mammalian body:
– Skin: The skin surface harbors mites like the scabies and human itch mite. Demodex mites inhabit hair follicles and sebaceous glands.
– Ears: The ear canal provides a warm, moist habitat for mites like the ear mite Otodectes cynotis to colonize.
– Coat: Mites dwell on the coat and skin of furry mammals. Fur mites eat skin oils and dead skin cells trapped in the fur.
– Hooves and claws: Mites infect hooves of livestock and claws of animals like dogs.
Mammals provide mites with an abundant food source and suitable environmental conditions to thrive. Mites in turn can positively or negatively impact their mammalian hosts.
On birds
Many mite species have adapted to live on the feathers, skin, and inside the nasal passages and air sacs of birds. Common bird-infesting mites include:
– Feather mites: These mites feed on oil and dead skin on feathers. Most do not harm birds. But large populations can damage feathers.
– Scaly leg mites: Knemidokoptes mites burrow under leg scales of birds and cause crusty lesions. They severely impact chickens and wild birds.
– Air sac mites: Sternostoma tracheacolum mites infect the air sacs and lungs of birds. Heavy infestations can impair breathing.
– Red mites: Dermanyssus gallinae hide in crevices by day and feed on blood at night. They irritate birds and lower egg production.
Mites pose threats to captive and wild birds. But some mites help clean feathers and remove dead skin. Maintaining proper hygiene in bird enclosures, coops, and nests helps limit mite populations.
Mite Habitats on Birds
Microhabitats on birds that harbor mites include:
– Feathers: The feathers offer food sources for mites and a means of transfer between birds through direct contact.
– Legs and feet: Mites infect the unfeathered parts of bird legs, causing scaly lesions. Mites congregate between the scales and digits.
– Around eyes and beak: Mites irritate the eyes and nasal passages. This causes birds to scratch, increasing mite transmission.
– Nests: Old nesting materials contain debris that invites mite infestations. Nest-dwelling mites transfer to baby birds.
– Coops and cages: Captive birds in close quarters readily spread mites between individuals. Mites lurk in crevices and bedding.
Routine cleaning and disinfection of bird habitats helps break the mite life cycle and prevent rampant population growth.
On plants
A diverse array of mite species feeds on all parts of plants as herbivores, fungivores, or omnivores. Problematic mites on crops and ornamental plants include:
– Spider mites: They damage leaves and produce webbing. Outbreaks quickly defoliate plants.
– Rust and gall mites: These mites deform plant tissues into galls and rust-colored eruptions.
– Bud mites: They stunt plant growth by destroying developing buds and new growth.
– Cyclamen and broad mites: Feeding injury distorts and discolors new leaves and flowers.
Managing mites is crucial for commercial crop production. Backyard gardeners also must control mites on prized plants. Using predator mites and insecticidal soaps helps suppress mite pests.
Mite Habitats on Plants
Mites inhabit diverse microhabitats on plants:
– Leaves: Many mites colonize the undersides of leaves. Here they find shelter, high humidity, and soft plant tissues to eat.
– Flowers and buds: Feeding by bud mites destroys developing flowers and prevents crops from producing.
– Fruits and vegetables: Mites feed on the exterior rind and flesh inside fruits and vegetables.
– Stems: Gall mites stimulate abnormal stem and leaf growth into tumor-like structures.
– Roots and bulbs: Root-feeding mites damage plant health and nutrition uptake.
– Soil: Some mites reside in the soil and emerge to infest plant stems and leaves.
Regular inspection of plants allows early detection and control of mite infestations before they spread destructively.
In habitats
Mites thrive in protected, humid microhabitats in nature and manmade environments. Habitats commonly inhabited by mites include:
Soil
– Millions of mites populate each handful of soil and leaf litter globally.
– Oribatid mites and predatory mites help decompose organic matter.
– Fungus-eating mites regulate fungal growth and soil health.
Aquatic environments
– Mites survive in all types of aquatic habitats from temporary rain pools to the deep sea.
– Hydracarina or water mites float on the water surface tension or crawl on aquatic vegetation.
– Parasitic species infest fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Forests
– Mites thrive in the humid conditions of forest leaf litter and vegetation.
– Phoretic mites use insects and other animals to disperse through forests.
– Predatory mites help control pest mites and insects that damage trees.
Grain and food storage
– Pest mites contaminate stored grains, cheese, dried fruit, and animal feed.
– They cause losses of grain and food quality during storage.
– Frequent cleaning and pest management is required in storage facilities.
Homes
– House dust contains high loads of dust mites, textile mites, and mold mites.
– Mites proliferate in carpets, furniture, bedding, and fabric items.
– Reducing humidity levels below 50% helps control mite growth indoors.
On humans
Many mite species have adapted to live on people as parasites. Mites that commonly live on humans include:
– Face mites: Demodex folliculorum and Demodex brevis inhabit skin pores on the face and nose.
– Scabies mites: Sarcoptes scabiei burrows into skin and causes severe itching and rashes.
– Eyelash mites: Demodex species live at the base of eyelashes in lash follicles.
– Groin mites: Pediculosis pubis infests coarse hair of the pubic region and causes itching.
– Scalp mites: Cheyletiella yasguri spreads via human contact and causes dandruff-like flaking.
Mites can complete their entire life cycle on the human body. Maintaining proper hygiene and avoiding close contact with infested individuals helps prevent transmission.
Mite Habitats on Humans
Microhabitats where mites reside on people include:
– Hair follicles of the eyebrows, eyelashes, beard, mustache, and scalp
– Facial pores and oily regions of the face, especially the nose, cheeks, and forehead
– Arm pits and groin where skin folds provide protection and moisture
– Fingers and toes in the skin adjacent to nails
– External ear canal
– Genital region in coarse pubic hair
Regular face washing, bathing, and laundering of clothes and bedding helps control human-infesting mites and limit reinfestation.
On stored foods
Mites contaminate a wide variety of stored food products. Problematic mite pests of stored foods include:
– Flour mites: Infest grains and flour, causing allergies upon ingestion
– Cheese mites: Eat cheese rinds and lower quality
– Grain mites: Feed inside stored grains, contaminating animal feed
– Dried fruit mites: Damage the exterior of stored dried fruits
– Cured meat mites: Consumers ingest mites on cured meats like ham
Proper sanitation, low humidity, and exclusion of pests in food facilities prevents mite infestations. Mite-infested products may need to be discarded.
Foods Susceptible to Mites
Mites infest the following types of stored food:
| Food | Mite pests |
|---|---|
| Wheat, rice, oats, barley, corn | Acarus siro, Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Caloglyphus sp. |
| Flour, cereal | Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Acarus siro |
| Cheese | Tyrolichus casei, Tyrophagus putrescentiae |
| Dried fruits, nuts | Caloglyphus sp., Tyrophagus putrescentiae |
| Cured meats | Tyrophagus putrescentiae |
Proper drying, sanitation, cold storage, and pest management helps curb mite infestations in susceptible foods.
Conclusion
Mites exploit a wide array of environments and food sources around the world. They are ubiquitous on mammals, birds, plants, and in natural and manmade habitats. Stored products like cheese, grains, and dried fruit are also vulnerable to mite pests. The microscopic size of mites allows them to thrive undetected in diverse ecological niches. But mite overpopulation causes detrimental effects on humans, animals, and agricultural crops. Understanding where mites are commonly found allows people to implement integrated pest management and hygienic practices to control mite pests. With vigilance and proactive measures, mites can be maintained at tolerable population densities to minimize harm to hosts and habitats.