How do you know if you have a mite infestation? With some difficulty, unfortunately.
The main problem is that most mite species are microscopic in size, so much so that some of them are practically invisible to the naked eye. You can sometimes detect their movements across a surface, however.
There are literally thousands of species of mites, although the most troublesome species to both humans and pets include clover mites, dust mites, itch mites, tropical rat mites and tropical fowl mites. There are also scabies mites — for which you as a PMP should not offer treatment, as it’s something that should be dealt with through the client’s physician or dermatologist.
Like their bed bug comrades, mites can be found virtually everywhere: in bedding, carpets, air ducts, dusty attics, plants, and on animals of various kinds. But they seem to have a special fondness for busy, congested spaces such as nursing homes, daycare centers and college dormitories. Few products are labeled for mite control, but what is available — along with non-chemical steps of vacuuming, laundering affected linens, and eliminating the source — can help gain control over an infestation. In the case of tropical rat and tropical fowl mites, addressing what could be the primary source of rodents or birds will help prevent reinfestation.
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