How to Detect Dust Mites

A bed with dust mites in it may give you red itchy bumps on your skin.

Environment, Health and Safety Online states dust mite feces cause allergic reactions in people who are allergic to house dust. Dust mites themselves cause no harm to people. Dust mites are translucent in color, with an oval body, eight hairy legs, no eyes and no antennae. They are around 300 microns in length and can be detected with a microscope capable of at least 10X magnification. Tens of thousands of dust mites can live in just one mattress.

Things You'll Need

• Dust sample
• 20X microscope
• Microscope slide

Instructions

1. Collect one small dust sample from your bed.

2. Place a drop of water on a microscope slide.

3. Sprinkle the dust sample onto the water drop. Lay the cover glass on top of the microscope slide. Gently move the microscope slide to the microscope platform.

4. Search the sample at 20X magnification for moving, eight-legged, oval-shaped dust mites. Follow the microscope manufacturer's instructions for focusing.

Tips & Warnings

• Compare what you see through the microscope with a reference photo.

References

• Environment, Health and Safety Online: Dust Mites

Resources

• Illinois Department of Public Health: Mites Affecting Humans
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Dust Mites