(I may earn a small commission on the products linked to in this post.)
If you suspect that dust mites are causing you harm, it’s understandable to know what they look like (see below for dust mite pictures). Dust mites exist in almost every home, worldwide, but most people wouldn’t recognize them. Why so?
Learning about dust mites might be disturbing, but the good news is that we can’t see them with the naked eye. Dust mites are not visible unless viewed under a microscope.
I’ll share a few dust mite pictures (under a microscope of course) and share a few helpful facts to protect you from their invisible threat!
Why Dust Mites Aren’t Visible (photos)
There are a few different species of dust mites but all of them are similar in size. They are all tiny and their translucent body makes them even harder to see.
The measure only .008-.012 inches in length (.2-.3 millimeters). Although they are just small enough that we can’t see them, a basic 10x magnification makes them easy to spot.
If you’re up for an afternoon project, collect some dust from the corner of your carpet, or remove a few feathers from a pillow and put them under the microscope (mattresses, pillows, carpets, fabric couches, are all good places too find them).
With time and little luck, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to see a few dust mites.
I See Something That Looks Like A Dust Mite
Many people confuse another bed pest with the dust mite. As I’ve already mentioned, dust mites live in almost every home and they rarely cause problems – unless you’re allergic to them. Having dust mites aren’t a reason for concern, however, their cousin, the beg bug is a major problem.
Bed bugs are larger bedroom pests and they can be seen. They are small, but visible on a mattress.
>> read my other article if think you have dust mite bites
Bed bugs shouldn’t be in your home and if they are they will live and breed in areas that you sleep. A bed bug infestation requires immediate action because they suck blood and cause itchy welts on the body.
They are easily spread to other homes through clothes, backpacks, and shoes.
It’s Best We Don’t See Dust Mites
If dust mites were only a little larger, we’d see them a lot. Older mattresses may be home to hundreds of thousands of mites. The same goes for an older pillow.
It’s disturbing enough to hear about dust mites in our beds, but seeing them would be even worse.
Thankfully, most people will never know dust mites exist, and for our sanity, it’s probably best that way.
Conclusion
Dust mites are a major cause of allergy symptoms and if you’ve recently had an allergy test, you might be interested in knowing what dust mites look like. After all, you should know what they look like if they’re living in your bed and pillows.
The frustrating thing about dust mites is that we can’t see them unless we’re using a microscope. To make matters worse, dust mites are translucent (see-through).
It’s also important to differentiate dust mites from other bed pests like the bed bug. These are two different species and the latter should be removed from the room (dust mites will always live in your home but their population can be better managed).