How to Trap Mite Samples
How can I trap mites and collect mite samples?
The action of pressing tape against skin tends to smash tiny organisms, making them difficult for entomologists to identify. To collect undamaged specimens or pictures, try the following:
- Smartphone Microscopes: For less than $20, you can purchase a high powered microscope for universal smartphones. This ingenious device connects to your phone camera lens to show you magnified images within a targeted area. It’s a great way to study skin, carpet fibers and bedding. Such devices are now available in toy departments nationwide. For a better selection, try specialty stores like Toys-R-Us.
- Glue Boards: Glue boards are small cardboard panels covered in a super strong adhesive. Place glue boards on the floor near areas where humans relax. It’s possible to catch random crawlers on their way to a host. Jumping organisms are more difficult to catch, as they can propel themselves above various traps and land directly on the host.
- Attractants: Many mold and fungus loving insects are powerfully attracted to apple cider vinegar. To illustrate this concept, consider this age-old remedy for fruit fly and fungus gnat infestations. When a bowl of apple cider vinegar is placed on the counter, dozens of fruit flies will flock to the bowl, but they usually won’t go into the solution. They’ll cling to the outside of the bowl, where they can be shot down with a pesticide spray. (Sneak up slowly, as the flies will scatter if you approach quickly.) To simulate this type of trap for mites, fill a plastic soda cap with apple cider vinegar. Place the cap at the center of a glue board. Each day, study your glue boards with a magnifying glass or smartphone microscope. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t capture samples right away. Traps must be moved around the house and monitored regularly. Experiment with different locations and different types of bait. A small piece of badly molded bread or cheese may suffice. If you’re interested in growing your own mold for trapping purposes, dissolve a bit of instant coffee into an inch of hot water and leave the cup on your counter until mold begins to grow.
- Carbon Dioxide Traps: If glue traps don’t seem to be effective, you might consider building your own carbon dioxide trap. (Ask me to email instructions.) Parasites are not just attracted to body heat and pheromones. They perceive the carbon dioxide humans expel when we exhale. By simulating our breath in the air, it’s possible stir up parasite activity before fogging a room. Catching large numbers of mites can be difficult because most carbon dioxide traps are designed to catch bedbugs. Jumping mites can simply bypass the catch basin. Still, carbon dioxide traps can be useful in drawing mites out of their hiding places before fogging a room.
- Double Sided Tape: There are many creative ways to use double sided tape. You can apply a thick strip of quality tape across the floor to prevent crawling mites from entering your bedroom doorway. This will deter mites that aren’t capable of jumping. To catch a jumping mite, cover a tall box (about knee high) with double sided tape and place a small LED light on top of the box. Leave the box in a dark room overnight. Do not cover the bottom of the box with tape, as it will just stick to the floor. You might also want to place an attractant on top of the box. Try a plastic soda cap filled with mold or apple cider vinegar.
- Fly Strips: Arrange several fly strips across the top of a tall box. Place a plastic soda cap filled with bait on top of the box.
Who can identify my mite samples?
Ask a local dermatologist, veterinarian or entomologist. When contacting research professionals at local universities, offer to pay a consultation fee for their time. Remember that they are busy individuals who aren’t exactly looking forward to your call. It might be better to make an offer through email or contact a scientific laboratory that offers this service for a fee.
What Makes Our Organic Cedar Oil Formula Powerful and Unique?
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Can be used as a direct hit spray to destroy common household insects.
- Leaves a fresh cedar aroma to discourage insects from moving back into sprayed territory. (Residual effects are just as important as immediate effects, especially when it comes to treating carpets, bedding, cabinets and wood floors.)
- Dissolves eggs on contact, but not by proximity. In other words, eggs must come in contact with the formula, not just the vapors.
- Won’t stain carpets, bedding or furniture because it’s steam distilled in small batches to remove impurities.
- Can be applied directly to humans, dogs and horses to treat fleas and mites.
- Much less expensive than essential oils packaged in tiny bottles. Tiny bottles are meant for skin, not for wide scale home treatment!
- Excellent for use with fog machines.
- Endorsed by Animal Wellness Magazine as a safe alternative to dangerous chemical and spot drop flea treatments, which shorten life spans and cause SEVERE reactions in more than 44,000 animals each year. Read more…
- Used by housing authorities across the country against bedbugs because these hearty parasites have an uncanny ability to develop resistance to chemical pesticides.
Top Fifteen Questions Posed by Mite Customers
If you’ve found this page helpful, you may also enjoy visiting our page that covers the top questions posed by mite customers.
2.) How can I tell what type of mite is infesting me?
3.) How can I tell the difference between a mite and a springtail?
4.) How can I trap mites and collect mite samples?
5.) Who can identify my mite samples?
7.) Are there any natural supplements I can take to help my immune system battle mites?
8.) What are some handy products I can buy at the store to treat mites?
9.) How do I kill mites in the laundry?
10.) Do essential oils work as well as chemicals against mites?
11.) Is your cedar oil formula safe for humans?
12.) Is your cedar oil formula safe for dogs, cats and horses?
13.) What’s in Dr. Ben’s Evictor? What are the active and inactive ingredients?
14.) What’s the difference between the indoor formula and the outdoor formula?