Re: Dust mites or similar ?

[Chancer]

Today it is a bit too warm but I can recommend the French practice of throwing open your bedroom windows in the mornings and dangling your literie out of the wndow for the world to see whilst letting out all of your expensive heat.

After lots of nagging I have finally given in and do the same, I was told that the cold kills the acariens.

[Jonzjob]

We have just invested in a Polti steam cleaner. Probably not the cheapest option, but it's supposed to kill all known germs including dust mites and the like. It certainly got rid of best part of 20 years worth of muck that was on the tiles and grout at the back of our cooker hob!!.

I thought I was going to have to use a wire brush in my drill [:-))]!

One of the recomended things for them is cleaning matresses and bedding..

[Bugsy]

Just a thought P, but could it be pollen from the rape. Our area is currently covered in the stuff and everyone is sneezing.

 

[Jonzjob]

Blimey BB, I know that they have GMed rape, but have they got it to move as well now. Soon won't need bees if they have [blink][;-)]

[Bugsy]

[:D][:D]

We are totally surrounded by the stuff, it's pretty to look at but doesn't smell particularly nice and the pollen gets everywhere.

We were told to eat local honey as a way of building up a resistance to the rape pollen. It definately seems to work, but it must be local stuff.

[Pixie Toadstool]

[quote user="Puzzled"]

I woke up in the middle of the night having a streaming nose and a sneezing fit -  and it's not hayfever.

This morning I noticed on a book by my bed a teeny little white mite - it was smaller than a fullstop but I noticed it was moving.[+o(] I have checked and dust mites are apparently invisible to the naked eye, so it's not them. I have dusted and used special wet cloths for wooden parquet flooring but can anyone recommend any spray or plug in thingy that will kill them please.

[/quote]

What you saw on the book was a book mite - I know because I am allergic to them and you certainly can see them with the naked eye - little white things as you say (not dust mites - not the same).  If I get close to old books I sneeze and if I get close to lots of them my nose runs and I get wheals all over my body.  Best to get rid of any old books you have - that works for me!  Or at least get them out of your bedroom!

Pix

[Russethouse]

I'm allergic to tree pollen, maybe you are too ? Lots of trees seem to be in flower at present.

[Pixie Toadstool]

It's no good just dusting the books - you will need to eradicate the little critters which will be inside the book's pages as well on the outside and in the binding.  Apparently a good way of doing this is to  microwave the books (I don't know for how long or the wattage but a google search may yield results).  I would also advise you to get them out of your bedroom as the allergans (usually the book mite faeces) will still be there even after a good microwaving!).

I realised I had an allergy when we moved house and I had to put my husband's antique book collection back on the shelves (the movers had packed them).  I was in a very sorry state for a day or two and looking back I think I probably developed an allergy when I was sanding down yards and yards of antique pine panelling a year or two earlier (the mites live on old wood/paper - same base).

Hope this helps!

Pix

[Callie]

Do dust mites come from bookworms????