If you’ve ever been disturbed by the existence of wood mites, you’ll know how difficult it is to eliminate them permanently. While you might have a few other insects present in your house, wood mites remain the most widespread. They also dig tunnels into the wood, making their homes within them. Although they are harmless, it’s still wise to rid yourself of them because they transmit many serious diseases to humans.
The skin casing and hairs of wood mites get disbursed in air that causes allergies. If you’re experiencing sudden allergies but there’s no apparent source, it might be a good time to inspect your house for wood mites. So, you should know the pests that are inside your house.
Below are some of the more effective natural ways to kill wood mites.
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What are wood mites?
Wood mites are harmless bugs that stay in damp and old pieces of wood. They are of size about 0.5 mm in their adult form. Wood mites are tiny and they usually cling to moisture-ridden wood. They live on wood and feed decaying organic matter. Wood mites are not destructive at all and are relatively safe to humans. They won’t bite humans and are not poisonous. They won’t destroy the foundation of your house.
But still you should get rid of wood mites for the sake of hygiene. They are not the ugliest of the house pests but still are unwanted for some homes. If you’re a snake owner, they are a stressor crawling all over that poor guy!
Signs of wood mites
From the appearance, wood mites look like ticks. They are sometimes white, tan, red or brown and are usually spotted and translucent. But identifying wood mites is a daunting task. In most of the cases, infestations grow very large before you realize you have wood mites. But you can’t actually see them through naked eyes. However, here’re some tell-tale signs of wood mites:
- Try to inspect and find areas in your home where there is excess moisture and there’s mold or rotting wood. Try to find dying plants, rotting wood, or other rotting organic material. You might see clusters of small white, tan or red spots moving around decayed wood.
- Look for thin webbing because they leave it around the locations they live in. These thin silk webs are similar to that of spider webs but are typically finer.
- Look for such signs around decaying wood, plants, flowers, or potted plants.
- If you notice thin silken webs around their house, you might already have large infestation of wood mites.
You need to inspect all parts of your home including walls, floorboards, shelves, cabinets, pantry room, bathrooms, laundry rooms, basements, or attics.
Now that you’ve identified their food source and their location, here’s the next step – kill them!
Here’re some wood mites home remedies just like you get rid of other mites:
How to Get Rid of Wood Mites?
Essential oils
They’re one of the most popular natural treatments for wood mites. Lavender essential oils are particularly effective as they inhibit their respiratory processes and make them fall off more easily. It’s also safe to use essential oils around babies to soothe and calm them while they sleep. When sprayed directly onto the mites’ skin, the oils will penetrate down the insect’s body and cause death within a matter of hours. Make sure to dilute the essential oil using carrier oil before applying it to the mites.
Boric acid
This is a liquid solution that is extremely effective in getting rid of wood-eating insects. It’s available in liquid, granular, or tablet form and can be applied to many different places where they usually hide. Simply pour it into a pile or a container, shake it well, and apply it to the wood using a brush. To identify wood mites using this method, simply rub a light coat of the boric acid over the area. The acid will eat through the tissue and will eventually remove the larvae.
Tea tree oil
This is another popular natural remedy for getting rid of wood mites and is very potent. In fact, it can be lethal if applied in the wrong way. So use it with caution! To identify wood mites using this method, simply apply a small amount to a small area of infested material and use a cotton ball to wipe it off.
Boric acid and tea tree oil are probably the best known “natural” treatments for wood mites, but there are many other methods that you can try. If you’re infested with an infestation, you should definitely look into all your options to get rid of these pests. These are particularly effective against subterranean pests. Unfortunately, they aren’t effective against carpet beetles.
Use Insecticides and miticides
A number of commercial insecticides have been developed specifically to deal with these pests, so you should check out any online stores that sell skincare and beauty products for treatment. The most effective of these products tend to be either creams or powders that can be sprayed onto cracks in doors, walls, or furniture (if you know where they are occurring).
The most effective way to avoid wood mites is to use liquid miticide and spray it around the entrance points of your home. You can easily spray it on grass, flower, and tress without much trouble. This is the most lethal weapon killing wood mites and even their eggs would die up.
You can also buy steam machines that you can rent at your local DIY store. However, you should do some research first to make sure that the product you purchase is safe to use on the type of surfaces you’re dealing with (e.g. drywall and wood).
Use predatory mites
You can also get rid of wood mites with the help of hypoaspis mites. They are predatory mite that can quickly consume the wood mites. So, Purchase hypoaspis mites that are available at many gardening supply stores and online.
Prevention is better than cure
The most effective way to get rid of wood mites would probably be a combination of prevention and treatment. Preventing them from entering your home through cracks or crevices in the wall or floor boards by sealing them properly from inside.
Using caulk to seal large gaps between panels and beams will prevent moisture from getting inside and also acting as a barrier to wood mites’ entry. If you want to reduce the number of wood mites that enter your home, a treatment system containing pesticides may be useful, as well as using products to get rid of wood mites as quickly as possible.
Eliminate moisture and control humidity
The most effective preventive measure you can take to avoid wood mites is by controlling humidity and moisture inside your house. Excess moisture creates an ideal environment for wood mites. It give them shelter and food.
You can use Dehumidifiers and exhausts to control moisture and enhance indoor air quality.
Get rid of mold
Mold is an excellent food source for wood mites and mold mites. If you have mold around you house, you probably have excess water and moisture in your indoor air. Such a condition is detrimental to wood, making it an ideal location for wood mites to grow and breed.
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Eliminating mold is an easy process that doesn’t require some professional.
You just need a liquid cleaner of the following mix
- Bleach and water
- Vinegar or water
Both are effective. You can make the mix and use spray bottle or pressurized spray for application. Just let the solution sit on the surface for about 25 minutes or so. Afterwards, wipe the surface with cloth or sponge to remove the mold. Repeat the steps 2 or 3 times to enhance effectiveness.
Key takeaways
How to get rid of wood mites isn’t as difficult as it may seem if you know how to identify them and what to look for. This is something you can learn by asking an expert pest controller or simply doing a little research on your own. Pest controllers are trained to identify exactly which species of pests are living in your home and then treat them accordingly. For example, there are specific wood mites that feed off of certain species of paper, so knowing that will help you prevent them getting into your home in the first place!
