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REGIONAL PEST REPORT

Winter season

Pest threat

Mice are moving inside and other wildlife may be looking for potential harbourage areas. Cluster flies have hibernated in attics and wall voids. As the temperature fluctuates keep your eyes and ears open for the signs and sounds of unwanted pests this winter. Carpenter ant activity may be seen in the home where moisture is found on a warmer day.

 

Stay alert

Get more info on local pests

House-Dust Mite (Glycphagus domesticus)

Mites

Identification

  • Can typically only be seen with the use of a microscope: 0.33 mm in size
  • Body shape is oval and somewhat flattened
  • Coloration is off-white to cream

Habitat and Behaviour

  • Feeds on shed human skin (expelled skin is most often found in areas where humans spend the majority of their time sitting or lying for extended periods)
  • Excrement may trigger allergic reactions and asthma in some individuals
  • Feeding may also occur on spilled food and fungi
  • Prefer areas of high moisture (if less than 60% relative humidity, these mites are not able to thrive)
  • Young are known to resist drying up for some period

Lifecycle

  • Goes through 5 stages of development: egg, larva, protonymph, tritonymph, and adult
  • Development, from egg to adult, is greatly dependent on temperature and relative humidity: 16 ºC @ 75% allows development in 140 days whereas 23ºC @ 75% takes 35 days
  • Averages between 31 and 100 eggs over a lifetime
  • Average adult lifespan is approximately 100 days