What controls are recommended for house dust mites?

• A. Frequent vacuuming and lower humidity
• B. Chemical sprays
• C. Increased humidity
• D. Outdoor exposure

Answer: (A)

House dust mites thrive in warm, humid indoor spaces and feed on skin flakes that accumulate in bedding, carpets, and upholstery. The most effective way to reduce their numbers is to make the environment less hospitable and to remove their habitat and food sources. Frequent vacuuming helps pull away dust, skin scales, and mites from surfaces like carpets and furniture, especially when using a vacuum with a HEPA filter to prevent allergens from circulating back into the air. Lowering indoor humidity—ideally to under about 50%—slows their reproduction and survival because they depend on moisture to live and reproduce.

Chemical sprays don’t reliably reach all the mite habitats inside soft furnishings and typically don’t provide long-term control. Increasing humidity would actually encourage mite growth, and outdoor exposure isn’t a practical or effective way to control indoor populations.