One Couple Discovered Their Mysterious Rash Was From a Mite Infestation In Their Furniture
From terrifying trap doors to creepy messages written under wallpaper, we've seen our fair share of home horror stories that make the hair on our necks stand straight up. Regardless of your terror tolerance, an unwanted pest is the one thing you never, ever want to see in your house. But, what if harmful bugs are everywhere, but you can't see them at all? That's exactly what happened to one couple in France—and it's our biggest home nightmare coming true.
According to Insider, a 30-year-old man and woman went to their nearby infectious disease clinic with rashes that appeared on their bodies three days earlier. The doctors there suspected that the rashes stemmed from a home infestation. Naturally, the couple then had their home inspected—only to learn that furniture beetles were lurking in their wooden pieces. (And, with them, pyemotes ventricosus mites—beetles' very own parasites, which causes the bites.)
Invisible to the naked eye, these mites were hiding in plain sight—which is very creepy. Also terrifying? Their bites are painless, so you don't know when they're turning you into a snack. The good news? These bites are easy to treat: Though these rashes typically go away on their own, steroids or some antihistamine can help clear the redness up quite quickly. (But do be warned: in rare-yet-severe cases, the bites can cause fever and vomiting.)
While getting bitten by pyemotes ventricosus mites is surprisingly rare—the National Library of Medicine shares that only 40 cases have been reported since 1909—you may be wondering what to do if this happens to you. Or, more likely, how to keep it from happening to you ever. According to Moneef Bin Break, owner and operator of Diagno Pest Control in Philadelphia, pests including bed bugs, spiders, cloth moths, and German cockroaches are far more common in furniture than mites. "It is essential to always keep track of suspicious signs, like bites you get after spending time on a particular piece of furniture," he says. It's also important to take note of other visible clues left behind by pests, such as eggs and exoskeletons the bugs shed.
To stay bite-free, Bin Break recommends cleaning furniture and upholstery at least once every six months, but encourages homeowners to take a pause before throwing out a piece altogether. Trashing furniture "does not help because it’s not comprehensive and is simply wasteful," he explains. "Pests in furniture are usually part of a more significant issue, such as humidity and availability of organic matter, such as the skin and hair that we naturally shed." The key to a pest-free home, he adds, is "keeping the house dry and clean."
If you find yourself suddenly feeling itchy all over, that's most likely a result of having just read this article. But if you do start spotting signs of bugs or their bites, Bin Break recommends consulting a pest control specialist to diagnose and treat the problem accordingly.
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