The bad news is that by some estimates, nearly half of all homes are infested with house dust mites - the good news is that kind of mite does not bite humans. Unfortunately, however, many people can get an allergic reaction to their secretions. But, there are plenty of other species of mites that do bite.

All of the thousands of types of mites, biting and otherwise, are tiny eight-legged arthropods, about the size of the period at the end of this sentence. Obviously, it is hard for the layman to identify which type of mite you may be noticing around your home. Because they are so small, you may not be aware of a potentially dangerous infestation until you begin to feel the signs - severe itching, irritation and inflammation of the skin.

Mites are generally of two types: plant-hosted and animal-hosted. Plant hosted mites are the non-biting kind; they live in grassy or woody areas and can be brought into the house unknowingly by people who work or play in the outdoors. The animal-hosted mites are the ones that cause disease and skin irritation. These mites attach themselves to rodents, birds or other small animals and sometimes drop off their hosts. They can live for a couple of weeks without a host, but if they come across a human, they will attach themselves to their accidental host and make their way into the home.

Mites live in household materials such as carpets, mattresses, upholstered furniture and bed sheets. If the mites brought into the home are of the biting variety, residents will soon become aware of itching, and may sometimes see tiny raised welts at the site where the biting mites insert their fangs.

Prevention is the most important method of controlling an infestation of biting mites. Because they are so tiny, it is nearly impossible to seal off your home from an occasional bout of mites, but there are some measures you can take:

• Check all windows and doors and seal these openings as tightly as you can
• Cut back any dense vegetation surrounding your home
• Destroy any rodent dens/nests on your property
• Remove any old bird nests and clean the area with bleach
• Shower and wash your clothes after being outdoors

If you already have a biting mite infestation in your home, you should follow the following steps:

• Vacuum all carpets, drapes, mattresses and upholstered furniture
• Launder all bedding: pillows, sheets, blankets in hot water and bleach
• Maintain a regular deep cleaning schedule

You may have to repeat these cleaning procedures a number of times before you see results. For serious infestations, you may need to consult the services of a professional exterminator; there are a number of chemical and natural treatments that are effective in controlling biting mites.