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The flour mites

Did you see the candlesticks in your kitchen or in your laundry room? They're starting to invade your accommodation and you don't know what to start with? A flour mite invasion may become complicated if you do not act quickly. Find in this folder a set of answers and products that will allow you to fight this invasive insect at best.

I wish

Get to know the flour mite

(identity, feeding mode, reproduction, ...)

 

Fight against the flour mite

(action method, natural insecticides, ...)

 

Who's the flour mite ?

larve de ciron

Latin name: Acarus siro, formerly named tyroglyphus farinae
Order: Acarina
Family: Acaridae
Size: 0.5 mm to 1 mm
location: All storage places and mainly kitchen
Period: All year

 

What you need to know about the flour mite

Has the difference of the acarian of the dust, which is not visible to the naked eye, the flour mite or tyroglyph of the flour, is like the tick, one of the few mites that can be seen without the help of a microscope. Moreover, a few centuries ago, he was considered the smallest known animal.

Ciron de la farine

The flour mite is part of the so-called mites of "storage". it often infests places or are stored of food. So it can be found in grain silos as well as in house kitchens.

Of very small size (less than 1 mm) the flour mite usually passes unnoticed until the day or favourable conditions such as abundant food, high heat and humidity allow it to multiply. the biological cycle is carried out in 10 days, at 23°C and 87% relative humidity.

Therefore, from their number, they become visible and what could be taken for living whiteish dust is ultimately a flour mite colony. However, it is normal to have flour mites at home. like other mites, it is present in many homes. Although its excessive proliferation may disturb, it is totally harmless. except for allergic people.

If it has a preference for flour, grains, flakes of cereal, it can feed, as mites do, dust, squamous and other human and animal detritus. In general, it concentrates most often in the kitchen, where it is likely to find flour, flour-based products and seeds that are its basic foods. but it will also love the animal croquettes, cheese and ham.

Infested products are covered with a layer of grey dust. spoiled and often bitter taste, they become totally unfit for consumption. ceron-contaminated foods can lead to severe allergies, asthma attacks and other pathological disorders. All contaminated products must be thrown away.

The development of the adult egg (egg, larva, nymph, imago) occurs in about ten days at normal ambient temperature.

Adults live for 30 to 50 days. the female lays in its existence about 200 eggs.

Ciron de la farine - acarus siro

According to the literature, A.Siro can be confused with a. farris or a. immobilis. these three species being morphologically very close. if we want to be purist the a. siro is a species of acarian since it has some particular distinct characteristics. Last detail, the larva has 6 legs like the insect and the adult 8 like the acarian!

If favourable conditions can accelerate its development (a couple of Acarus siro can have a progeny of 2,500 individuals in one month), unfavourable conditions are not sufficient to eliminate it immediately.

Thanks to a state of lethargy, it is able to survive for several weeks pending the return of more clementing conditions. it can also be attached to an insect, such as a chip, in a phoretic association.

Storage mites can contaminate processed foods.

Seven categories of cereal-based food purchased in trade in the United Kingdom were examined:

Mites were found in 21% of the 571 samples examined shortly after purchase, and in 38% of the 421 samples examined after 6 weeks of storage.

Most samples contained less than 5 mites, some more than 20 and a 428 mites.

The most common species were found: Acarus siro, tyrophagus putrescentiae, lepidoglyphus destructive and glycyphagus domestic.

 

Attention to storage mites: risk of allergies

Storage mites are important allergens.Ciron de la farine

A study of wisconsin showed that the most common allergies were due to dust mites (21.6%) and storage mites (11.2%). among storage mites, the most widespread awareness was due to destructor, followed by t. putrescentiae, g. domestics, chortoglyphus arcuatus, and acarus siro.

On allergic reactions, many studies have been conducted and it has been found that siro acrous can cause occupational allergy symptoms in farmers and bakers, but also in non-agricultural populations. no part of the globe is safe from this type of acarian. We find the same observation in denmark, in Poland, in cuba, in España, in Chile, in Bavaria...(see study conducted on this site)

 

How to eliminate these storage mites ?

In the kitchens, the flour mite appears mainly thanks to 3 factors

1- storage of accessible foodstuffs,
2 - temperature between 25 and 30°C,
3 - a humidity higher than 70%.

Ciron de la farine

These conditions are often met in stormy summer or in heated and poorly ventilated premises. heat and humidity also promote mushroom development, which also feeds storage mites.

 

In preventive measures, flour mites infestations may be avoided

- if food is stored in boxes or hermetic places,

- if the parts are properly aired to limit moisture.

 

The rule No. 1 (which is indeed true for all parasites in the kitchens,) is supprime all sources of food. for this you must:

1 - put out of reach at night the food of domestic animals,

2 - toss your kitchen waste in plastic bags arranged in hermetically closed bins,

3 - store your food in hermetically closed boxes,

4 - don't let slats or dirty dishes hang out,

5 - clean your kitchen regularly. aspirator for soil and washing with a disinfectant / fungicide product on soils, work plan, cooker,.

In the event of an infestation, the above precautionary rules are applied. Then we're gonna deal with the problem.

 

Background treatment against flour mite

To properly eliminate the flour mite, we suggest using 2 of our products: insecticide 4j + insecticide Ecodoo.

Our insecticide 4j exists either in its form concentrated, either on loan to employment already diluted to 5% with water. It's a contact insecticide. It is used by spraying.

Spraying will have to be done on all surfaces where the insect is present (inside closets included) but also, if you can, in all remote and less visible surfaces (behind and under closets for example).

You can also opt for the preparation of a washing water added to this concentrated insecticide to directly sprinkle all surfaces (to dilute at least 2% = 1 l of water + 20 ml of water) 4j concentrated). This preparation will serve you to wash everything. be careful not to apply to surfaces in contact with food (or then rinse after drying).

1 - take a large trash bag and throw everything that is not in a totally hermetic box, even the products that seem impeccable.

2 - pass the vacuum cleaner in all corners and corners of the closet or reserve,

3 - wash all surfaces by ometing no recoin, either by spraying insecticide j or by washing the insecticide solution (serpillière or sponge).

4 - before you put your stuff in the closets, it's best to wash everything in a basin or dishwasher. This rule is true for your dishes, but also for your laundry. what cannot be washed can be treated with our insecticide Ecodoo. You will proceed in the following way: put the objects in a garbage bag, spray the inside with insecticide, close well and let stand at min 48 h. if objects support heat, you can also pass them into the oven.

After the closets, you have to attack the trash, the underside and the behind the furniture, fridge, oven, microwave..

It should not stay in the kitchen a single place, corner that has not been cleaned and treated with the insecticide solution. We treat the floor to the ceiling through the walls, including the appliance. the goal is not to make the flour mite disappear 100%, but to greatly diminish its population.

Good cleaning, elimination of any food, good ventilation and treatment of all surfaces with our insecticide should lead to a gradual decrease in their population. cleanliness being rule No.1, do not hesitate to wash your soil regularly, your work plans. and spraying insecticide on all you see. The more complete the treatment, the faster their disappearance. normally flour mites should disappear completely in a few weeks. if not, it is that the treatment has been incomplete and that they continue to find food!

 

The products you need against the flour mites

Directly access the detailed product data sheets to control the crane (or storage device).

4J Insecticide concentrate with plant...

(279) 
4J insecticide concentrate to be diluted. Effective against a large number of crawling and flying insects in our homes. Available in...
€15.75
In stock

Insecticide 4J diluted 5% - All insects -...

(191) 
Ready-to-use  4J insecticide diluted to 5% . With this concentration, you will destroy  most flying and crawling insects  very quickly....
€6.58
In stock

 

Some videos showing flour mites in motion :

 

 

 

Sources of this file :

https://www.phadia.com/en/Products/Allergy-testing-products/ImmunoCAP-Allergen-Information/Mites/Allergens/Acarus-siro/

https://www.grainscanada.gc.ca/storage-entrepose/sip-irs/gm-cf-fra.htm

https://www.sojam.fr/wp-content/uploads/PIRIGRAIN-Guide-conseil.pdf