Tiny arachnids, mostly under 1 mm, with eight legs and a simple, unsegmented body. Many live in soil as decomposers, others on plants, and some are predators or parasites, such as the Varroa mite of honey bees and the scabies mite of humans. Most are harmless to people.
Quick answers
What is it?Arachnid
Carnivore?Omnivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Day & night
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inWorldwide
ColoursWhite, Brown
SizeTiny
LengthMostly under 1 mm; face mites 0.3–0.4 mm
Legs8
Covered inExoskeleton
Lives incolonies
Lives for2–4 months
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Worldwide, in soil, water, on plants and on animals.
- What it eats
- Varies widely: decaying matter, plants, other small animals, or the skin and blood of hosts.
Did you know
Microscopic mites live in the pores of your face right now, and that is normal.
Face mites leave the hair follicles at night and walk around on the skin at 8–16 mm an hour.
In one 2014 study, every one of 19 adults tested carried face mites.
Often confused with
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