Ohori Park Clinic
Between 70% and 80% of asthma, allergic rhinitis or atopic dermatitis are said to be caused by ticks and house dust. For this reason, these mite countermeasures are very important. 90% of the ticks are a kind of Leopard tick, while 10% are Cheyletidaes (mites) and house dust mites.
Leopard ticks have a life span of about 2 to 3 months, but it has 100 eggs. Leopard ticks prefers heat and humidity (from June to August), rapidly increasing in fall to reach a population 5-6 times bigger. In October, lots of dead tick bodies and feces gather in sheets and mattresses. Digestive enzymes such as the cysteine protease contained in carcasses and feces in Leopard ticks are thought to be the cause of allergies.
Leopard ticks do not suck human beings’ blood, but as the number of leopard ticks increases, they become food for mites therefore increasing the number of blood sucking mites. No immediate symptom can be visible but the skin will start swelling red after 1-2 days, provoking strong itching feelings that last about 1 week. As mites and ticks feed on Sebum from mattresses, sheets and pillows, it is important to pay a special attention to avoid sneezing and coughing.
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1) Wash the sheets and covers once every 1-2 weeks
2) Apply the futon dryer for about 90-120 minutes once a week.
3) After that, at least once a week, use futon/sheets cleaner or a vacuum cleaner.
Purchased at any home center, some special futon/sheets nozzle set up on the vacuum cleaner will get rid of ticks and feces. Be sure to clean both sides. For the floor, use a mop to clean the house dust.
4) In summer, sun dry the futon/sheets once a month, 2 hours each side.
5) In addition, once every three months, bring futon, sheets, pillows etc. to the coin launderer,
- a) Kill the mites in 30 minutes in a dryer (80 - 120 degrees).
- b) Further washing (30-50 minutes) + fluffy drying (30 minutes) to remove ticks from futon.