Mondo Knows Facts

Microscopic dust mites feed on shed human skin flakes

Dander lost daily from skin provides nourishment for indoor microscopic arachnids

The average adult sheds roughly 1.5 grams of skin flakes daily. These microscopic keratin particles settle into household carpets, mattresses, and bedding, serving as the primary food source for microscopic house dust mites.

Micrometeorite inside dust mite
Joris.vandorpe ยท CC0 ยท licence ยท source

Where this comes from

Natural History Museum

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Tags: skin, dust mites, environment

Microscopic dust mites feed on shed human skin flakes: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?
Dander lost daily from skin provides nourishment for indoor microscopic arachnids. The figure is taken from Natural History Museum, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a human body fact?
Yes. It sits on the Human Body shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?
The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.