(Acarus siro)
Biology:
Meal mites are very small animals, 0.3 – 0.5 mm in size, which have 6 legs as larvae and 8 legs in the adult stage. They belong to the arachnid family. The elongated oval flour mite is whitish in color. There are only a few and usually quite short bristles on the body, but two pairs of quite long tail hairs are noticeable at the rear end of the flour mite. The development of the flour mite normally proceeds via egg, larva and various nymph stages to the adult animal. However, permanent forms can also be formed that survive unfavorable living conditions for a very long time. However, if the living conditions are favorable, mass reproduction usually occurs.
The development of the animals is possible at temperatures between 10 and 35 °C. Their development stops below 5 °C, although overwintering is also possible to a limited extent in unheated rooms.
A sufficiently high substrate moisture content, which must be more than 14%, appears to be more important for their development.
Damage:
Flour mites primarily infest grains, dough and baked goods, and less frequently animal products such as dairy products. Infested products are covered with a light-colored layer of dust, spoil and often taste bitter.
Food contaminated with flour mites smells sweet, is no longer suitable for consumption and can lead to severe allergies, asthma attacks and other symptoms of illness.
