Mites (and ticks) are tiny arthropods, usually too small to see without magnification. They belonging to the subclass Acari and the class Arachnida, and the scientific study of them is called acarology.
Most mite species are harmless to humans, but a few species can transmit diseases or cause allergic reactions.
Mites that can live on our skin can cause of several types of itchy skin rashes, such as grain itch, grocer’s itch, and scabies, one of the three most common skin disorders in children. Demodex mites, which usually cause mange in dogs and other pets, may also cause the human skin disease rosacea.
Chiggers are known for their itchy bite, but can also spread disease in some some cases, such as scrub typhus. The house-mouse mite is the only known carrier of the disease rickettsialpox.
Dust mites cause several allergic reactions, including hay fever, asthma and eczema, and have been known to aggravate atopic dermatitis (excema). They are usually found in warm and humid locations, including beds.