However, it has been shown that ear mites also crawl about on the body of infested animals and that they can survive off of the host as long as hair and other detritus from the host animal are present. Thus, this mite passes from host to host with ease in confined quarters. Adult mites live about four weeks. Eggs hatch in 3 to 4 days and each active developmental stage lasts about one week and is followed by a 24 to 36 hour resting stage. Development from egg to egg laying female takes about three weeks.
Ear mites tend to wedge under the edges of scabs for shelter.
Ear mites can be reared successfully from cells, hair, and dried earwax scraped from the ears of host animals. Once the ears of infested animals are secondarily infested with bacteria, the mites leave the suppurating area and tend to infest the outer ear or skin around the eyes. These facts indicate that ear mites do not feed on fluids. Because ear mites pass readily from one animal to another in confined quarters, one might consider boarding a pet with a neighbor rather than a commercial kennel should it be necessary to leave the animal. Pets which have a fetid odor associated with the ears or which shake or scratch their ears excessively should be examined for signs of ear mites.