Common members in this group of tiny mites include the cheese mite, flour mite, and grain mite. They are also known as tyroglyphid mites. Mold mites are very common but usually go unnoticed except in occasions when they become abundant. They can infest stored food and grain and cause tremendous losses although they are more usually an annoyance and nuisance and not injurious. They are harmless to people and pets, furniture, house structures, clothing and so forth.
Mold mites only develop where there is moisture or a high humidity.
As the name implies, they feed on molds and are common only where mold and fungi can flourish. They have been reported from a large number of items and places but the common characteristic of all infestations is the presence of a high humidity. Infestations have been mentioned in cheese, flour, grain, seeds, bulbs, straw, wallpaper, furniture, dried fruits, cereal foods, bird and small mammal nests and so forth. Control of mold mites may be difficult and is likely to require persistence. The first step should be to eliminate humidity or moisture that is producing favorable conditions for molds and mites.