It should be noted that races of mites found on other animals cannot establish infestations in humans. They may cause temporary itching due to dermatitis but they do not tunnel into the skin. Newly emerged impregnated females will crawl onto the uninfected person. The mite will hold onto the skin using suckers attached to the two most anterior pairs of legs. They will then burrow into the skin.
Sarcoptic mites form definite burrows under the skin in which females deposit eggs.
Females deposit eggs at 2 to 3 day intervals as they burrow through the skin. Eggs are oval and 0.1 to 0.15 mm in length. Incubation time for eggs is 3 to 8 days. After the eggs hatch, the mites migrate to the skin surface and molt. The larval stage, which emerges from the eggs, has only 3 pairs of legs.